the global languages centre of the o.p. jindal global university ... · presentation/...
TRANSCRIPT
The Global Languages Centre of the O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat along with the International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd) successfully organized for the first time the
JINDAL GERMAN SUMMER SCHOOL (JGrSS)
Objective: The Jindal German Summer School (JGrSS) – a three week fully residential German Summer School - was steered towards the acquisition of basic German language skills whereby participants were able to understand and use basic expressions to satisfy concrete needs. In addition, the German Summer School aimed at offering an opportunity to participants to be able to engage meaningfully with various aspects of the German history, culture and civilization and be informed about the various possibilities of Higher studies in Germany. Duration: 17.06 – 05. 07.2019 (Monday- Saturday; Sunday off) Timings: 9.00 AM – 7.00 PM Registration Fee: 25,000 INR (This included accommodation in an AC twin sharing- room, meals, tuition fee, books and study material) Total number of Participants: 7 Countries of Origin: India, Syria and the Netherlands. Age Group: 16 – 27 Academic Profiles: One Class IX student from DPS, Sonipat, three students from universities like the Shiv Nadar University, University of Delhi, Amity University, two students who recently joined the O.P.Jindal Global University and one law graduate from Al- Fourat University, Syria.
Description of content: The Jindal German Summer School consisted of three modules:
German Language A1 Proficiency Participants were able to attain the proficiency level of A1 according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) after the summer school and may take the ‘Start Deutsch A1’ exam of the Goethe Institut.
German Culture, History and Civilization (Workshops, skype interviews, excursion, film screenings and discussions)
Counselling about Higher studies in Germany by a representative from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
The learning of German was proficiency-based and aimed to develop the four skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. In addition, participants were able to practice grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in a systematically structured way. Emphasis was placed on language for use in real-life situations, communicative language games and working in groups and pairs. Workshops/ interactions on various aspects of German culture, history and civilization were conducted by representatives from German organisations such as the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Goethe Insitut/Max Mueller Bhavan, German Book Office and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service.) Certificates of Participation were provided by the O.P. Jindal Global University at the end of the course.
The Programme at a glance:
PROGRAMME (17.06.2019 to 05.07.2019)
Days 9.00 am – 11.00 am 11.30 am – 1.30 pm 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm
Monday, 17.06 Introduction and Programme Past, present, and future of Fortresses, castles and their Royal Greetings Orientation European Environmental Politics and ducal owners and their Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski mistresses: A speedy chase Tour of the university Campus (JGU) through the fascinating history of (6.00 pm – 7.00 pm) interiors in Germany
Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt (JGU)
Tuesday, 18.06 Greetings Scandal and modernity: Jewish art (formal/ informal) collectors and their interiors in German Numbers German Names Vienna 1900 (1-20) Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt (JGU)
Wednesday, 19.06 ‘haben’ und ‘sein’ Geographical Orientation:
German Numbers (21-100)
Berlin in Stations
Germany and its Neighbouring Introducing someone
‘ countries and German Speaking Mani Kohli
countries (MMB, New Delhi
Thursday, 20.06 Traditional German Festivals Free time activities Free time activities (cont.)
Mani Kohli A German Address (MMB, Delhi)
Friday, 21.06 Free time activities Reading Culture in Germany A decade of Living, working and more
in Germany (cont.) Sanchit Gupta Prashasti Rastogi Work culture in Germany (VW, Wolfsburg) (GBO)
Saturday, 22.06 Places in a City
Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg (cont.) 1st Assessment test
Sunday, 23.06
Monday, 24.06 German Cuisine Placing an order in a Café Placing an order in a Café (cont.) Film Screening: The Reader
Tuesday, 25.06 Supermarket Time with friends Time with friends (cont.) Daily Routine
Wednesday, 26.06 Daily Routine (cont.) Barbecue party Birthday Party Family
Thursday, 27.06 Family (cont.) Learning a Language Learning German Studies in Germany Skype Interview with an Indian student studying in Germany
Friday, 28.06 2nd Assessment Test Higher Studies in Germany German Culture and Way of Life: Dinner at Dhaba Amrik Sukhdev Intercultural sensitisation Naina Narke Naina Narke (DAAD) (DAAD)
Saturday, 29.06 Living in Germany History and Politics of Germany
Living spaces Living spaces (cont.)
Frank Hoffmann
(FNST)
Sunday, 30.06
Monday, 1.07 Excursion to Max Mueller Bhavan Film Screening: Der junge Karl
Marx
Lunch at Barbecue Nation, CP
Tuesday, 2.07 A visit to the doctor A visit to the doctor (cont.)
Shopping: Clothes Film screening: Das Leben der
Anderen
Wednesday, 3.07 History of German Music
Music Workshop Abhiraj Purandare
(MMB, Pune)
Travelling Travelling
Abhiraj Purandare (MMB, Pune)
Thursday, 4.07 History of German Theatre Theatre Workshop 3rd Assessment test Abhiraj Purandare (MMB, Pune) Abhiraj Purandare - (MMB, Pune)
Friday, 5.07 Certificate Distribution
Lunch at Rendezvous
Departure
Team:
Mr. Abhiraj Purandare (Musician, Theatre artist and Storyteller/ Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune)
Ms. Mani Kohli (Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi)
Ms. Naina Narke, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Mr. Frank Hoffmann, Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNST)
Ms. Prashasti Rastogi, German Book Office (GBO)
Mr. Sanchit Gupta, Volkswagen (VW), Wolfsburg
Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski (JGU)
Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt (JGU)
Dr. Shruti Jain (JGU)
Workshops/Presentations at a glance:
Name Institution/ Organisation
Presentation/ Workshop-title
Date Timings
Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski O.P. Jindal Global University
Past, present and future of European Environmental Politics
17.06.2019 11.30 hrs- 13.30 hrs
Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt O.P. Jindal Global University
Fortresses, castles and their Royal and ducal owners and their mistresses: A speedy chase through the fascinating history of interiors of Germany
17.06.2019 14.30 hrs – 16.30 hrs
Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt O.P. Jindal Global University
Scandal and modernity: Jewish art collectors and their interiors in Vienna 1900
18.06.2019 11.30 hrs- 13.30 hrs
Ms. Mani Kohli Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
Berlin in Stations 19.06.2019 17.00 hrs – 19.00 hrs
Ms. Mani Kohli Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
Traditional Festivals in Germany
20.06. 2019 9.00 hrs – 11.00 hrs
Ms. Prashasti Rastogi German Book Office, New Delhi
On the Reading Culture in Germany
21.06.2019 11.30 hrs – 13.30 hrs
Mr. Sanchit Gupta Volkswagen, Wolfsburg, Germany
A decade of living, working and more in Germany (skype presentation)
21.06.2019 17.00 hrs – 19.00 hrs
Ms. Naina Narke DAAD, New Delhi Higher Studies in Germany 28.06.2019 11.30 hrs – 13.30 hrs
Ms. Naina Narke DAAD, New Delhi German Culture and Way of Life: Intercultural sensitization
28.06.2019 14.30 hrs – 16.30 hrs
Mr. Frank Hoffmann Friedrich Naumann Foundation, New Delhi
History and Politics of Germany
29.06.2019 11.30 hrs – 13.30 hrs
Mr. Abhiraj Purandare Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune
History of German Theatre
3.07.2019 9.00 hrs – 11.00 hrs
Theatre Workshop 11.30 hrs – 13.30 hrs Mr. Abhiraj Purandare Max Mueller Bhavan,
Pune History of German Music
4.07.2019 9.00 hrs – 11.00 hrs
Music Workshop 11.30 hrs – 13.30 hrs
Participants’ Testimonials:
Ayesha Khan, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat
(Indore, India, 18 years)
The German summer school was a great experience! We had many opportunities to try ourselves in different fields of knowledge. Friendly atmosphere and open-mindedness of professor made our learning fun, easy and exciting. For me summer school became more than simple studying. It was a perfect environment to broaden your mind and find friends from all over the world. It was also a good chance to explore more about Germany. I will never forget the good time I had and all the wonderful people I met. I spent three lovely weeks in JGU, full of amazing experiences. All started with an excellent organisation by the representative of the university, which included a lot of information
beforehand. We had a lot of activities like workshop, film screening, excursions and a lot more. Besides the organised activities, the Finnish nature itself is really impressive. The classes were kept long but therefore with students from different backgrounds and different cultures. This environment enhanced a lot of interesting discussion to all topics. Especially I liked the course which taught me a lot about the German Culture, Economics, History and Politics, Art and Literature, History of German theatre, German music, German festivals and a lot more. But the best part of this class was the trip to Max Mueller Bhavan. Overall, I don't want to miss this experience. I will never forget the good time I had and all the wonderful people I met in JGU. The material covered in all classes was highly important. Besides, the teaching methods differed from what I have seen back in my home university; we focused on educational games and teamwork during class. I was surprised by the fact that anyone from any background can study this course. Besides the daily classes, Jindal German summer school offered an excellent social program nearly every day. Our instructor Mrs Shruti Jain was ready to help us until we fully understand it. It couldn't have been this good and so fun without her. She not only helped us in class room learning but took care of everything be it food, hostel, etc. She managed everything so well and all the programs were really helpful. Many different social events were organised for us.It was a perfect mixture of academic studies and fun.
Workshops:
Past, present and future of European environment politics by Dr.Annika Bose Styczynski. It was interesting and we got to know about the environmental politics and a lot more. It was knowledgeable and the ideas which she presented in the class were very well done. It was knowledge and fun at the same time.
Fortresses, castles and their Royal and ducal owners and mistresses by Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt. This workshop was one of my favourites in the whole summer school. I just loved the way professor had put her research and the way she presented it to us. All the information which she presented to us was really helpful and created a good environment of learning. Her workshop was about the Castle and the history behind them. It was the in-depth study of the history of castles, fortresses and their Royal mistresses. Her efforts were remarkable. Just can’t forget all the information which she shared with us.
Berlin by Mani Kohli. The first workshop was all about Berlin and the second one was on festivals. She presented the information through activities which were fun and interesting. I loved the way she made us learn while working on the work stations. I loved the workshop overall.
In his skype presentation, Sanchit Gupta provided us information about life in Germany. He spoke about many things, among which he told us about how the German culture is different from Indian culture. He told us about the history of Volkswagen, the company he works for and about how we should believe in our dreams.
Skype interview with an Indian student studying in Germany by Upesh Taneja. He shared his journey and how he got there for his studies. He shared his experience and told us how to apply if we want to study in Germany. What all things should be done before coming to Germany for studies. It was really helpful if you are really interested in studying in Germany.
Higher studies in Germany and German Culture and way of Life by Naina Narke. She told us how to apply and get in to the university if we want to study in Germany. Even she taught us the German Culture through games. The workshop was really interesting and no one can be bored in her workshop as it was so interesting.
History and politics of Germany by Frank Hoffmann. He presented a slide show with interesting quiz. His way of presenting the information was unique and all the information he provided was helpful.
History of German Music by Abhiraj Purandare. The last workshop of this entire journey. We presented a play, learned about theatre and many more. This workshop was about learning through acting. So good and so fun.
Ananya Gupta, Shivnadar University, Noida
(Jhansi, India, 19 years)
Writing this testimonial was a bitter-sweet feeling. This programme as a whole brought out a better version in me that I enjoyed being for this short period of 3 weeks. I say short now, but that wasn’t the case when all of us were still in our deciding phase. The German Summer School provided us not only with some sense of purpose, but equally, or even more helped us develop and learn the language using fun methods. What also made this programme interesting was that many workshops were conducted by guests on different topics. We had an experience of Germany, without physically being there.
Learning language: Learning language this smoothly wouldn’t have been possible without our instructor Dr. Shruti Jain who was very patient with all of us. She organized the programme very well. Learning language could’ve been rigorous especially with us continuously learning these many long hours, but that didn’t happen because of the way these hours were planned. It was 50% learning and 50% fun. We also watched some really funny and bizarre videos which are always going to stay with me. What I also liked was that it involved all of us to participate. It was not a regular one-way teaching. Our instructor made sure that we acknowledged everybody in the class and not form groups.
Workshops: Several workshops were organized on different topics and occasions.
Past, present, and future of European Environmental Politics by Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski: The topic was not of much interest for me, but it sure did put forward some facts that one needed to know about Germany.
Fortresses, castles and their Royal and their Royal and ducal owners and their mistresses: A speedy chase through the fascinating history of interiors in Germany and Scandal and modernity: Jewish art collectors and their interiors in Vienna 1900 by Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt: We
got to know about the art of Germany and its history. This session was were informative and we could see that the presenter had worked really well to bring together the presentations the way they were.
Berlin and German Festivals by Ms. Mani Kohli: The presenter’s efforts were evident. She set up 8 work stations for us, but all of us couldn’t go through all of them so some more time should have been devoted for this workshop. Painting Easter eggs also brought out the artists in each
one of us. 😂
Reading Culture in Germany by Ms. Prashasti Rastogi: Gave us an insight into the reading habits and culture of Germany. We got to know what genres of books Germans may or may not like.
Higher Studies in Germany (DAAD) and Intercultural sensitisation by Ms. Naina Narke: A well conducted balanced workshop. It was informative and inculcated some values within us, but was also equally fun and games. This acted as a great awareness session that us oblivious Indian students required before stepping on a foreign land.
History and Politics of Germany by Mr. Frank Hoffman: This topic was of interest, but I believe that the presenter should’ve been given two hours more.
German Music and Theatre by Mr. Abhiraj Purandare: An appropriate end to our 21 days. We were able to put up a still image play within 20 minutes!
Excursion and film screenings: We were mostly excited to go out of the campus to take a break from the routine and have some great food. Our wishes were fulfilled but at the same time we also had a gala time visiting the Max Mueller Bhavan library. We also relished shopping in the Janpath street market and walking down the Connaught Place circle.
We had three film screenings and discussions about Germany and its history. In addition to that, we also spoke to two people living in Germany, one a student and one a Purchasing Project Manager from Volkswagen who gave us an insight of the college and work life respectively. Their first hand experiences are also going to help us a lot in future.
Life in JGU (Hostel, dining and other): JGU was pretty dead when we came to college, but guess that worked in our favour. We only had each others’ company and that brought us even closer. The hostel facilities were five star. The Dining hall was also quite good. We could play and swim without any restrictions.
Overall: What could’ve been improved was the structure of the programme, but this is also subjective. We could have had a 30-day-programme with only 6 working hours per day. That would’ve been a little bit more relaxed. It is important to also realize that we covered the entire syllabus of A1 level in just 21 days, which usually takes over 3 months’ time. My favourite day was when all of us penned down (and drew) poems. We painted, we laughed and we made memories. Ich bin cool. Bist du cool?
Soushree Mukhopadhyay, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi
(New Delhi, India, 19 years)
I joined the Jindal German Summer school for learning the A1 level German. The tenure of the course was 3 weeks. It was a residential programme. It aimed at the acquisition of the basic German language skills whereby we got an opportunity of exploring German history, culture and society. The whole programme included a variety of activities, workshops, games, film screenings and discussions to make the learning sessions even more interesting.
The language learning sessions were excellently organized. We started our sessions by playing some games. Since we all came from different backgrounds the games helped us to get comfortable with each other. We had a brief orientation session where we were informed all the activities that had been planned for us. We started with the basic introduction, greetings followed by themes like introducing someone, German cuisine,
placing order, shopping, family and others. The topics were carefully chosen which suited especially to someone who is going or planning to go Germany. Every topic was from everyday relevance. We were provided all the related materials, books, worksheets for practice.
In addition to this there were a variety of workshops held. We had some very informative and educative presentations on topics like Environmental Politics, Fortresses, castles and mistresses: A speedy chase through the fascinating history of interiors in Germany by Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski and Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt respectively. These presentations gave us an insight into the fascinating environmental policies and architecture in Germany.
We also had workshop by Mani Kohli where we were introduced to the German festivals and about the city of Berlin. We learnt a lot through the different set of activities like painting, quiz, visual aids etc that helped us understand the things better. Prashasti Rastogi helped us discern information about the reading culture in Germany. For making us aware about the history and politics of Germany, Frank Hoffman was invited. Naina Narke made us aware about the various criteria through which we tend to gauge other people and cultures through a variety of interesting discussions and activities. With the help of Abhiraj Purandare we got the unique opportunity to experience the German theatre and music. We performed ‘Standbilder’ as well as a set of other musical activities.
2 skype interviews were also scheduled with Sanchit Gupta (working in Germany) and Upesh (a student living in Germany). It was an interactive session where we asked questions about the life, food, working culture, college fees etc and all the relevant information. All these workshops were structurally organised and beautifully presented.
The credits of putting together this whole programme goes to Dr. Shruti Jain. She planned, implemented and executed everything in the best way possible. She taught us with utmost patience and precision. The studying hours were flexible as well as balanced with games and workshops to prevent it from being monotonous.
Life in JGU couldn’t be any better. The rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable. All kinds of sports facilities were available. The meals served were delicious and healthy. We also got the chance to go out and have fun. We had excursion in Delhi as well as we went for dinner in Murthal. We got to know new people, made friends and made some amazing memories which we will cherish forever
Overall experience at Jindal German summer school
If I had to sum up my whole experience here, I would describe it as “wunderbar”. From painting Easter eggs to putting up a play in 20 mins. From learning how to introduce yourself in German to writing concrete poems and Elfchen. It was a splendid experience all the way. I got to learn the language in such a vibrant environment and enthusiastic atmosphere. My favourite moment in the class was singing the songs “Ich bin cool” along with ma’am.
Danke schön for this amazing experience. Looking forward to more German summer school courses.
Rohit Naveria, Graduate from Amity University, Noida, going to pursue MBA at the Technische Universität, Berlin
(New Delhi, India, 23 years)
While searching for A1 level exam for German on internet I came across an ad from JGU which was offering the course for 3 weeks I was interested in joining because I didn’t have time for a full time course since I am leaving for Germany in September Intake for my masters .When I came to Jindal Global Summer School I had my doubts about how will it go and on the very first day I literally counted the days but It was really a good span of 21 days which I spent here. These 3 weeks of learning German was actually fun activity, the whole course was very well designed and there was a balance between the learning stuff and the activities. We also had excursion to the Max
Muller Bhawan followed by lunch at Barbeque Nation, it was a great bonding experience for me as it was a casual interaction with my classmates and my teacher. Even though we all were from different background but it didn’t cause any problem for me because our teacher made us do such activities that we became comfortable with each other.
On the very first day we had a presentation by Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski she was very well prepared about her presentation and she covered each and everything in it, which was followed by a presentation by Dr. Esther Schmidt she told us about the infrastructure and art in Germany. Even though I am not really into arts and infrastructure stuff but after listening to her I am really looking forward to go to these places and actually look at the with a different view. We had 2 workshops from Ms. Mani kohli about Berlin and one about the Festivals of Germany, I learnt a lot about the festivals and palaces in Germany which is very important for me as I will be in Berlin for next 5yrs. Ms.Prashasti Rastogi from German Book Office came for a workshop and told us about the reading culture and different types of books it was very interesting to know about books as well. Then there was a workshop by Ms Naina Narke from DAAD it was the best workshop because I came know about a lot of things which I didn’t knew before and it really helped me in planning out the things that I am going to do when I land in Germany. We also had an Workshop by Mr. Frank Hoffman it was the second best workshop I attended because it was again the area of my interest the history and politics he had a very nice presentation planned for us but I think he should have got more time because this topic deserved atleast 4hrs but he only got 2hrs otherwise it was great. The last workshop we attended was by Mr. Abhiraj Purandare from Max Muller Bhawan Pune on music and theatre actually it was the best way to end the course because we had a lot of fun as well as learned a lot of things about the type and genre the people of Germany may like, we also put up a play together.
We also had 2 skype interviews with 2 Indians who are currently living in Germany it was a good to interact with someone who is actually living and facing the problems and other stuff. We had 3 movie screenings which were in German but watching it with Shruti Maam made it very interesting because she cleared the doubts even before we asked.
Our German Faculty was Dr. Shruti Jain - we couldn’t have got a better teacher than her she knows when to be after us and when to set us free she was very cooperative and she came up with a totally different way of learning which was new for me and I really enjoyed it doing this way because we were involved in the class all the time. There was not a single minute when I felt it was boring. The workshops were interesting but I personally loved Shruti Ma’ams classes even more. She also made it very easy for me to learn the language. It was more kind of a group learning than individual learning. The best part was when we wrote a Concrete Poem and Elfchen.
The infrastructure of the University is very good. I had never lived in a hostel before and was initially a little apprehensive. But it turns out that it was a great experience here. The rooms were clean and they were very comfortable, especially Warden sir was very friendly. I didn’t like the food - not because it was bad but because I like really spicy food and here it was more kind of healthy food. I wish they had opened other outlets too.
The atmosphere here was great. It was a different kind of lifestyle for me. 21 days were sufficient for this type of course. We got 8hrs of daily classes keeping us busy for the whole day and there were recreation activities for the evening which was great. I don’t think there should be any change in the programme. One thing that I didn’t liked was that we were not allowed to go out of the campus as it was a resident programme. We had to take permission to go out.
This was one of the best experiences of my life which will always be there in my heart. I will always remember the small family I had here. I never felt the need to go home.
This place, these people and these memories were one of a kind, I will definitely miss all of this.
Aayush Maniktalia, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat (Sonipat, India, 18 years) About a month ago I came across an advertisement about the Jindal German summer school. I believed it would have been beneficial for me to learn German, hence I signed up for the course. At first when I came to the campus on the 16th of June it felt like a ghost-town since there were a very few students present (most of them had left for the summer break). But then I met my classmates and slowly begin to enjoy their company. The 21 days we spent learning German was really an amazing experience.
Our teacher, Dr. Shruti Jain taught really well and used props and activities to make the classes even more interesting. We had four classes of two hours each from monday to saturday while we were free on sunday. We also had one or two workshops each day about Germany which included a workshop on Germany’s role in Climate change, Reading culture, German theatre and German history among others. These workshops were conducted by experts in their respective fields and made the study of German language even more fun along with providing us knowledge about different aspects of Germany. We also had two Skype interviews with a professional and then a student, both based in Germany who gave us an insight into their respective areas of expertise. The stay in the hostel was very comfortable and everything expected was taken care off. The food, I kid you not, was amazing and I can eat the same food for years to come. We were also provided with facilities like the gymnasium and the swimming pool. However, I would like to mention that for me sometimes the program felt a bit intense and i believe we could do away with the post lunch class and provide for a rest period. Overall it was an amazing experience. Viana Sheikh Yousef, Al-Fourat University, Syria (Al-Hasakh, Syria, 27 years) I enjoyed being a part of the German Summer school. I liked the lectures by professors and instructors from JGU and from other institutions. They gave me insights into the German culture and history and an overview of the scholarship options available for students. It is also nice that in such a short time, one can pick up some level of German that they can build on. On a personal note, I did not only learn German but I also brushed up on my English.
It was a pleasure to get to know you as an instructor as well as a person. Your devotion and dedication to your subject are very inspiring. One point I would like to raise - it would be worthwhile to consider teaching 5 hours instead of 8 to leave a space for personal revision at the end of the day. I will miss this course and I look forward to participating in the next level when it is offered. Victoria Meira, Delhi Public School, Sonipat (Leiden, Netherlands, 16 years)
workshops/ guest lectures
The workshops and guest lecturers on various different aspects of Germany and German culture were an absolutely amazing part of the summer school. They gave us an insight in all sorts of questions. My favourite ones were by far the ones which were centred around culture and the various wonderful sights and attraction of Germany. The lectures which talked about the experience of studying in Germany as a foreign student and especially the lectures which explained how to apply to studies in Germany were a great touch. They made the seemingly daunting task of applying for studies so far away much more accessible and understandable. The one which made us learn about German reading culture was really inspiring. Also, the lectures which taught us all about German music and theatre (and the history of both) were delightful.
language learning
The main part of this course, the language classes, were very well structured and thought out. they were focused on teaching practical and useable German which will no doubt benefit us further in life. The lessons also made sure to cover a wide variety of language skills, from writing to speaking to reading to listening they were all entangled in each other in this course which resulted in us learning them alongside each other in a very natural manner. The diversity in backgrounds of the guests also made sure that we had the chance to interact and hear a variety of different German accents and speaking styles which contributed greatly to our understanding of the German language as a whole.
lesson duration
Though the breaks were very well-placed the duration of the lessons seemed at times excessive. The long lessons had definitely their benefits, because we were spending more time together we ended up being a much more close-knit group than without it, we had practically no homework, the course had a very practical duration of three weeks yet I would suggest to look into some ideas like maybe having an hour and a half shorter lectures but giving us a sensible amount of homework for the next day. I believe this could also contribute to the language learning process by providing students with the opportunity to do some more individual studying, an approach which though on its own never enough, when in combination with other approaches has a habit of being extremely useful.
organisation + facilities
The facilities and services provided were wonderful. From the cool classroom which facilitated long learning hours to good transport to readily available refreshments in the breaks. The organisation was also very good, the lessons were well-structured and the breaks well placed. The trip to the Goethe Institute was an incredibly lovely one. The staff were as kind as they were informative and we were shown a very intriguing philosophical movie which tied into the topics of German culture which we had previously discussed in the lessons and during the workshops. One of the most pleasurable parts of being there was the realisation of just how much interesting German literature there is. I also believe the curiosity towards German media was a great motivation for me to learn more German.
diverse learning approach
It was fantastic to engage in the vast array of different learning approaches we were presented with. From listening to lectures to solving puzzles to writing our own German lyrics it made sure that we truly became acquainted with German instead of well versed in just translating it. One of my personal favourites was watching German movies with subtitles. This allowed us to be fascinated by how much German we had already learned. It was incredibly fun to watch these movies and realise that more often than not you would understand at least a few words per line. Not to mention how delightful it was to watch all which we had learned about German culture put into action so harmoniously.
Some Glimpses of the Jindal German Summer School
Dr. Annika Bose Styczynski (JGU)
Dr. Esther Christine Schmidt (JGU)
Dinner at the Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba
Ms. Prashasti Rastogi
Ms. Nidhi Rawat, MMB Library, New Delhi
