German (Intermediate)
Our class is billed as ‘Intermediate’ German but that’s rather like giving an average, for many members are well above that level whilst other are still aspiring to it. Indeed, a couple attend the Beginners German class as well as ours. There are twenty on the register and an average of 16 attend each week, so there’s certainly a variety of people to talk to. And that’s how we start our sessions, by exchanging news and discussing what’s going on locally as well as in Germany. Quite often, one of our number has just returned from a trip there and can update us ‘aus erster Hand’.
Recently too, members have been taking it in turns to give a presentation, with maps and pictures, on the different Bundeslȁnder. Germany has an amazing diversity of faces, from the Wattenmeer of Schleswig-Holstein through the Wartburg in the former East Germany (where Luther translated the New Testament into German) to the ‘cool’ fashion malls of Munich. Our course is loosely based on the textbook ‘Generation E’ which is about the history, geography and culture of the German-speaking countries, but we usually have a short grammar focus too. Some students learned German at school the traditional way (without much talking) whereas others are self-taught , may even have worked in Germany and speak more confidently but inaccurately.
Whatever your background or motivation you’re welcome to come and try us out!