Im Januar hatten wir zwei MIT Studenten aus den USA für einige Wochen zu Gast. Zach und April wurden in unterschiedlichen Klassen, vor allem in der Oberstufe, u.a. in den Englischunterricht eingesetzt und boten die wunderbare Möglichkeit für die Schüler/innen mit einem Muttersprachler zu kommunizieren, Fragen über das Leben in den USA zu stellen, über verschiedene Themen zu diskutieren sowie für mündliche Prüfungen zu trainieren. Als Abschluss ihres Aufenthaltes führte die Englischfachschaft ein Interview mit den beiden:
Interview with MIT student Zach Schmitz
1. What were your expectations of the stay before you arrived? Have your expectations been fulfilled?
I decided to participate in MIT’s Global-Teaching-Labs Germany in order to both engage high-schoolers in the sciences while learning more about German language, education, and culture. My expectations were definitely met! Coppernicus Gymnasium’s teachers & administration were all very gracious and eager to help me adapt to German standards in designing my lessons. In addition, the students were all very patient with me as I tried to explain important topics in my fields of study in English & occasionally (middling) German.
2. What was your general impression of school life at Coppernicus?
From what I experienced, Coppernicus fosters an excellent environment for developing critical thinking and analytical skills. I was also surprised and greatly impressed by the students’ mastery of English. Even the 6th-years could largely understand me!
3. What differences did you notice between school life at Coppernicus and school life in the US?
I like how German high-schools (at Gymnasium level) focus on fewer subjects and teach them in more depth than in the US. In the US have IB/AP classes to make sure students are held to a certain standard, but I think the Abitur is more rigorous in this regard. Also, rather than 8-9 hour-blocks in the US, Coppernicus has a 4 1.5-hour block/day system; furthermore, the focus of lectures is oriented more on progressive questioning (Socratic Method) to prompt students to refine topics introduced in the class, whereas in the US teachers generally use a “firehose” method of presentation. I think both methods have relative strengths/weaknesses.
4. Which work did you enjoy most? / Which themes/classes etc. were the most interesting to you?
As a chemical engineering and biology double-major, I’ve spent most of the last 4 years at university focusing on leveraging our knowledge of genetics, protein engineering, and bioprocess engineering to develop and scale-up production of therapies in the pharmaceutical industry. I thus most enjoyed teaching Biology/Science & Technology with the Oberstufe! In particular, I enjoyed discussing concepts in DNA sequencing, drug-development, and new biological therapies--I was impressed by my students’ ideas during brainstorming sessions!
5. What have you learned about Germany and German culture during your stay?
I’ve learned about German language, history, and culture for 4 semesters at university, and so I had a good idea about what to expect. Despite this prior experience, I’m amazed at the vibrancy and variations of the “Schriftsprache” over Germany’s relatively small geographic area. It’s very cool (for me) to think of how Germans are able to preserve their cultural heritage while “agreeing” to teach/speak to each other in “Schriftsprache.” For example, it was neat to hear remnants of Plattdeutsch and northern German in Hamburg such as “Moin/schnacken”; there’s similar unique vocabulary/expressions in Munich and Berlin, and throughout wider Germany (of course!). While in the US we do have regional slang, I think it’s a poor comparison to this lingual vibrancy in Germany.
6. What has surprised you most about life in Germany?
I was surprised and impressed by how friendly Germans are! I always learned that social attitudes in the US are more of a “peach” whereas Germans were “coconuts.” However, I found that Germans were almost always happy to talk/give advice, be it at Coppernicus, wider Hamburg, or while traveling to other cities; this contrasts somewhat with “colder” attitudes I’ve experienced in New England.
7. Which part of Germany have you enjoyed most and why?
I most enjoyed Hamburg, since that was my “base of operations” and I was able to adapt to using the Bahnhof-System and exploring the city-center. I also greatly enjoyed exploring Munich with several of my friends--Neuschwanstein Schloss, the Frauenkirche, and Marienplatz are all so historically & culturally significant!
8. Would you return to Germany/Coppernicus again?
I am definitely planning on coming back to Germany. Although I’ll be at graduate school in the US for the next 4-6 years, Germany has several high-power biotech hubs (such as at Regensburg) and excellent research institutions that I think would be fun to postdoc or intern at. I have a few friends who have worked/done research here as well, and they all enjoyed it.
9. What is the first thing you would tell people about your stay?
Achtung: German students are exceptionally sharp!
Interview with MIT student April L Xie
1. What were your expectations of the stay before you arrived? Have your expectations been fulfilled?
Before arriving, I hoped to share my knowledge and experience with the students while also learning about German education and culture. My 3 weeks at Coppernicus have exceeded my expectations – everyone I met was very welcoming and engaging, and I really enjoyed interacting with the students and hearing their opinions on current issues and technology.
2. What was your general impression of school life at Coppernicus?
Right away, I noticed a collaborative and friendly atmosphere between the students and teachers at Coppernicus. The students seem very comfortable with approaching teachers, and the classroom environment is relaxed and light-hearted. For the most part, students seem happy and not overly-stressed.
3. What differences did you notice between school life at Coppernicus and school life in the US?
The biggest difference I noticed is the longer breaks and flexibility in schedules at Coppernicus vs. schools in the US. I was surprised that classes could be cancelled or move to different blocks day by day, and I was a little envious of the 20-minute breaks in comparison to the 8-10 minute breaks I had at schools I’ve attended in America. However, I did also notice that students in Germany learn more subjects in school, especially foreign language and humanities classes, which means that students are expected to remember a wider range of information. Another difference I noticed is that in Germany, there seems to be a larger emphasis on gaining a holistic education and being knowledgeable about social issues and events happening around the world. I find this to be very valuable, and it’s definitely something that schools in the US could adopt and learn from.
4. Which work did you enjoy most? / Which themes/classes etc. were the most interesting to you?
The work that I enjoyed the most was sharing my knowledge in science and technology and engaging in discussions with the students about their thoughts on technological advancements and challenges. I especially enjoyed speaking to the older students, because I was able to have meaning conversations with them about their lives, interests, and future goals. I found that we shared a lot more in common than I first expected, and it was really refreshing to hear their thoughts on US society.
5. What have you learned about Germany and German culture during your stay?
I’ve learned that Germany is a very environmentally-conscious and practical-minded country. There is a larger emphasis on recycling and composting, and I also noticed more smart cars on the road. Furniture and appliances are also designed to be more multi-functional (for example, computers that flip out of desks), which I found to be pretty cool.
6. What has surprised you most about life in Germany?
What surprised me the most is how much in common I share with other people my age in Germany. For example, I was surprised by how prevalent and popular American TV and media is in Germany. I was able to bond with students over shared interests in movies and TV shows, and even sports events like the Super Bowl, which I didn’t expect before I arrived.
7. Which part of Germany have you enjoyed most and why?
I’ve most enjoyed visiting various cities and admiring the architecture and history that surrounds the country. The US is very new relative to Germany, so being able to witness the product of hundreds of years of history and politics is a pretty special and rare opportunity for me.
8. Would you return to Germany/Coppernicus again?
I would absolutely come back when I have the chance! My 3 weeks went by really quickly, and I think there’s still so much more to see and learn. Maybe I’ll brush up on some German skills to enrich my experience when I return.
9. What is the first thing you would tell people about your stay?
I would tell them that I had an amazing 3 weeks at Coppernicus/Germany, and I can’t wait to visit again!
Wir danken Zach und April für ihre Unterstützung und ihr Engagement und freuen uns auf das nächste Jahr, wenn wir hoffentlich erneut MIT Studenten am Copp willkommen heißen dürfen.
