Goethe-Institut : Testimonials (Dresden)
The following program testimonial responses have been selected for publication by Global Education
Post Program Testimonial for Future Students
What is the most valuable thing you gained from this program?
|
This program allowed me to come out of my shell and learn to not be afraid to communicate and connect with others. I remember going from being afraid to attempt to speak any German at the beginning of the program to gaining enough confidence to hold conversations about other cultures. I was able to build friendships with people from all over the world using German as our only shared language and it helped expand understanding of not only Germany but also of other countries I might not likely visit.
— Summer, 2019 Participant |
What is unique about this program?
|
This program allows a lot of independence and self-driven learning. Many day-to-day activities were organized by the Goethe Institute, but much of the traveling and exploring was done on my own terms or with groups of friends. This independence not only pushed me to learn German outside of a typical classroom setting in having to interact personally with native Germans but also gave us the flexibility to explore the city at our own pace leading to sometimes impromptu visits to local events and festivals. This program allowed me to interact with people who did not know much English, which forced me to use exclusively German. Not having English to fall back on, but still being understood in spite of certain language barriers bolstered my confidence in communicating in German and I ended up gaining a lot of new vocabulary and phrases just through daily interaction.
— Summer, 2019 Participant |
How do you see this experience helping you in your future career or academic goals?
|
Not only did I receive a German Language certification which opened a lot of doors to further study and work in Germany, but I also felt that this experience taught me how to interact with people professionally and casually in both German and English. This experience really helped me to realize how much I tend to hold back in communicating and networking and I gained so much more confidence in approaching others which would ultimately lead to opportunities that I might otherwise not have tried to pursue.
— Summer, 2019 Participant |