Sprachakademie
Dear students,
I am super excited to tell you about a new project of mine:
The Sprachakademie!
To be honest, I borrowed the idea from a friend. Sarah Henderson-Sharon is an English teacher specialized in working with people who have speaking and exam anxiety. Some time ago, she started a “Speaking Club” that is similar to the new Sprachakademie. I am attending the events and really enjoy them. That’s why I thought: Why not offer something similar for my German students?
What exactly does the Sprachakademie offer?
There are different events each week for all levels, where you can talk to other learners about different topics. We are going to start with three events per week. We’ll go into greater detail about them in a moment. For each event there is preparatory material with the topic and questions, a vocabulary list (levels A and B), and links to further material (level C).
In addition to the regular events, there is a forum where members can ask questions, get answers, and exchange ideas. There are monthly challenges, various focus sessions, the possibility to search for a learning partner (in the forum) and events on proverbs and idioms. More is being planned and I look forward to your ideas and suggestions, because this is your academy.
Let’s give you some details about the events that are planned:
Plauderecke
We talk about everyday and cultural topics. The topics are relatively easy and suitable for anyone with a higher A2 level. You can have your first conversations and gain self-confidence. Previous topics were:
- School: What school did you attend? What subjects did you have? What happened on a typical school day? How was your first day at school?
- Shopping: Where do you regularly buy your groceries? What other stores do you visit? Which things do you prefer to buy online vs. locally?
- Geography: Describe your home country! Describe the climate and weather in your country. Are there natural phenomena or catastrophes?
- At the doctor: Which doctors do you go to? Have you ever had a medical emergency? Which doctor do you hate going to?
Diskussionsrunde
We talk about various topics including culture, history, economy and politics. The conversations are similar to discussions you may have with your friends. For this event, you should have at least an upper B1 level.
The topics of the first month were:
- Leisure activities and hobbies: What hobbies did you have as a child? Compare those to the hobbies children have today. What is your opinion? Are you rather active or passive in your free time? Is that good or bad?
- Transport and traffic: What would you like to change about public transit? How are the goods transported in your country? What suggestions for improvement do you have?
- Agriculture: Organic food: Do you have a positive or more negative attitude towards them? What ecological problems are there in agriculture and what is changing in your home country? What is your opinion on this subject?
- Drugs and stimulants: How do you define “drug”? Are the laws in your country right or wrong? What are the reasons?
Debattenforum
Here, we will deal with difficult topics from the fields of business, politics and science. For this you should have at least an upper B2 level.
Here is a small list of previous topics:
- “Energiewende”- The energy source of the future
- Work-life balance
- Compulsory vaccination
- Function and responsibilities of the media
Of course, we will have new topics every month and we try to make sure that there is always something for everyone. We are always happy to accept suggestions for the future, too.
Want to know more? Follow this link and take a look!
We are happy about every new member, because it makes the conversations and discussions even more interesting!