As I approach my study abroad experience in Radolfzell, I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to grow in my language acquisition. Having spoken with prior students and the institute itself, what separates this opportunity from my previous classroom learning experience has been the focus. While the early classes of the German language are focused on grammar, vocabulary, etc. the electives in my experience have been more focused on the reading and writing skills. Additionally, there is a focus on looking at Germany from an academic point of view. We focus on the German political system, economy, history, literary figures, etc. This immersive experience will focus primarily on conversational skills and vocabulary. It will develop my ability to hold conversations about my family, dreams/aspirations, a new favorite book or TV show, etc. Additionally, I expect to develop my German grammar skills profoundly while abroad. Mastering German’s grammar rules has been my biggest hurdle to mastering the language so far, and I believe that by being immersed in the language completely, spending a few hours daily in the classroom, I will be far better prepared by the end of the summer.
I think I will become a much more confident person not only in my language skills but across all areas of my life. There will be times where I will not know what to say when speaking with a local German. There will be times where I slip up, and I say something I do not mean. This opportunity will allow me to be okay with that. By having to think on the fly, I believe I will become more confident and speak in front of other people, especially in my German classes when I return home.