E-mail: svanholl@nd.edu
Language: German
Location of Study: Radolfzell, Germany
Program of Study: German Intensive Course, Carl Duisberg
Sponsors: The Nanovic Institute for European Studies and the German Program at Notre Dame
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“Oh, the places you’ll go!”
Dr. Seuss
I adamantly planned on learning French, like my sisters; however, my randomly assigned counselor for new students was the German teacher. She enthusiastically described the German program and a four-week exchange.
I never considered learning German until I met her, yet it became one of my favorite subjects. Moreover, I was incredibly excited to visit Europe to practice my German skills. Unfortunately, most of the people I interacted with spoke English, and therefore, my understanding improved through eavesdropping, but my verbal communication did not.
After two years of online school, many of my German skills deteriorated, and I look forward to rebuilding them through the Carl Duisberg Program and Notre Dame. I added German as a supplementary major and hope to incorporate German into my career. Radolfzell is key to rebuilding my German skills since I will be completely immersed in the language during my classes, homestay, and city.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest made hiking a consistent part of my summers; therefore, I would feel right-at-home with Radolfzell’s outdoor activities. This experience will be fulfilling and overwhelming; therefore, a smaller city is better for me. Moreover, I plan to study in Heidelberg during my junior year and want to experience a different area of Germany. I am incredibly excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to share it through the SLA blog.