I spent the past year immersing myself in German media and language in the hopes of eventually studying abroad there. However, after going so deep into 70s and 80s media, I had no idea what to expect from a modern Germany until I recently traveled there. I spent a week in Berlin and the following five in Leipzig, and while I had many culture shocks ranging from food to societal norms, the educational system was perhaps the greatest.

I studied through a program called InterDaF, intended to progress students by a language level by the end with a certificate for those who pass their exams. This meant taking an online placement exam prior to arrival which would sort students into levels ranging from A1 (total beginner) to C1 (extremely proficient). I was there for the month-long summer program and was placed into B1, however, I interacted with students from all levels. Through such interaction, I learned that even the A1 class received all-German instruction, which while reasonable for an intensive, still surprised me as I reflected on my first semester of German at Mizzou.

Similarly, communication with instructors was expected to be all-German if possible, both in lessons and for e-mails, no matter one’s level. This was also surprising to me, as I had expected external communications such as regarding attendance to allow for more leeway when it came to English versus German. This was furthered by less readily accessible information about E-Mail addresses, along with a difference in social norms regarding the roles of students. Coming from the United States, I wasn’t used to receiving very limited communication or feedback over assignments. Similarly, the final exam was hardly discussed and there was no formal syllabus or study guide like those in many of my Mizzou courses.

The overall program structure also came as a surprise to me. The idea of a language intensive didn’t conjure images in my mind of free excursions and creative projects, and yet this was a major part of one’s participation. Many days, after the first half of the day was filled with German lessons, students could sign up for excursions or activities that were oftentimes covered by the program cost and planned by staff. These included things from historical museums to canoeing, of which my most memorable experience was a tour of the Sternburg brewery. On the other days, lessons would be followed by working on our group projects. There were around eight of these and students chose on the first week which to participate in. They combined all speaking levels and had topics such as music or student life, all concerning the city of Leipzig in which we were staying; I was personally a part of the dance and theater group. Here, I was able to apply audio editing skills from my film courses while still learning German through communication with other students, along with applying my interest in industrial music, which had been one of my motivators to visit Germany, to my study abroad experience.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: World History on the German Stage – 6 weeks