Deutsch in Berlin

In the second week of the October half-term holiday, 35 pupils in Shells and Thirds set off for a German language trip to Berlin. 

The busy itinerary included a guided tour of the city led by Mr Neal, visiting some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Pupils also enjoyed time at a Christmas Market where they were able to sample typical festive delicacies, a trip to the top of the TV Tower for fabulous views over the city at sunset, and a visit to the famous Berlin Zoo where pupils competed against each other to complete a treasure hunt. 

A train ride out of the capital city to Potsdam gave pupils a chance to explore a different historic German town where they enjoyed taking part in the tradition of placing a potato on the grave of Frederick the Great. 

The trip was led by German teacher, Mr Bircham.

He said: “Most of these pupils have only been learning German for just over a year and this has been their first opportunity to use the language in an authentic setting. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow in confidence and enjoy trying out different phrases and vocab.

“The trip has also been an important introduction to German history and culture which are both so vital when learning the language. Many thanks to Mr S Neal who did so much of the tour guiding on this trip and shared so many interesting stories and anecdotes with us.”

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