Berlin is the home of museums and castles. Thinking about embarking a trip to Berlin feels like a fairy tale came true, taking a step into an unfamiliar environment and exploring it. This summer I am going on a study aboard trip through CIEE to learn German, and also to explore the different cultures of Germany (being the 2nd most immigrated to country, Germany definitely has a diverse range of culture) . Compared to New York City, Berlin is a lot more green; One-third of the city is green space, and the population is less dense, so the city feels more spacious. Berlin is also a very historical sight, which once was a harbor for segregation, but now it is reborn as a sight of creativity, aesthetics, and most of all freedom; as exhibited by the famous East Side Gallery, which is also the longest open air gallery.
The learning aspect of the trip makes it even more immersive and engaging. It is a revolutionized way of teaching, where your classroom isn't just a building where you go to daily, rather everything in the atmosphere around you becomes your classroom. One of the best ways to learn a language would definitely be to visit a country where that language is spoken daily, and every single interaction little or large is communicated using your target language. In addition, the language absorption is only enhanced because when you arrive, every participant is paired up with an host family, so literally every single day to day language would be spoken in the target language (for me it would be German). I always wanted to receive such a limitless way to learn something, and I truly believe learning a language this way, compared to a traditional classroom approach, would be a lot more effective.
Daring bold choices brings exciting adventures. That would quickly sum up how I feel about the upcoming trip in a six word memoir. It was definitely a bold choice to sign-up for a trip to a country that speaks a entirely different language than what I normally speak (yes, yes English and German are both Germanic, but...if you study it, there are also many significant differences) . But regardless there is nothing to lose going on a study aboard program, a short list of some of the benefits are: you get to see the world, learn something new, understand a new culture, improve your language skill, have more career opportunities in the future, search for new interests, make new lifelong friends, and lastly have a one of a kind experience you'll remember for life. If you are considering if you should go on a study aboard trip, I would definitely say go, since there is absolutely nothing to lose! Sure, you might be a little nervous, but then that's everyone who tries out something unfamiliar, you will only grow as a person. And most importantly have fun!
Bibliography for Images:
“Brandenburg Gate .” Booking, q-ec.bstatic.com/xdata/images/xphoto/2048x1536/40156472.jpg?k=e88a64858f6832319152c4e8922390c6918f8bf0bddb46e58182424ebd47102b&o=.
“Berlin TV Tower.” Trip Indicator, www.tripindicator.com/berlin-tv-tower.html.
“Neuschwanstein Castle.” Went Worth Puzzle, wentworth.images.blucommerce.com/wentworth/product/841805 Neuschwanstein Castle Maxi.jpg?auto=format,compress&bluhash=5e241478794148bd0f0ec55b7cd35561&s=4ae0b8e17f6b85321759019d13e5f4e5.
“Museum Island.” Visit Berlin, www.visitberlin.de/en/museum-island-in-berlin.
“My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love.” Lonely Planet, ©Turtix/Shutterstock, lonelyplanetwpnews.imgix.net/2018/11/east-wall-gallery.jpg.
Sharon. “RELAXING IN THE TIERGARTEN IN BERLIN.” Exploring Our World, 29 Oct. 2017, exploringrworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DSC01608-1170x780.jpg.
Wow! I'm looking forward to reading more about your experiences!