Annual German exchange program teaches about world differences, leads to international friendships.

Useful German phrases:

GOOD MORNING - Guten Morgen [GOOTen MOR-gen]

GOOD DAY - Guten Tag [GOOTen targ]

HOW ARE YOU? - Wie geht es Ihnen? [VEE gate es EE-nen?]

 GOOD BYE - Auf Wiedersehen [Owf VEEder zay-en]

HOW MUCH IS THAT? - Wieviel kostet das? [Vee-feel KOSTet das?]

WHERE'S THE BATHROOM? - Wo sind die Toiletten? [Voh zind dee toil-ETT-ten?]

THANKS - Danke [Danker]

Ashley Carlisle observing the guests at Student Council. Photo by Sam Womack.

FD ONLINE





Closing the Culture Gap

-Ashley Carlisle

Sitting among 30 excited and amicable Student Council members, visiting German exchange students focus all of their attention on the conversations they are holding. Though they respond to questions hesitantly, hoping to avoid saying something completely incorrect or out of place, they maintain constant eye-contact and make sure to thank those who have been friendly and accommodating to them during their stay. As the bell rings, students leave for the next class. E-mail addresses are exchanged, and despite awkward silences and handshakes, all leave the room with a sense that they have learned something new about the world in which they live.
 
For more than 20 years, the Westlake German Department has followed its tradition of participating in student exchange programs. Every year, several local families host German students and every other year selected Westlake students have the opportunity to play the part of visitor and travel to Germany to stay with a native family. This participation is unique to the German department and allows students to learn about language in a new way.
 
“These programs give my students an opportunity to experience German culture in person,” German teacher and program coordinator Scott Gardener said. “Often students find that, despite surface differences, our two cultures have many core similarities. It also motivates my students to learn German.”
 
Students who have participated in the these programs in the past, including those who went on the department’s trip to Germany this past summer, have only good things to say about their experience and what they learned from it.
 
“I think that it's important to have this kind of program because it's only one-sided when you travel with your family,” senior Alex Rodgers said. “When you actually live with a family from a foreign land you see how they live their daily lives, and you also get a chance to explore the history and culture.”
 
The German department strives to use every available moment to teach visiting students about America and its culture. With day trips to San Antonio, Zilker Park, local restaurants and museums, exchange students are able to see and experience American life for the first time.
 
“Before, it felt sort of like a dream,” exchange student Maya Scholtyssek said. “You see American films and television all the time, and you get an idea that America is huge and has all these different styles. Now that I'm here it feels so realistic. The biggest difference is that everything is bigger! All of the houses and all of the cars are much bigger than in Germany.”
 
As hosts and their visitors explore local culture through excursions, conversations and local events, bonds begin to form. Though some pairs don’t click well at first, over time the differences between the two begin to slowly fade away.
 
“I had never met Alex when she came to Germany last summer, so it took about a week before we really warmed up to each other,” Maya said. “I think that our friendship is stronger now because we kept in touch throughout the year, and we understand each other's sense of humor and tastes.”  
 
With over 5,000 miles between Germany and Texas, cultural differences are sure to exist, leading to some memorable moments that will last for a lifetime.
           
“My exchange student spoke English well, but she had never seen an ice dispenser on a refrigerator,” junior Meagan Brown said. “When we told her that ice would come when she pressed her glass against the lever, she bent down and stared up at the ice dispenser in disbelief. It was pretty funny.”
           
With cultural and language barriers come difficulty, but students find that those barriers just add to the experience and what it can teach them.
           
“I've tried a lot of new things, and I’ve changed my lifestyle [during this process],” Maya said. “When I was a host [last summer when Westlake students visited Germany], I had to translate a lot of things for Alex because my parents didn't speak any English. It was really hard in the beginning, but I saw myself starting to grow and my confidence build.”
           
As the clock begins to tick towards the time of the exchange students’ departure for Germany, many are sad that the experience is coming to an end.
           
“I've really enjoyed my time here,” Maya said. “I've made new friends and since the second day I've known that three weeks is too short. I love the weather, all the nature, and the Tex-Mex! It's just so different from Germany, and it's really neat to see this world that's always on films. The culture has impacted me by making me see things [in a] more relaxed [way].”
           
Though tears may come with the students’ departure back to Germany, those who have participated in similar programs know that many of the relationships formed during these programs last for years, and maybe even for life.
           
“It’s been almost three years since [my exchange student] came, and we still keep in touch,” Meagan said. “I try to call her once a week. We e-mail and we know each other too well. We fight all the time, just like sisters.”