GCSE German trip to Berlin

Over the half term holiday, 15 GCSE German pupils spent a week in Berlin advancing their language skills and engaging with a packed and varied cultural programme to further their appreciation of the history and culture of this capital city.

Each morning, the pupils enjoyed three hours of tuition at the GLS in trendy Prenzlauerberg, former East Berlin. They had some time over lunch to enjoy the local restaurants and Imbissstuben, sampling a variety of dishes typical for Berlin, such as Currywurst and Falafel, before heading out every afternoon to experience a different aspect of life in Berlin. They visited the ever-impressive Jewish museum, the imposing Olympia Stadion (home to the 1936 Olympics), the sobering former Stasi prison at Hohenschönhausen, as well as undertaking a walking tour of the city’s most important landmarks. Evening entertainment included a visit to the Reichstag, complete with view of the city at nighttime from the architecturally impressive glass Kuppel, the cinema, ten-pin bowling, a typical Bavarian meal and an exciting ice hockey game at the Eisbären home stadium in Friedrichshain.

It was great to be back in this culturally and socially diverse city and to see the students experience first-hand the benefits of their language learning in the classroom as well as to make new discoveries together.