of U-boats, which had been severely bombed to rubble. “It reminded me a bit of Christchurch, as it has been rebuilt from nothing.’’ Bryce said the first day at school was the hardest.
much to learn and experience, especially in the first few weeks.” Regan says he didn’t find it too hard to fit in, but at the beginning it was hard to follow some conversations. “When they are fast-paced and you don’t know a lot of German, it is easy just to sit back and feel uninvolved. But the Germans were really keen to know what New Zealanders think about them and that kept me in the conversations. They know they can be misconstrued as being rude, but they say what they think. A German won’t lie to you. If they think something is wrong they will certainly tell you, whereas a New Zealander is likely to say that everything is fine and not say what is really on their mind.” Regan was the first New Zealander most people at his school had met and they were interested in his accent. “I actively participated in English lessons and they were pleased to have a native speaker who wasn’t British. They were intrigued by my accent and I ended up basically teaching the class. Germans are more literal and precise than Kiwis, who are much more colloquial. We would say ‘it’s a choice day’, whereas they would say ‘this day is very beautiful’. “It is also hard for many Germans to understand that New Zealand is just a couple of small islands and that we have to get on a plane if we want to go anywhere. They just jump in the car and go.” Regan says he would recommend that anyone interested should think about going on an exchange. “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” he says. “I felt I became a better person and realised there is a whole other world out there waiting for us to go and see. I felt I became part-German. I even started to dream in German.”
English class I attended they were studying an English text and I was able to get involved with that, but it was at the same sort of level we would be studying a text here. The first few times I spoke there was murmuring about my accent, but I think they enjoyed hearing a different accent, as their teacher had spent time in Canada.” One of the highlights for Callum was the week they spent in Berlin staying at a youth hostel, where they negotiated their way around the city, looking at the landmarks. “Another moment I really enjoyed was when we popped over to Holland for a spot of lunch and some shopping (as you do). The sun was even shining. Bonn was quite grey, wintery and full of concrete, so it was nice to see lot of trees, flowers and grass. “It was definitely a fantastic experience to put yourself out of your comfort zone, live with another family and learn their ways. I feel I developed so much more independence and confidence, which will stay with me.’’ Bryce Park Bryce Park believes going on a student exchange is a great way to build confidence, to learn to be independent, to learn to become fluent in a language and to broaden your horizons. He spent two months in Britanny in Northern France where he went to a private co-ed school with 1400 students. The children in his host family alternated between the parents and Bryce also lived in the two households. “It was quite fun, really, and nice to have a change. Both parents lived close by the school, so it was no obstacle. The father was a French Navy Seal, which was really interesting to hear about, and the town had been a massive submarine base full
“I felt like I was a kid starting primary school and was anxious that I wouldn’t be able to understand anything. It was like being thrown in the deep end, but I soon found I was able to cope. Everyone was really welcoming, although nobody had met a New Zealander before and they got me muddled up with being Australian. “But it was all good fun and they enjoyed listening to me talking as they were used to English with a strong US or UK accent. I used to read stories in English aloud to them and they seemed to enjoy listening to them.’’ Regan Harding Year 13 student Regan Harding had a two-month exchange in Germany. He believes he learnt more about the language and the culture in that time than in all his previous language learning. “Immersion is by far the best way to learn and to develop the confidence to speak. In the first week, I never spoke, but by the last week, I couldn’t shut up,” he says. “I guess I was lucky, as the family I stayed with was relatively well- off and had a big house. They were really eager to have an exchange partner and for me to learn German, which was great. The longest I had been away from home was a week on our Year 10 camp, but I was not too homesick this time as the family was really supportive. I think it is a misconception that everyone gets homesick. In reality, you don’t really have time for that, as there is so much going on and so
Christ’s College Canterbury
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