Diesen Sommer konnte Alexandra Schieler, Schülerin des fünften Jahrganges des Ausbildungszweiges Kultur- und Kongressmanagement, die einzigartige Chance nutzen, einen unvergesslichen Aufenthalt an der renommierten Universität Harvard zu verbringen. Im folgenden Essay schildert sie ihre Eindrücke:
As I sit here, writing this paper, I have the opportunity to reflect on the past summer at Harvard University. Throughout my personal effort and the financial aid from my parents, I have been privileged to have had this chance to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the world to further develop an extremely important aspect of life. I have been able to expand what I know about English to the next level, not only at a verbal level but also at an intellectual level. Harvard Summer School has opened my eyes to a whole new world and through attending the English Language Program I have been able to break down the communication barriers with my international friends, have listened to intriguing world renowned lectures and I have been able to explore at a personal level where I am in the English language and where it will and can lead me in the future.
One of the most pivotal aspects of the whole experience at Harvard University has been that I have been able to slightly lower if not destroy the communication barriers that I faced before attending the summer program. I am a very international person and I have many different social groups around the world. Having all these social groups brings the main challenge of being able to communicate with each other. This has been a large challenge for me; however this program has helped me to understand more of the fundamentals of how to communicate properly in English. I have been able to grow as an English speaker and I now can say with confidence that I feel comfortable conversing in English with native speakers and non-native speakers alike.
Throughout my life I have found that there are many different ways to approach learning and subsequently mastering a language. As many great minds say, the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the language, the culture, and the people. Having come to Cambridge I have been able more than any other time, use English on a day to day basis. It is amazing how being around native speakers can really be beneficial to developing the skill set to take the language to the next level. Speaking and listening to people from around the world has allowed me to pick up how people pronounce different words to better build my understanding.
This summer has helped me to widen my understanding of different cultures, religions and lifestyles which is important to know when one is travelling around the world.
This summer has been amazing at Harvard!
I will leave you with a quote that inspired me when I was writing this paper, and I hope it will inspire you as well:
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. (Nelson Mandela)