At our school, language learning plays a vital role in preparing students for life in an increasingly connected world. This is especially important in a bilingual region, where communication across cultures and languages is part of everyday life. Despite the reputation languages aren’t important in British schools, due to our strategic location, we place strong emphasis on giving students authentic opportunities to engage with other languages beyond the classroom.
We were fortunate to take part in a 10-day Erasmus exchange near Heidelberg, Germany, where our students were fully immersed in the German language and culture. During the exchange, students attended Grünen Eck Gemeinschaftsschule in Helmstadt-Bargen for seven full school days, experiencing lessons alongside German peers and using German in real, meaningful contexts.
A key part of the experience was staying with wonderful host families, who welcomed our students with warmth and generosity. Living with local families provided a true cultural and linguistic immersion, and many of our students are already planning to stay in touch, having formed lasting friendships.
The partner school organised a rich and varied programme, including a German Christmas cookie workshop, a murder mystery tour of Heidelberg Castle, a Christmas market exploration in Heidelberg, and even a day trip to France. Our students also had the opportunity to present information about Slovenia on both campuses of the German school, proudly sharing our culture and strengthening international understanding.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the Erasmus coordinator, Ms Carena, whose dedication made this exchange both possible and unforgettable. We are also incredibly grateful to all the host families who opened their homes and hearts to our students.
This exchange highlighted just how powerful language learning can be - not only in developing communication skills, but in building confidence, cultural awareness, and lifelong connections. We can safely say this tip elevated our students' German level, and cultural awareness.
