Exchange a hit with students

By Kath Gannaway
THERE are a couple of dozen families in Germany this week who will know a lot more about life in Australia than they did before.
Twenty-four students from Igslo Lu Dwigshafen school in Germany returned home on Tuesday after a four week holiday and study exchange as part of Upper Yarra Secondary College’s German language program.
Under the program, which began 10 years ago, UYSC students studying German, and German students studying English exchange classrooms in alternate years.
This year, 15 girls and nine boys, accompanied by teachers Iris Orth and Willy Acker, stayed with local families.
Language is a strong point of the school which has exchanges to three countries, Japan, Thailand and Germany, as part of its LOTE (Languages Other than English) program.
“The students arrived two weeks before the school holidays so they have really been exposed to the Australian lifestyle and to the English language,” said Ms Orth.
Australia has a lot to offer according to the visiting students.
“The people are friendly and the boys are better looking over here… and the weather and landscape are good, too,” said Konstanze Walla.
A visit to Tasmania and excursions to Healesville Sanctuary and along the Great Ocean Road are also sure to be part “today’s lesson on Australia” going on back home by now.
As for the “pretty wild parties” … perhaps not!
UYSC German teacher Simona Wengritzkey said the students had been as great asset in helping the school’s 11 German language students who sat their VCE exam last week.
“The exchange has been a great success over the 10 years with students who visited Germany returning there to work and students coming back here to visit as well,” she added.