German Immersion Weekend carries on tradition

Are you interested in immersing yourself in a foreign language and culture but don't want to cross the Atlantic? There are actually ways to do so for far less than the price of a trip across the big pond.

One example of such an opportunity is the German Department's German Immersion Weekend in Ossipee, NH, which has been offered for the past five years. The retreat, which is held at the Sentinel Retreat, a rustic Baptist summer camp rented by the department, takes place every semester.

Professor Bernhard Martin started the twice-yearly event in 1997, using funding from Tufts' Spirit Coalition, the German Department, and former Provost Sol Gittleman's office.

The main goal of the weekend is to allow students to speak German outside of the classroom. "It's a different experience speaking German when you're preparing food or hiking or playing soccer, instead of, say, talking about grammar or texts," Martin said. "Less structure often makes speaking the language more enjoyable."

The last German Immersion Weekend took place the first weekend of October this semester and was attended by 37 students and faculty members.

The retreat was an opportunity to build bonds between students, faculty, and staff.

"I liked the mix of students and faculty and meeting people who are interested in German," German exchange student Vlore Kryeziu said. "Also, as a German teaching assistant, it was nice to spend time with some of my students informally, outside of the classroom."

"It was a unique opportunity to meet with other students and faculty very informally," sophomore Andrew Sabino said. "One that I haven't really had otherwise at Tufts."

Since meeting fellow German students is a goal of the weekend, the weekend began with some games and activities to break the ice between students. Other events included games, sports, and hiking.

"The Schnitzeljagd [scavenger hunt] was great, one of my favorite parts of the weekend," Graduate student Jennifer Fox said. "I liked hiking around the area, taking in some of the scenery and terrific views, and answering the questions and trying the 'physical challenges' at the different stations."

The Immersion Weekend include several outdoor activities. This fall, students took a short hike in the Mt. Washington Valley. The spring semester German Immersion Weekend, which usually takes place in February or early March, offers a popular skiing and tubing excursion.

Another aspect of the weekend that the participants enjoy is the authentic German food, which the students and faculty prepared together. "I loved the food, particularly the sp?¤tzle [a noodle dish]," Kryeziu said. "Such authentic German food is hard to find at Tufts, and I know that many people who haven't been to Germany were able to enjoy such food for the first time."

The Immersion Weekend also gives students who are interested in the Tufts-in-T??bingen study abroad program the chance to interact with students who are exchange students from T??bingen or who have already studied there.

Sabino took advantage of that opportunity. "It was good to hear about the program and the experiences people had first-hand," he said. "I've been considering the program, and it was helpful to get some advice and have experienced people answer my questions."

The next German Immersion weekend will take place in the spring semester. It is open to all students and speakers of German, regardless of their level of linguistic expertise.

"I strongly recommend the weekend, even if you are a first year student," Senior Karen Mootrey said. "I was amazed with how much German I understood and how relaxed the atmosphere was. It made it really easy to practice what I did know, and everyone helped me out with what I didn't. I will definitely go again."