Over four weeks, six of Tauranga Girls’ College’s German language students participated in a virtual exchange with English language students from North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Because of the current global pandemic, TGC’s annual exchange to Germany wasn’t possible, so instead students from both countries improvised and participated in an online exchange.

Each week there was a different theme so students were able to practice their language skills with one another whilst discussing the differences and similarities between their home countries. The first theme was ‘Meine Austauschpartnerin und Ich’ (my exchange partner and I). Students got to know their partners by discussing their interests, hobbies and sports or instruments that they played. It was interesting to see the differences between extracurricular activities in New Zealand versus in Germany: Kiwis seem to participate in far fewer activities than Germans!

The second theme was ‘Die Schule’ (school). Students exchanged photos of their schools and discussed what the typical school day entails in each country. Student Sarah Lee who participated in the exchange says “my favorite part of the exchange was getting to know my partner Merit and her school life. She sent me some photos which introduced her friend group and showed me what her school environment was like.” An interesting difference between schools in Germany and schools in New Zealand is that New Zealand schools tend to have more outdoor space and areas to play sports. The German exchange students were particularly amazed that Tauranga Girls’ College had a swimming pool!

During the third week, which fell during the school holidays, students discussed ‘Meine Kultur’ (my culture). A big difference between Germany and New Zealand is the ability to travel. Because it is so easy to travel abroad in Europe, many of the German exchange students simply drove to another country for their school holidays! On the other hand, a key part of kiwi culture that isn’t as prevalent in Germany is going to the beach. There aren’t many beaches in Germany, hence why Germans often go abroad for their holidays. It will certainly be a highlight for our international partners when they are finally able to come and visit Tauranga’s beautiful beaches in person.

The final theme was ‘Das Essen’ (food), which certainly had everyone drooling over the different local cuisines. The range of fresh bread available in Germany puts New Zealand’s supermarket bread to shame! What was most appalling to the German students, however, was the classic kiwi ‘chip butty.’ Perhaps the thought of putting hot chips in a slice of bread and eating it like a sandwich isn’t so appealing until you try it for yourself. Overall, the exchange was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and a great opportunity to make new friends even if they are more than 18,000 kilometres away!

Ella Mitchell