Digital Artifact Sp23 GRMN2102 (Prof. Fuchs)

“I really enjoyed the group format of this S-L exchange. It was interesting and valuable for me to not just interact with German speakers, but see them visually react to information and observe them communicating in a group, with us students and with each other.”

“The environment was not stressful and the stakes were never high which made it easier to engage.”

“The meetings encouraged a community within the classroom because it became a bonding experience for all students.”

“The discussion board reflections were great for building perspective after the meetings. I could see what stood out to my classmates and what they found most interesting. Sometimes I got more clarification or could better understand the nuance of something that came up in the meetings that I initially did not realize. This was good for language learning (especially with new vocab) and thinking critically about the activities.”

“The biggest value of the reflections, to me, was that it forced me to revisit my thinking from the session and frame it through a German voice, which I don't normally do. Seeing what my classmates put would also help me contextualize what happened on each call, since my language ability still often misses finer details. I typically came to several realizations during each reflection session as confusing bits of conversations finally clicked.”

“I think there were many organic conversations that really honestly helped me learn how to speak better in German and understand someone in a real conversation. I loved making the elders laugh and listening to their stories and opinions; it was heartwarming to see their enthusiasm, and always made me feel the need and desire to match it. In truth I probably gained more from this than the elders did, the experience really pushed me to leave my comfort zone and apply the skills I was learning in a fluid way.”

“The members of our community service partner (WADE) were friendly and understanding of the fact that this was primarily a language learning opportunity for us. We were able to understand one another mostly and had a lot of fun when meeting with each other. The games were always very enjoyable and I ended up bettering my German while simultaneously learning a little more about German culture.”

“I enjoyed learning about German culture in an interactive way. I think the games were fun, and I liked meeting and learning about the Germans. At first, I was worried it could be a time commitment to prepare, reflect, and participate in the meetings. This was not the case at all, and I gained a lot from the experience.”