Macedonia — On Friday, September 9th, high school German students took part in a classroom Skype conversation with several refugees living in Munich, Germany. These Nordonia High School students are in their second year of learning the German language, prepared their own questions and carried on a 50-minute engaging conversation with Taher, a journalist from Syria, Genkis, a Kurdish refugee from Syria, and Fardin, a Kurdish refugee from Iran. All three arrived in Germany in the last year, and since they speak little to no English, German was the only common language. Students and interviewees were able to understand each other, laughed together, and broadened each other’s horizons. “I think the whole concept was really cool,” said sophomore Samantha Laba. In addition, this cross-curricular opportunity was shared with AP Government students at Nordonia High School, branching into discussions about immigration policy. “These students couldn’t speak a word of German a year ago, and now they’re interacting with Germany and gaining an understanding of international issues on a personal level,” said high school principal Casey Wright. “I got most of it, and was surprised at how open they were,” said sophomore Gina Eterovich. The Skype conversation took place around noon American time, which is in the evening German time.
Picture credits = Jaqueline Wendel, NHS Yearbook
