German Exchange Students Navigate Cultural Transitions

Staff Writer
Maggie Arave
  Changing schools are all difficult processes, at Bonneville High School, we have two German students navigating and learning new languages. These students, Anna Meyer and Carolin Schaller, both returned to Germany at the end of November. Through their experiences, they offer a glimpse of the challenges and rewards of navigating life in a new country.
 When returning to Germany, Meyer and Schaller are planning the trip to be smooth and straight forward. Depending on the destination, a flight to Germany can take anywhere from 10-12 hours. Meyer stated that she had many travel experiences "in Germany in the mountains and at the beach.” Similarly, Schaller stated she went to the US in 2023 with her family “in Las Vegas, San Francisco, LA, and national parks and family vacations in Norway”. Both students have the travel experience to prepare when leaving or returning home. Drawing from these experiences, both said, “It was not really hard to say goodbye because it's a new life.” Meyer stated her travel was 14 hours and difficult but a helpful life lesson to learn. Travel, however, is only one of the many challenges these students will face during their return to Germany.
  While in America, both communicated that it was difficult to learn the slang and become accustomed to their new families. Both students stated they had trouble understanding certain words for example ‘neither’ and ‘either.’ These students have to learn how to understand and communicate while going through school and traveling. Meyer stated one of the major differences between Germany and the U.S is how people greet each other. Meyer gave examples saying when people ask “how are you?” in America, lots of times, “they do not want to know.” Another challenge is adjusting familiarity with a host family. Meyer stated she has “three little host kids and at home she just has her younger brother, although he's not that little anymore. He is 13.” Getting used to new siblings and new parents takes a while to become accustomed to.
  Adjusting to school is another challenge that these students faced. Schaller answered during an interview that she and her fellow students do not get credit for their grades here in America. Anna Meyer said that it is easier in Germany since it is her same language, and that “it was kind of complicated” to find her way into all these things. The difficulties in school can be related to the language barrier and other American concepts. Germany requires 16 subjects that include core classes such as Math, German, and English. German students are also required to take classes such as music, art, and French. All of these classes are required in the five day weeks in Germany. Overall Meyer and Carolin have overcome travel challenges, learning new languages and becoming accustomed to their host families.