Say it in English!

In early September, HSZG staff and faculty took the opportunity to brush up on their English skills in two target-group-specific workshops lasting several days. For this purpose, the university welcomed Geoff Sammon and Dr. Abigail Dunn, two experts from the International DAAD Academy (iDA). The participants were particularly impressed by the intensive communication exercises, which took place, among other places, at the participants’ workplaces and, in a practical sense, “on the fly,” also served as a team-building exercise.

“I found it particularly valuable that Geoff was a very confident and experienced instructor. He had us practice using the vocabulary we need in our daily work and provided suitable course materials that will continue to help us with phone calls, email correspondence, and writing other texts in the future. I’ve noticed that over the years I’ve built up my own vocabulary from dictionaries and the like, which didn’t always fit the context perfectly. Geoff corrected us and always offered important information. I really enjoyed walking around campus and visiting the participants’ offices. It doesn’t get any more practical than that! The days were very exhausting, but absolutely helpful! It took some getting used to at first, but I also found it quite useful that we were encouraged to speak English even during breaks and at lunch.” [Feedback from a participant]

Thanks to the comprehensive supporting materials provided by iDA, the participants were ultimately equipped with numerous worksheets, a dictionary, and a binder containing relevant technical vocabulary. Starting in October, course participants will be able to refresh and deepen the knowledge they’ve acquired in target-group-specific, semester-long English courses for faculty and non-faculty members. The courses are 90 minutes per week and are generally open to all university members. Information about the English courses can be obtained directly from Ms. Heidig and Mr. Cope.