ILCS hosts German language competition for University and Secondary School students

On 25 October, the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS) hosted a German language competition, in collaboration with Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), and roundtable discussion with journalists on broadcasters on how the ‘other’ is reported in the media.  

Former BBC presenter Rosie Goldsmith, ARD foreign correspondent Gabi Biesinger, Sky News output producer Stephanie Nourse, and Lecturer in German and Journalism at the University of Leeds, Imke Henkel, joined Professor Godela Weiss-Sussex from the Institute in a discussion about how each country portrays the ‘other’.  

University and Secondary School German language learners take part in the DAAD-ILCS competition, and this year where tasked with creating the front page of a fictional newspaper, with stories spanning a range of topics, from science to sport and from climate change to culture. The twelve winning front pages were celebrated in a special issue of DAAD newspaper, The Daily Deutsch.  

A list of the winners can be found on the DAAD website. 

The annual competition is organised by DAAD and ILCS, and generously supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum London, Goethe Institute London, the Keith Spalding Trust and the Embassies of the Federal Republic of Germany and of Switzerland.   

Elleanore Phillips, Townley Grammar School, London, and one of the winners of the competition, shared her experiences of taking part:  

“I was thrilled and honestly a bit surprised when I found out I was one of the winners! It felt incredibly rewarding and has motivated me even more to continue to learn German even though it was not offered as an A level at my school. 

“I found the workshops engaging and highly practical. They were challenging in the best way, pushing me to apply my language skills and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to grow and learn. 

“I found the panel discussion particularly insightful, especially hearing the panellists’ experiences with learning and using German in their careers. Their perspectives reaffirmed my belief in the value of knowing German and highlighted the many professional doors it can open.”  

Frances Corlett, German language University student in Wirral and one of the winners of the competition, spoke about her inspiration for her title design and experience of the event: 

“I wanted the title page to be clearly structured and easy to read, but still eye-catching. Therefore, I picked a picture that I took in Killarney, Ireland and used it to accompany one of the articles and made it a centrepiece of the page. 

“I was grateful to have my work appreciated. It definitely made me feel more confident in my writing. It was also a bit unbelievable that I got to go to London for something I put together on my laptop at home! 

“We were given great opportunities to not only meet other winners and chat about our inspirations and experiences, but also to hear professionals in journalism talk about their work and to visit places like the ARD studio, the DAAD office and Senate House.”