Every year, Nazarbayev University welcomes a diverse group of exchange students, and this year, we are excited to highlight the unique experiences of German exchange students from Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
In this post, we explore the experiences of Andrea Pfeifer, Konrad Pahner, and Tom Zurbuchen, exchange students at the School of Science and Humanities. They are enrolled in the courses EDML 610 “Foundations of Multilingual Education” and EDML 613 “The Multilingual School” during Fall ’24 at the Graduate School of Education.
Andrea studies Economics and Law, along with Russian for teaching at secondary schools. Konrad studies German and Russian for teaching at secondary schools, while Tom focuses on Russian and Geography for teaching at secondary schools at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. They will share their thoughts on what inspired them to participate in the exchange program, the differences between GSE courses and those at their home university, the skills they have gained, their relationships with GSE students, and their recommendations for future exchange students.
What Inspired Them to Participate?
The students were looking for a university in a Russian-speaking environment, but also one with opportunities to study in a multilingual context. Their professors then recommended this exchange program at Nazarbayev University, which offers Master's courses in English relevant to their academic and professional areas of interest. Kazakhstan stood out as an appealing option due to its distinctive bilingual culture, where Russian is widely used as a common language across Central Asia. Furthermore, the courses at GSE are conducted in English, providing an opportunity for students to enhance their language proficiency.
Differences in Course Structure
The GSE courses are much more interactive. While lectures and seminars in Germany are also interactive, GSE emphasizes group work, which the students found very beneficial.
Their program in Germany focuses on preparing teachers for secondary school, while the GSE program has a broader focus. The students noted that it is fascinating to see how education is approached differently in a bilingual society, especially as they come from a monolingual background. The current situation in Germany, particularly concerning refugees, highlights the need for a shift in mindset.
Building Relationships with GSE Students
The students successfully made connections with GSE students, discussing class topics and engaging in leisure activities together.
Unexpected Skills and Insights Gained
The students gained a lot of knowledge about multilingualism and the societal interplay between Kazakh and Russian. They also discussed challenges in translation and cultural translation, they found the differences in language proficiency between rural and urban people particularly interesting. They addressed issues of language discrimination and the use of Kazakh and Russian in social media.
Advice for Future Exchange Students
They encourage future students to experience another society and to be open-minded and make friends.
The students suggest choosing these GSE courses; they provide valuable insights into multilingual perspectives, which are crucial for bringing this idea to Germany.
They also mentioned that the GSE program is research-based. It would be beneficial to take this theoretical knowledge and apply it in practical situations in German schools.
In this post, we explore the experiences of Andrea Pfeifer, Konrad Pahner, and Tom Zurbuchen, exchange students at the School of Science and Humanities. They are enrolled in the courses EDML 610 “Foundations of Multilingual Education” and EDML 613 “The Multilingual School” during Fall ’24 at the Graduate School of Education.
Andrea studies Economics and Law, along with Russian for teaching at secondary schools. Konrad studies German and Russian for teaching at secondary schools, while Tom focuses on Russian and Geography for teaching at secondary schools at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. They will share their thoughts on what inspired them to participate in the exchange program, the differences between GSE courses and those at their home university, the skills they have gained, their relationships with GSE students, and their recommendations for future exchange students.
What Inspired Them to Participate?
The students were looking for a university in a Russian-speaking environment, but also one with opportunities to study in a multilingual context. Their professors then recommended this exchange program at Nazarbayev University, which offers Master's courses in English relevant to their academic and professional areas of interest. Kazakhstan stood out as an appealing option due to its distinctive bilingual culture, where Russian is widely used as a common language across Central Asia. Furthermore, the courses at GSE are conducted in English, providing an opportunity for students to enhance their language proficiency.
Differences in Course Structure
The GSE courses are much more interactive. While lectures and seminars in Germany are also interactive, GSE emphasizes group work, which the students found very beneficial.
Their program in Germany focuses on preparing teachers for secondary school, while the GSE program has a broader focus. The students noted that it is fascinating to see how education is approached differently in a bilingual society, especially as they come from a monolingual background. The current situation in Germany, particularly concerning refugees, highlights the need for a shift in mindset.
Building Relationships with GSE Students
The students successfully made connections with GSE students, discussing class topics and engaging in leisure activities together.
Unexpected Skills and Insights Gained
The students gained a lot of knowledge about multilingualism and the societal interplay between Kazakh and Russian. They also discussed challenges in translation and cultural translation, they found the differences in language proficiency between rural and urban people particularly interesting. They addressed issues of language discrimination and the use of Kazakh and Russian in social media.
Advice for Future Exchange Students
They encourage future students to experience another society and to be open-minded and make friends.
The students suggest choosing these GSE courses; they provide valuable insights into multilingual perspectives, which are crucial for bringing this idea to Germany.
They also mentioned that the GSE program is research-based. It would be beneficial to take this theoretical knowledge and apply it in practical situations in German schools.