Learning Journal # 22 Tests are over now

Today we had our last test for this year (I may have some in Germany left, but who cares), it was a Math’s test and I hadn’t really the time to study and also didn’t understand the theme during the classes so I wasn’t really confident when I entered the room. And my bad expectations came true when I saw the test. I wasn’t able to respond a lot and I think, no, I know that this test will have a negative result, but ‘Hey, life goes on!’

Learning Journal #21 Homesick?

The time is running and soon I’ll have to return to Germany. At one site I am happy to see my friends and family again but on the other site I’d liked to stay a few more months, just during the summer to travel around or hang or at the beach –which I can rarely find in Germany. It’s also a crazy feeling to know that I’ll get homesick for Portugal – which isn’t the place where I raised up or where my family lives – even when I am at my ‘real’ home.

Learning Journal # 20 Pirates of the Caribbean

Yesterday I went to the movie theater to watch the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I really liked the other parts so I expected a lot. But I have to say that I was a little bit disappointed with this movie, Jonnie Depp was brilliant like always and I also liked the part with the mermaids but some parts of the plot were lame. But maybe I just think like that because of my high expactations.

Learning Journal # 18 ‘You’re killing me’- week

‘You’re killing me’- week, I think that is the perfect name for what our teachers had done with us. We had so many tests and a few presentations, so studying hard and a long time for a test wasn’t really possible, but I’m happy that this week is over, there are just 2 tests left and then I’m done. I think I did the best I can and will be successful – at least at English.

Learning Journal # 18 Day of Europe

At 9th of May – the day of Europe – all foreign students of our school were invited to listen to a presentation about Europe and its future politics. After that we were asked to talk about our country. But at this point I misunderstood the organizing teacher and prepared a few sentences about a specific monument instead about Germany in general. So I was unprepared, nervous and with the worst Portuguese in front of about 70 students. But I stammered a few words and I am still alive.

Learning Journal # 17 VfB Stuttgart

My favorite football club VfB Stuttgart – which lost 2times against Benfica in the Europa League this year- played a really season, they were always in the last places an it seemed a long time that they won’t stay in the first league. But they were able to manage things and stayed. I think they were under the top 5 teams in the second part of the season what shows that they are a really good team. I hope they can reach a better place next year.

Learning Journal # 16 Back to School

The third, last and shortest term has already started an we will have nearly 2 months of school till our next holidays start again an than I just have a few weeks left till I’ll catch my plane back to Germany. But now I have to force my power on school, because I’ll get ‘real’ marks this term and I want to return with a ‘good’ graduation, we’ll see whether my motivation will always be that high.
I wish you all good luck for the last term.

Learning Journal # 15 Beach

I just returned from Porto ad now I am already reintegrated, laying at the beach, playing football or just relaxing in the water. Even if I hadn’t been at the beach very often I know that I will miss the possibility to go there. And I declare: Germany needs better weather and a beach! So let’s go global warming.

Learning Journal # 14 Porto

At the beginning og this holidays I took part at a AFS camp in Porto. We lived there for 4 days in host families and were able to see Porto.- which by the way is a beautiful city- got to know new people and saw some of the other exchange students again. The last part for me was one of the best, I hadn’t seen them for a long time so there was a lot to talk about. And it was awesome to see that about 30students at my age from all over the world were able to communicate in Portuguese. I would really like to visit them all in the next years.

Learning Journal # 13 Cova da Moura

This is not really my work this is what our class expected from our study visit to Cova da Moura. Every student wrote one line and just could read the last few words from the student before so sometimes it is kind of messy:
“Next Wednesday we are going to Cova da Moura where we will find… a lot of urban art and different people…like black people, white people and different cultures…are a problem in Cova da Moura because of the black people…but they are in fact just people that live and work there, finding their own destiny…But something were perturbing them. Maybe something really important that they forgot…However, maybe that is just a stereotype, since it doesn’t matter about their culture… Many people before having contact with other cultures start to stereotype and judge wrongly … So this people are judged and forgotten… That is what happened to Mary and John… who seemed to be illegal immigrants that cook… Very well and for their culture.

Learning Journal # 12 You're Hired

The “You're Hired”-Videos are a few short videos about a job interview, you can find on the website of the British Council http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/youre-hired .
It shows you very easily some basic mistakes you should try to avoid, has a vocabulary part with some useful words you can use for your further life and gives you some tips and tricks for a job interview.
I think the Videos show a realistic scenario and can help you to prepare for the real world. I really liked them because they weren’t too formal and had some very funny parts, which is not normal for videos with a theme like that.

Learning Journal # 11 The Job Game

This is a game about how easily our decisions can change our life. It is like a Maze because if you choose a way you can’t know what is behind the next corner.
At first we decided to apply for new jobs, after failing a couple of times we tried to do a retraining which led us to a job we don’t like, but for the sake of our family we stayed. We got fired again and were too depressed t work on, so we went on holiday. We had the idea that led us to our successful wallpaper business and after selling it we were able to have a good life.
I liked the game, because it showed us a small part of the real world and helped us to improve our discussing skills.

Learning Journal # 10 Spaceship

Back at school our first activity was a game called Spaceship. You will find the rules here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GG4_hEFL7TzW8PSAnEA0NghHC8Podvd0QJBZbIxWjgI/edit?hl=en&pli=1#
Choosing 7 people wasn’t that difficult for my group, because we nearly agreed in all points. Just the 1-year-old girl and the 30-year-old male symphony orchestra violin player led us into a small decision. At the end we were able to find a agreement about the violin player, which was that we won’t need him, but we weren’t able to find one about the girl.
In my point of view we don’t need her, because we could take someone “more useful” with us and during the flight to the new planet there is enough time for getting pregnant again. The counterargument were that she would adept better on the new planet than everyone else and that we can’t kill 1-year-old girl, especially the second argument is not really a good argument for me because with our decision we kill more than 6 billion people, so we don’t have to worry about one girl.

I really liked the game, because it was a good start in the new school part and really helped us to improve our discussing skills.