Class began on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and will go until April 7. Then we have a break until April 21, when we begin our second language course.
Before coming to Germany, all of the students in the program took placement tests. This is how the Philips University- Marburg evaluates ones language skills. From the results of the test, we were placed into six “stuffes” or levels. The first level is called the Grund Stuffe and it is designed for people who are just beginning to learn the German language. After the Grund Stuffe there are stuffes one through four. Stuffes five and six are combined. After completing Stuffe five/six one can take another exam to begin actual classes at Phillips University- Marburg.
Six students from our program tested into the first stuffe, eight tested into the second stuffe, six tested into the third stuffe and one person tested into the fourth stuffe. I am in the first stuffe.
At first the other students from the program and I were upset that we were placed in the first stuffe. The grammar seemed pretty basic and we all suffered a bit of a blow to our prides being placed in a lower level class. However, when we were given the choice to move, most of us decided to stay in the stuffe because it seemed like it would be a good review. The second stuffe already had two very full sections of students as well.
Though the pace is not always as quick as I would like it to be, it may have been a good choice for me to remain in the first stuffe. I feel as if the knowledge that I had already had about the German language is being cemented inside my head and extra practice is never a bad thing. Plus, through staying in the section, I have gotten to meet some interesting people.
Our class is comprised of 18 students who are all different nationalities. It consists of 12 people from America, two women from Russia, a man from Yemen, a woman from Iran, a man from Turkey and a man from Spain. It has been fun sharing information about our cultures with one another and learning together. However, it is not always easy to understand one another.
For example the second day of school the city buses went on strike. As students, city buses are our primary source of transportation, so it was a little chaotic. Determined not to miss my second day of class, I decided to walk to school. On my way, I saw Abdulghani, my classmate from Yemen, waiting for the bus. Since I did not know the necessary German vocabulary to explain a strike and he spoke no English, it was difficult it was to get my point across. Once Abdulghani understood that the buses were not coming, he called us a cab and all my effort and flailing was rewarded.
I have also made an unlikely friend in Fatemeh, the Iranian woman in our class. At first we sat next to each other because there were no other available seats. We shared answers and worked together on assignments and eventually this blossomed into a friendship. When I first saw Fatemeh I saw her headscarf, deduced that she was Muslim and because of this probably would not be friendly to an American. I am happy to say that I was wrong. Fatemeh jokes with everyone constantly and always seems to be smiling. We are interested in each other’s cultures and discuss them with each other almost daily. We also have plans to meet outside the classroom and discuss things more in depth. Believe it or not, Fatemeh also has Facebook!
Overall, I am happy with classes so far, though I am nervous about the rapidly approaching exams. I hope to pass into the next stuffe soon. Wish me luck!
S.N.
Image: Typical day in class
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