In the summer term 2023 our school organized a writing contest.

The students submitted texts on the topics “The Perks of Knowing (a) Language(s)” and “Going overseas”.

The winners did not only receive a prize, but their texts are also published on the school website.

Mag. Evelyn Prigl

The power of language

In our modern connected world, it is more and more important to be able to speak at least one foreign language. Learning another language brings many advantages and has a positive impact on oneself. I want to share my own experiences with learning and using foreign languages, as well as talk about some of the difficulties that may come up.

Firstly, learning a foreign language helps us understand and connect with different cultures and their people. It allows us to see the world from new perspectives and different ideas and opinions.
When we communicate with people from other cultures, we become more open-minded and start to see the world as a whole community.

Secondly, being able to speak another language can boost our career opportunities. People who can communicate with international partners and work in multicultural teams have far greater job opportunities than others. Knowing different languages shows that we are flexible and engaged to grow, which can give us an big advantage in the job market.

On a personal level, I had the chance to go on an exchange program in England, where I had to speak only English every day. It was challenging, but it helped me become more confident in my language skills and connect with people from around the world. I learned a lot through this experience and realized how nice it is to communicate with others.

However, learning a foreign language can be tough at times. Pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary can be difficult to study. It is normal to feel insecure at first, but as time goes by, you will enjoy communicating more and more.

In a world where communication breaks down borders and may end wars, learning foreign languages is a big and important investment.

So let’s take the opportunity to learn other languages and discover new cultures and their people!

Julian Oberleitner (4HLW)

Let’s talk!

The average Austrian Person knows about 2.9 Languages, but do we even need such knowledge at all?

Of course! The more languages we know, the better. We can learn more about cultures and other people, it also helps us to get to know more people and to develop new business contacts. It is the perfect way to broaden our horizon. Also, knowing more than one language not only improves our memory but also enhances our ability to multitask.

I personally really enjoy learning and speaking different languages. I grew up bilingual, which means I grew up speaking German and Hungarian.

Due to my dad’s profession, I was also exposed to English at a young age, but only started to spark an interest in the language at around ten years old. Since then, I have been watching English videos and films as well as listened to English music daily.

One thing I noticed is, that learning a language isn’t as easy if you aren’t exposed to it on a daily basis. Also not having other people to practise and talk with, impedes improving. Another thing that hardens learning a language is grammar. What I have learned in the past is, focus first on speaking, then on learning grammar.

As long as you have the motivation and take time to learn a language you can always achieve your goals. So, what are you waiting for? Get your best friend and start learning a new language!

Maya Horak (3HLW)

Hello friends,

How are you? What are you up to today?

Today, I want to talk about doing an exchange semester. Personally, I would love to do an exchange year again. Many people had asked me why I wanted to do an exchange semester and my answer is always the exact same.

I did it and would do it again for the experience and opportunities I would get.

Most people just see the difficult and bad things in connection to going abroad for some time. So let me show you the good things about doing an exchange semester and how you can benefit from it.

First, you learn how to become independent. Through the semester you live with a host family, which will take care of you. But as you know this means that you probably get some duties like doing the dishes, for example.

Second, you learn how to make friends in other countries. For many people, especially teenagers, it is difficult to make new friends, but I really recommend having one or two friends. Because in your free time, you can hang out with them, talk, or do anything. For me it was easy to find a friend, because I am an extroverted person and I love talking to others. Moreover, I am still in contact with them. It is hard that we cannot see each other but my friend will come visit me in less than two months, when it is summer break.

Third, you learn how to speak a new language. It does not have to be a new language but you will learn it automatically because you will speak in this time chapter only this language. For example, it was for me a life changing thing. I have never learned a language this fast in my entire life and I could even speak it almost fluently after only a semester. For my future, it will be good to speak it fluently because I want to graduate in this language. Therefore, I did my exchange year in Italy because I wanted to speak Italian fluently.

Another important thing is to prepare yourself for the exchange semester. I think I did a great job by preparing myself, my family, and my friends for it. I told everyone when my last day in Vienna would be and when I would come back. Therefore, it was not that complicated to say goodbye to everyone and I had also the opportunity to talk to them before leaving. I told myself that I could do this and that I could call my parents and friends any time. You should also prepare yourself to be open towards getting to know new people. Sometimes it might happen that you feel like you are alone but just know you will get through this phase and have a great time.

Of course there will be, some difficult situations that you have to go through. Maybe you have already guessed that packing the suitcase will be the most difficult thing. You need to know where you spend your exchange semester, for how long you will be there and what the weather will be like. When you are going to spend a semester in a warm country like I did, you can bring t-shirts, dresses, shorts, skirts and so on but also pack a sweater or a thin jacket. You never know if you need it or not. Trust me, do not bring too much clothes with you so that your whole suitcase is full, because you might go shopping and probably want to take it home, so you need space. You can fill the remaining space with snacks or little presents for your host families for when you arrive. And when you leave again you have all the space you had for the snacks or presents for your new clothes or presents for your family and friends at home.

 How do you think about this topic? Would you do an exchange year? Let me know in the comments below.

Love you all! Bye

Luna Heigl (1HLW)

Gap Year – YAY or MEH?

Is a gap year really worth it ? A question that lots of students ask themselves before attending university, if you´re somebody who likes to take risks and try out new things then this definitely is appealing to you. Ever since the chapter “Corona says hey” entered the history of humanity, people haven’t been able to travel around the world. It affected the whole of humanity though it had the biggest effect on the younger generation, which just graduated, In this blog post I´d like to discuss this matter further.

 A gap year is an opportunity to control your daily schedule, but for many, this will be the first time they are entirely responsible for planning their lives. The process of planning a gap year can take months, if not longer, and include applying for proper visas, budgeting, choosing programs, finding a place to stay, purchasing tickets and much more. Be sure to do lots of research, plan in advance, and be flexible!

You might’ve heard a bit about why gap years are bad, but there are many misconceptions and fears about taking a gap year. Most concerns about taking a gap year are valid in one way or another. It’s definitely important to consider all concerns, and benefits, of a gap year before committing to an entire year abroad. Why gap years are bad? Well the can be very expensive.

 I´d like to mention my own opinion. I know for a fact that a gap yea won´t hurt anybody but give them a break from everything. If you think otherwise please leave me a comment. I’d love  to hear some opinions!

Elham Morad (2FW)

Multilingual Marvels: Benefits Galore!

Learning a foreign language is a really important thing that has many benefits. In this article, I want to talk about the good things of learning foreign languages, share my personal stories with learning and using them, and also talk about some difficulties that can happen.

Firstly, let´s talk about the benefits. Learning a foreign language can open many doors for you. It helps you communicate with people from different countries and cultures. You can make new friends and learn about their way of life. It also makes your brain work better and improves your memory and problem-solving skills.

Now, I want to share my personal experiences. I remember when I started learning Italian. It was quite hard at first, with all the strange words and grammar. But I kept practicing, and soon I was able to have simple conversations. It was a great feeling of achievement and made me want to learn even more languages.

Of course, there are also some difficulties. One problem is the pronunciation. Some sounds in other languages can be really hard to make. I remember struggling with the rolling “r” in Italian. It took a lot of practice to get it right. Another difficulty is understanding native speakers. They can speak really fast and use slang words that you might not know.

In conclusion, learning foreign languages has many benefits. It helps you connect with people and improves your brain. From my own experiences, I can say that it´s not always easy, but with practise, you can overcome the difficulties. So, don´t be afraid to learn a new language and explore the world through words.

Jasmin Fogel (1ALW)

Becoming Mr./Mrs. International

Everyone knows that being able to communicate in more than one language is beneficial. But have you ever wondered why exactly? And why do some people seem more motivated than others?

Having the ability to communicate with people from or in foreign countries is one of the most obvious benefits. Whether you want to travel the world, work in a foreign country or try to talk to immigrants in your home country, knowing one than more language will always have a positive effect.

Having language skills is also beneficial in the job world. If you are capable of speaking a foreign language – or maybe even more than one – you will have a huge advantage in the job application process especially in renowned companies which operate internationally.

Feeling confident speaking English has helped me a lot already – and I haven’t even entered the job world yet! I have run across a lot of English-speaking people in Austria. In my opinion, foreigners have the most interesting and inspiring stories to tell. A girl from Barcelona taught me a lot about how I see humanity now. If I hadn’t been capable of speaking a little bit English, I would never have had the opportunity to get to know her better.

Of course, trying to speak a foreign language isn’t always easy. Maybe you feel embarrassed if you forget about a word or someone points out your accent. But never give up – you are brave for even trying something that you are not familiar with!

Lena Köstler (4HLW)