How do you actually say “stay healthy” in German?

Let’s start by looking back at the days that seem so strangely distant to us today, even if they were simply our everyday life until recently: In the heart of the Science Park Potsdam, there is a language school in GO:IN I. Employees of the numerous scientific institutions learn English here, because this is the language with which one can – and must – communicate with its inhabitants and scientists from all over the world in this part of Golm. The lingua franca of our time is indispensable for the success and prosperity of this place and thus also for all those who work here within the scientific enterprise and the numerous companies associated with it and help to keep the Science Park running and growing.

But since the Science Park is the Science Park and there is still a world outside the institutes and research facilities, you can also learn German at this language school. Here I work together with other German teachers and I admit: It is a very rewarding job. The students we teach here in small groups, usually twice a week, are usually scientists from all over the world. Many of them also live in Golm or Potsdam. They may not necessarily need the German language for their work, but Golm, even if it continues to grow, is small and there is also a life beyond the institutes and laboratories, a very everyday life with timetables, supermarkets, offices and forms and many other things that make life a matter of course. Anyone who has ever lived in another country with a foreign language for a long time has probably had the experience that you might “survive” there with English.

Again and again I find that my work is grateful. The language students want to learn the language – they don’t have to – and I’m constantly learning new things in the language courses: My students are mostly scientists – biologists, chemists or physicists. For me, who comes from the humanities and linguistics, this results in a variety of wonderful opportunities to broaden my own horizons. For example, if I ever have a question about Einstein’s idea of space-time, I know who to ask!

But this work is also rewarding because everyone can learn a lot about their respective home countries from the other person. What languages do they speak there, what does everyday life look like, what holidays are there and why? And what could be better for exchanging ideas than language lessons! Here, so often heard questions such as “What is your name?”, “What is your mother tongue?” or “What is your profession?” are more than just language exercises for the very first lessons. Rather, they are the beginning of an exchange and getting to know each other, which deepens further and further as language skills grow and develop.

When the topic of “food and drink” is discussed in class and it was homework to write down and present a recipe from my home country, I often joke that I could publish a cookbook called “Around the World in 80 Dishes”, pretending that I am a foodie who is knowledgeable in all corners and corners of the world and who has brought back the best recipes from his travels.

Of course, we also teach grammar and phonetics, sentence structure and vocabulary in our courses. However, the heart of our joint work is always the conversation from person to person. And it is precisely here that the coronavirus has forced us to pause, even to put on the brakes at full speed. Of course, against the background of the situation and the measures taken in the meantime, we can no longer continue lessons without further ado. After a moment of “perplexity”, as most of us have probably experienced, we decided to continue. After about a week, we were able to resume the courses with the help and support of everyone involved. Instead, we are now entering the digital space: On a platform for video conferences, we now meet on the Internet and get back into conversation without having to leave our own four walls. We can learn and teach again, talk and look into each other’s eyes and sometimes into the kitchens and living rooms. The lessons continue and it feels good to occupy yourself with something else for an hour and a half, to focus your attention on something that has nothing to do with infection rates, curfews and uncertainty.

A kind of normality returns, a regularity in the daily routine that has been shaken up in such a way. We adapt as best we can. We are not only learning German, but also how to deal with such a situation and make the best of it. I think and hope that our courses will also be of help to our students, the scientists. Because for them it is more difficult in many ways than for us: Far away from home, family and friends, they are here with us, some for only a few months. Their home countries are also affected by the coronavirus, in some of them it is raging with dramatic consequences and we cannot yet properly estimate the extent.

It is good that we continue, that we discover new possibilities of teaching and learning and face the whole thing in our own way. But if I’m to be honest, I’m looking forward to the day when we can meet again in the course room at the GO:IN Golm Innovation Center, sit across from each other and experience our everyday lessons – from person to person.

Until then: Stay healthy!

Text: Andreas Lipinske