Düsseldorf trip 2017 – Internationales Institut für Kommunikation

I went to Düsseldorf for two weeks to study at the IIK (Internationales Institut für Kommunikation) in order to improve my German language skills. It was an amazing opportunity organised by the German department, and absolutely perfect for an ab initio learner like myself. Not only did I have the chance to learn more vocabulary, improve my accent, and work on my grammar, I had a lot of fun learning more about German life and culture.

The IIK is a small school near the centre of Düsseldorf, designed to help foreign students improve their German. I had classes at B1 level with six other students from around the world (including people from France, Finland, Russia, and Japan) from nine ’til one five days a week for two weeks. It was a very intense course, but really beneficial; the German lecturers who led the seminars were very thorough and led lessons on a variety of different subjects, ranging from themes concerning contemporary problems in modern society, to discussions about love and family.

We had the rest of the afternoons off, which gave us ample opportunity to explore the city and witness German culture for ourselves. Düsseldorf is a very vibrant city, full of shops and interesting things to do. It has a modern city centre perfect for shopping, and plenty of restaurants where you can get Germany’s famous Currywurst. We were lucky enough to have two weeks of gorgeous weather, so we made the most of the lovely parks and outdoor spaces dotted around the city. We also visited a number of interesting museums, including the K20 Modern Art Museum and the Goethe Museum, both of which I’d highly recommend.

The IIK also arranged a number of amazing activities and excursions for the summer school students. On Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to Amsterdam for the day; the morning consisted of a boat tour around the famous canals, and in the afternoon we were allowed to explore the city for ourselves. On Sunday, there was also a trip to Brussels available.

All in all, it was a fantastic opportunity — I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their German and learn more about what life is like there. My vocabulary and fluency has really benefited from it, and I feel a lot more prepared for life here during my year abroad.

By Eleanor Bryant-Frost

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