Through energy efficiency to language proficiency: CIM expert participated in all-Ukrainian language project in Radomyshl

On behalf of the project “Establishment of Energy Agencies in Ukraine”, implemented by „Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH“ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Kilian Schubert, EECU project manager and CIM-expert, visited the “DJU Language Academy + Sport” of the “German Youth in Ukraine” association in Radomyshl, Zhytomir region, in March 2016. In the following interview Kilian Schubert describes his assignments, impressions and experience.

Kilian, what was your first impression of the Language Academy in Radomyshl?
When I arrived to Radomyshl, I was first fascinated by the place itself: What a wonderful castle amid the wooded scenery between Kyiv and Zhytomyr. A perfect place to have a closed meeting with a group, to learn together, to work and enjoy the evenings. And soon this first impression was superimposed by numerous friendly, open-minded people I have met there.

How was this open-mindness of people expressed?
Both in the topic block I have worked with the group on, and during the breaks I got quickly into conversation with lots people. And this is despite the fact that we talked mostly in German, which posed an additional challenge and an inhibition threshold for participants. We have discussed intensively not only the energy efficiency, but also for example social developments in Germany and Ukraine.

What was your task at the Language Academy and how it was fulfilled?
I came to Radomyshl with an objective to give the participants a better understanding of energy efficiency and energy saving topics, and namely in German language as much as possible. It was clear to me that a lecture or discussion with those who learn German at level A1-B2 is of course something completely different from talking in native language. That’s why I tried to combine the language and facts.

How did you manage to do this?
At the beginning I asked the participants to introduce themselves briefly in German in order to get an impression of their language skills. As to the teaching unit, I split it into two parts: First a brief presentation with questions and answers, then an interactive group task. In the presentation I used for example simple graphs showing the heat loss in buildings that don’t require a deep knowledge of language. The participants reacted very positively to it and made their comments and asked questions in German or Ukrainian depending on their command of language. I was very pleased to see that the participants helped mutually to translate difficult terms. There was a kind of a translation self-help within the group.

You mentioned an interactive task – please give us some details on it’s process!
Yes, exactly. In the second part the participants had a task to draft stand-alone texts or small stories using given German terms on the topic like “heating”, “wind turbine” or simply “cold”, working in groups. I did not expect that young people could be so creative at that! One group sang their story, another one rapped with a great enthusiasm.

Was there anything that surprised you?
I have counted on a high study motivation because I see it often in young people in Ukraine. Ambition and motivation, foreign languages, technical knowledge and desire to learn more, there is probable more of it here than in Germany. In Radomyshl I was positively surprised by the readiness to process contents in a creative, independent, and unconventional way. This sovereignty of thinking, the witticism, a certain “boldness” among the young people, that is in my opinion exactly what this country needs.

What do you think the participants can take home from your lecture?
I hope that the successful exchange with me as a German native speaker on a complex topic can add a bit more to their linguistic self-confidence and give an impulse to deal with this or similar topics further on. Foreign languages and specialist knowledge can be often well combined. I personally don’t know any other language with so many German borrowed words especially in the technical field, as Ukrainian. Some German technical terms every Ukrainian will know automatically!

And what would you take home personally?
Anyway the motivation and spontaneity of participants! And the belief that I will definitely take part in this or a similar project once again.