Informatics students spent one week in Scotland’s capital to learn to know the Scottish culture and use English in an authentic environment. They were accompanied by Prof. Brigitte Karner as English teacher and organiser of the trip and form teacher Prof. Birgit Bergmann.
During their stay the students had 4 lessons a day at CES (Centre of English Studies) where they learned interesting facts about Edinburgh and the culture of Scotland besides preparing presentations about different festivals and doing negotiating exercises.
The afternoon activities focussed on visiting the many sights of Edinburgh, also called ‘The Athens of the North’, starting with a short orientation tour along Princes Street and the Royal Mile and a hike up Calton Hill to enjoy the magnificent view of the city and the harbour. A whole afternoon was spent in the Castle of Edinburgh, one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels, and the Stone of Scone, the coronation stone, are kept. During a guided through the Scottish Parliament with its interesting architecture the students could learn more about the system of government. Another highlight was the National Museum displaying the history of Scotland and featuring different exhibitions on various topics, for example fashion. Also ‘Dolly the Sheep’, the first ever cloned mammal from adult cells can be seen there.
In order to learn more about the Church of Scotland the class attended the Sunday morning service in St. Giles Cathedral, where they could also witness a baptising ceremony of the Presbyterian Church. One evening they watched the musical ‘The Book of Mormons’ in the Edinburgh Playhouse, which gives an interesting and funny but also provoking insight into the Mormons and their beliefs.
On a full-day excursion to Glasgow the Mackintosh House, the rebuilt original home of the famous architect and interior designer Charles R. Mackintosh, was visited. During the walk to St. Mungo’s Cathedral and the Necropolis numerous famous Glaswegian murals could be seen. After the Riverside Museum and the Tall Ship on the River Clyde the class could stroll along the famous shopping streets in the city centre to capture the atmosphere of this former industrial city with its many buskers and visit the Willow Tea Rooms with the famous Mackintosh interior.
The outdoor programme included a short Harry Potter Tour, an exhausting hike up Arthur’s Seat which was rewarded with a breathtaking view and a walk along Portobello Beach after which the students could enjoy fish and chips in one of the local restaurants.
