The annual language competition recently took place at the Goethe-Institut Namibia. 

The competition is aimed at learners who have chosen German as a foreign language.

This year, 32 participants from grades 10 and 11 from public and PASCH schools came together to demonstrate their German language skills. 

Prizes such as tablets, laptops and two trips to Germany, sponsored by the German-Namibian Society (DNG), were on offer. 

The learners participated in oral exams in pairs and groups of three. They were tested on their general conversational ability, vocabulary, grammatical accuracy and pronunciation. 

Following the exams, all participants took part in a feedback session. 

Additionally, eight fun exercises were part of the competition to improve the participants’ German language skills, and promote intercultural exchange between Namibia and Germany.  The activities on offer ranged from football to German fairytales and robotics. Ingrid Barth, main organiser and head of German Cooperation at the Goethe-Institut Namibia, expressed satisfaction with this year’s language competition. 

For her, the long-term benefits of this event are particularly important.

 “Our experience shows that many participants actually make use of their German language skills after school. For example, they go to Germany for their studies, or become German teachers in Namibia,” she said.

For the DNG, a partner of the language competition for many years, promoting German as a foreign language is a key part of their work. Enabling the two winners to travel to Germany is extremely important for DNG board member Sabine Seipold.

 “Learning everything from a book is not as valuable as actually speaking the foreign language in the country of its origin, and thereby also promoting cultural exchange,” she said.

 The winners will stay with host families for three weeks, participate in the daily school routine in Germany, and interact with their German peers.  This year’s lucky winners of the trip to Germany are Uvatera Uanguta (Grade 10 at Concordia College, Windhoek) and Angel Uiras (Grade 11 at Namib High School, Swakopmund). 

Zayden Louw (Grade 10, Namib High School) and Aaliyah Bampton (Grade 11, Curro Windhoek Gymnasium) received laptops as second prizes from the Goethe-Institut Namibia. Tablets were awarded as third prizes to André Hurter (Grade 10, Curro Windhoek Gymnasium) and Aitashe Dzvatsva (Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek).