John Champe High School teachers make annual trips to different countries over spring break with their students. This year, it was Jose Mina bringing his students to Costa Rica and Kristin Wells with her students to Germany.
Wells brought numerous students with her on the trip to Germany. They visited many places and it was a great opportunity for the students not only to learn the language they had been studying, but learn about the culture from where it originates.
“I was able to take 12 Champe students to several German-speaking countries in Europe over the Spring Break,” Wells said. “We visited Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck in Austria; Munich, Füssen, Freiburg, and Heidelberg in Germany; Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein; and Lucerne in Switzerland.”
Germany has many historic sights to see and dishes to try. Wells made sure her students were able to enjoy the full experience. They went to different areas to try food, and fully embraced the culture. Mrs. Wells names her favorite spots they went to.
“Some of our highlights were Neuschwanstein Castle, Highline 179 (the world’s longest Tibetan style footbridge, which is suspended over 300 feet above the valley floor), Heidelberg Castle ruins, and a few other palaces; the Riesenrad which is a large ferris wheel in Vienna,” Wells said. “Students got to enjoy typical regional cuisine like Döner, Wienerschnitzel, Käsespätzle, Knödel; Spaghettieis; pretzels, and lots of chocolate!”
Now, taking a look at Mina’s trip to Costa Rica, Mina and his class visited San Jose their first day then traveled to Tortuguero, Sarapiqui, Arsenal Region, and Guanacaste before leaving.
“My favorite place was the Tortuguero area where we interacted with the animals a lot,” Mina said. “We were in the middle of the jungle and they could see the wildlife and the cultural aspects of the people living in the area.”
Mina and the kids had so much fun learning about the food, culture, language, and environment. They plan on taking another visit to South America or Europe next year and Mr. Mina already has a couple places in mind.
“We’re thinking about going to the Dominican Republic or Spain,” Mina said. “We haven’t decided yet.”
Students who have never been to these foreign countries hold a great appreciation for their visits there. Junior Emily Mendrysa went on Mr. Mina’s trip to Costa Rica and spoke on her experience there.
“The trip was great! It was very educational; we learned a lot about Costa Rica and its culture. We went to San Jose, Guanacaste, Tortuguero, Sarapiqui, Arenal Region, and Libera. If I had the chance to go again I would go in a heartbeat,” Mendrysa said. “This will forever be one of my favorite trips I have ever gone on. We did and saw so much around the country on boats and cars.”
It is very important for students learning a language to visit its country of origin. This not only gives them an opportunity to sharpen their skills, but also put them to use in the most real and authentic environment. It also gives them an appreciation for the language and is a nice way to spend their spring break.
“It was amazing; the trip covered all the expectations,” Mina said. “The kids had an amazing learning experience with every activity they went on with the locals and learning about the culture.”
