LANGUAGES

2021 UNTERNEHMEN DEUTSCH AWARDS CEREMONY

The project ‘Enterprise German / Unternehmen Deutsch’ is run each year by the Goethe Institut in Sydney for school learners of German. The project links the subject German with aspects of commerce and innovation. This year more than 300 students from 18 schools covering all mainland Australian states took part, completing activities through the duration of a school term.

In the first module students learn in general terms about the role that German/Swiss/Austrian companies play in the Australian economy and marketplace. In the second module students chose a company from a German-speaking country that trades with Australia, or an Australian company with close ties to a German-speaking country. The Goethe Institut provides a long list of companies large and small which have shown willingness to engage with secondary students. Students investigated the company’s history and its products or services. Then came the highlight, conducting an online interview with a representative of their chosen company. This gave students some insights into the professional world of work and commerce, and the different paths that can lead to work with such a company.

In Module 3 students had to come up with a creative business idea for a product or service that the company could consider, along with advertising ideas (slogan, video ad, poster). Students described and explained their ideas in presentations and videos in written and spoken German.

Students worked through all modules in teams and uploaded their work to a Moodle room, where students at different schools could comment on each other’s efforts. I am extremely proud of the way each of our McKinnon teams collaborated with each other throughout, especially considering the setting of remote learning and breakout rooms.

The awards ceremony was conducted via Zoom on Thursday 28 October with all schools in the different states watching, along with representatives from some of the companies. The Executive Director of the German-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (who had been on the selection jury) spoke to everyone about his appreciation for all the students’ efforts. Our McKinnon students contributed via the Chat to feedback that the organisers sought on students’ experience of Enterprise German.

Two of McKinnon’s teams made it into the Short List, and one of them was awarded the First Place by the judges, for their detailed description (in German) of their idea for automatically adjustable solar panels for different styles of roof. This team’s prize is $500.  

Congratulations to Liam Karvelas, Joshua Joshua and Xuen Wong, as well as to the others in the Year 10 class!

Dave Nutting

German Teacher

YEAR 7 GERMAN POETRY COMPETITION

Finally, certificates and medals arrived for our participants. 

Special recommendation to Adam Short who received a Silver Medal, Khushi Agarwal received a Bronze Medal and Jonty Litwinow received Honourable Mentions in this competition. 

Congratulations to all involved.

Andrea Fowler

Head of Languages