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Agent viewpoint
"As Berlin is well known as a developed city, students want to go there to improve their professional skills. They also choose Berlin because it is another big centre in Europe [which is] diferent from [the locations] where we usually send students, such as the USA and the UK. In general, we recomend Berlin for undergraduate students looking for a professional programme but we also have some students who want to go there to learn the German language. Contact with locals can be difficult, but on the other hand, the students have some [ways] to meet locals when they apply for programmes such as academic year or work experience."
Fabiana Fernandes, CI - Central de Intercambio, Brazil
"Berlin is the most popular German destination among our students because it has a very lively atmosphere and it is rich in history, culture, monuments and nightlife. In brief, Berlin is, right now, one of the most vibrant European capital cities. Students like the many very interesting museums, the fact that Berlin is big but still very green and calm - at least in comparison to Rome - and that
it is a city which offers a lot for young people."
Paolo Barilari, I Centri, Italy
"I think students choose Berlin because of the bohemian culture and the nightlife, and they are quite interested in all the underground cafés and bars. They also like to visit all the big monuments. At the moment, we are sending more students to Frankfurt, because there is a direct flight from Bournemouth to Frankfurt which is cheap and convenient."
David Jones, Red Dragon Language Consultancy, UK
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Arguably one of the most interesting and unique cities in Europe, Berlin attracts international students in search of fascinating history and an ultra-modern lifestyle. Amy Baker reports.
You name it, Berlin has it!" says Andrew Geddes, Director of the Eurasia Language Institute, when asked what the city has to offer international students. "Berlin even has a beach," he says. Indeed, Germany's capital boasts many areas suited to outdoor relaxation, with its enormous Tiergarten city park, more bridges than Venice and an abundance of forest and lakes that make up 35 per cent of the city.
In the city centre, the aristocratic old Unter der Linden avenue offers another enjoyable way of passing the time outdoors, and students strolling along this street can take in some of Berlin's great historical monuments. These include the Crown Prince's Palace, the State Opera, the Old Library and St Hedwig's Church, which was modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. The avenue stretches to Brandenburger Tor, also known as the Brandenburg Gate, once the boundary between East and West Berlin and now one of Berlin's most powerful symbols to reunification.
The city's former division is one of the key aspects of its unique history, as Uwe Stränger, of Prolog Sprachenschule, testifies. He says that German language students choose to study in Berlin because it is a cultural capital within Europe, with its own interesting history and economic links between Western and Eastern Germany. "In Berlin, the whole of Germany's history [over] the past century can be visited," he says.
At Tandem Berlin, Frank Kreissig explains that the school provides German language exchange partners to help students get to know more about the city. In class, issues such as the history of Berlin are addressed, and interviews have been recorded with Berliners who live in the school's neighbourhood. "We organise trips to the cinema or theatre for our students," Kreissig adds, "and the contents are discussed beforehand in class to facilitate understanding."
Dirk Heiland, Director of Die Neue Schule, underlines the fact that Berlin has a sizeable young population, making it easy for students to integrate into the city and become accustomed to the German way of life. "There are four universities in Berlin that accept international students," he says. "It's a city with international flair, with people from all over the world and lots of cultural facilities." Die Neue Schule also organises excursions every day which are designed according to the needs of students with different levels of language ability. "I believe we have one of the best [transport] systems in Europe," says Heiland, "and you can reach anywhere in Berlin by public transport easily and fast, day or night."
Of the innumerable places of interest in the city, highlights include the Reichstag, site of the German parliament and scene of the reunification of Germany in 1990; Museum Island, where many museums are located; and Potsdamer Platz, a cultural and shopping centre. Stränger also points to the New Synagogue and Television Tower as being of interest to students, while Geddes says Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which houses a private collection of escape memorabilia and photos, is also popular.
The seven main areas of Berlin are: Mitte, where many of the tourist attractions are located, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Charlottenburg, Zoo and Prenzlauer Berg, known to locals as Prenzl'berg.
While Berlin has much history and many museums, it is also a vibrant city with a trendy, modern population. Multimedia technology companies and design agencies intersperse the city, alongside art galleries, modern bars and cutting-edge clubs. Kreissig, of Tandem Berlin, says that students like to visit "nightlife in the former Eastern districts of Mitte, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg, especially in Kastanienallee, Kollwitzstrasse and Oranienburger Strasse". He adds, "For those who want to get in touch with the alternative lifestyle, the district Kreuzberg 36 is still obligatory."
The Berlin Love Parade, which takes place in July, is famous throughout the world as a celebration of techno and house music culture. Other interesting events include the Berlinale film festival, Lange Nacht der Museen - when museums stay open through the night and public transport is free - and the international theatre festival.
Being a cosmopolitan city, there are many different eating opportunities in Berlin. Breakfast cafés, where a filling brunch is served, are typical, while Schnellimbiss stands around the city sell take-away doner kebabs (meat served in pitta bread), as well as various types of German sausage. Kreissig believes that students remember Berlin for its doner kebabs as well as for their hangovers after drinking German beer!
To get away from it all, he recommends a trip to the castle and the famous park of Potsdam, southwest of Berlin, or a visit, by bike, to some of the villages, forests and lakes in the green surroundings of Berlin. He adds, "For students who stay for some weeks, it is worth making a weekend trip to Prague [in the Czech Republic], which is four-and-a-half hours away by train."
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