What Really Matters – German as a Foreign Language Students on Stage at the Goethe-Institut

For several weeks, our German as a Foreign Language students had been working intensively on writing their own poems as part of a poetry workshop. Then the big moment finally arrived: at the Cultural Festival of the Goethe-Institut Accra, they had the opportunity to present their self-written texts on stage.

Full of anticipation – and certainly a little nervous as well – the group set off by bus for the Goethe-Institut.

Arriving, exploring and trying things out

Our students received a warm welcome and initially had some time to prepare for their performance.

Before long, the Goethe-Institut had filled with many other groups of German learners. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, with plenty of talking, trying things out, laughter and, of course, German being spoken and heard all around.

Alongside the stage performances, there was a varied supporting programme. One of the most popular activities was the VR station, where students could immerse themselves in virtual worlds. A painting station invited them to get creative, while the Goethe-Institut library offered plenty of opportunities to browse through German books and discover something new.

The stage is set for “What Really Matters”

Then it was time for the performance – and for something very personal.

Under the motto “What Really Matters”, our students presented the poems they had written themselves.

It quickly became clear just how different the answers to this question can be. For some, football plays an important role; for others, family comes first. Others wrote about friendship, togetherness or special shared experiences.

Taken together, the poems created a colourful collection of very personal thoughts, wishes and perspectives.

Learning German also means finding your own voice

It was especially rewarding to see how much courage, creativity and commitment our learners brought to their performances.

Learning a foreign language usually involves practising vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Standing on a stage and performing a self-written poem in front of an audience goes one important step further: language becomes a means of expressing your own thoughts and sharing something personal with others.

That was what made this performance so special.

The Cultural Festival at the Goethe-Institut therefore offered our students not only the opportunity to use their German outside the classroom, but also an experience that will certainly stay with them for a long time.

We are very proud of our young poets and congratulate them all on their confident and successful performance!