A gold medal for German learners beckons at the Olympics in Hamburg. More than 100 young people from 56 countries compete for the award. But more than just grammar and vocabulary is required.
German language – difficult language
“Wanderlust”, “freedom”, “togetherness”, but also “earwig” or “nonsense” are some of the favorite German words of young people, who come from Egypt, France, the USA, India, Mexico, Iran, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, among others Republic traveled to Hamburg for the International German Olympics (IDO). What unites them all is their enthusiasm for the German language. Until August 5th, the Olympians in Hamburg have to prove their skills. The last IDO took place digitally due to the pandemic, now everyone is looking forward to being there. The motto of this year's event is therefore “BE PARTICIPATING! Together in Hamburg”.
Great future goals
Most of the more than 100 participating 14 to 17-year-olds are learning German because they would like to study in Germany. Like the 16-year-old Rania Abohatab from Egypt. For them, German is the second most important language in science; That's why she wants to master it well in order to be able to study chemistry at the university in Germany – and that has a very specific reason: “I dream of developing a remedy for cancer. My grandmother gave me the disease taken.”
Phiriya Chaiya from Thailand also has big goals. “I want to become a multilingual expert to be able to communicate with people from all over the world, because I would like to work as a diplomat in the future,” she says. In addition to her mother tongue, she also speaks some Chinese and Italian. Of all the western languages, German is the most interesting for her, says the 17-year-old. “Also, Germany is a country famous for education.”
The 14-year-old Iranian Yashar Ghahremani sees it that way too. It's his first time abroad, but he's already taking part in his second Olympics: The first was a physics Olympics. Yashar's favorite German word is “water”, “because all life depends on water”. Because of “advanced science and technology,” he says, he too would like to study in Germany one day.
Deutscholympiade does not just ask about grammar
Whoever, like these three young people, is invited to the finals of the Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) 2022 in Hamburg already knows German grammar really well. Even if it drives one or the other learner to despair. That's why 17-year-old Cem Yildiz would like to ask a German: “Would you have liked to have learned German if German hadn't been your mother tongue?”
But the competition is not just about the flawless use of indefinite pronouns, adverbial clauses and extended infinitives. The young people invited also want to immerse themselves deeply in German culture, “get to know and understand the German soul”, like 15-year-old Marta Machray from UK. There is plenty of opportunity for this, because the exchange with German young people is on the program as well as sightseeing tours. At the beginning there is a boat tour in the famous port of Hamburg.
Group photo of the IDO participants on the harbor tour in Hamburg
Young people get to know the German way of life
The young people should also be in Hamburg by the award ceremony on August 5th have the opportunity to get to know Germany as a place to study, live and work. In addition to language skills and creativity, team spirit and presentation skills are also required; In addition to language skills, intercultural and social skills are also assessed.
The students are accompanied by German teachers from their home countries, who have distinguished themselves through their committed and innovative teaching. While the young people are fighting for the gold medal, the teachers take part in a seminar on the subject of “Intercultural Learning/Intercultural Communication”. The Armenian teacher Nelli Sahakyan is looking forward to the advanced training course and to making new acquaintances, but more importantly, she says, is “the success of my students”. Her colleague Marcela Baráková from the Czech Republic adds: “I ;I want the students to enjoy it too.”
From the beginnings of the German Olympics to today
The International German Olympics have existed since 2008 and are organized by the Goethe-Institut and the  ; International Association of German Teachers was launched. The origin of the term lies in the former Eastern Bloc countries, because there students used to compete in mathematics, physics or chess Olympiads – and also in foreign languages.
In the year 2000, the first The German Olympiad was held in Croatia and has been based in Germany since 2008. The world's largest German competition is held every two years in a different German city, and in 2020 it could only be held digitally due to Corona. Before that, the venues were Dresden, Freiburg, Berlin and Frankfurt am Main.