Our language trip to Bournemouth

“We were hopeless. It was impossible, they said. But it wasn’t.” (Tobias and Adrian)
“When we met at in Hall at the public pool, we’d never have anticipated how great of a journey it’d become.” (Jonas V., Simon, Sandro)
On the 25th of March we flew to Heathrow airport. From there we made our way to Stonehenge.
“We visited the most mysterious archaeological site – Stonehenge. Imbedded in meadows full of sheep it leaves a special impression.” (Tobias and Adrian)
At about 4 p.m. we went to Bournemouth by coach and an hour later arrived at the Southbourne School of English where we were greeted by our host families. On Saturday evening and Sunday, we spent time with our host families. While some went to the beach or city centre others stayed at home and adapted to the English lifestyle.
“Our hosts cared for our well-being very much.” (Jonas V., Simon, Sandro)
The next day, Monday started with 3 lessons in the language school where we were taught English culture, new words and phrases, improved our presentation skills and much more. Every afternoon we visited wonderful places like Christchurch, Bournemouth city centre, Poole and Hengistbury Head. These places are rich in history and there are many interesting sights. We also went to Castlepoint, a well-known shopping centre.
“We feel like we gained a lot of new, interesting knowledge to utilize our English skills.” (Jonas V., Simon, Sandro)
Our last day became the most surprising day in the UK for us. Even though it wasn’t originally planned our teachers surprised us with a visit to London before our flight home! We had about five hours to explore the South Bank.
Luckily our flight was one of the few ones that weren’t affected by strikes taking place that week, so this unforgettable story finds a happy end.
“Our journey to Bournemouth was a unique, exciting and sometimes even baffling experience and we were glad to participate.” (Jonas, Simon, Sandro)
“We had a great time we will love to remember. Thanks to our teachers Ms Mair, Ms Bodner and Ms Corrigan.” (Lara-Maria, Susanna, Minna, Anthea)

Highlights which we will always remember…
Our trip to Bournemouth in England was a big success and everybody totally enjoyed themselves. We also improved our English skills and our pronunciation.
One of our favourite afternoon excursions was Hengistbury head, where we walked along the coastline and not only were stunned by the breath-taking landscape but also the wild sea. Two other highlights were the school’s Japanese night and the Karaoke night. Japanese students offered us a glimpse into their culture, they taught us how to fold origami figures, sang Japanese songs for us and we could also try some traditional sweets from Japan. The karaoke night was also such a fun night and it’s fair to say that everyone enjoyed it.
We also enjoyed a fabulous afternoon at Fisherman’s beach in Southbourne. There we played volleyball and football on the beach; some students were reading their English books, which they have just bought and others played cricket. Even though the weather was cloudy, we still enjoyed our beach day tremendously.  
Throughout the week we did many amazing trips but the last day in London was an extraordinary experience. We got to see some of its fabulous sights including the London Eye, the Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and we also visited the exhibition at the Tate Modern and the Borough Market. To conclude it was a fantastic week, which we will remember forever – it was an unforgettable journey!

A total win
Even though we went through thick and thin.
Bournemouth was still a total win.
At Stonehenge we saw a cool formation out of stone.
But the builders are even nowadays unknown.
We went to Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole.
Especially the beaches there were very cool.
Although the teachers were stressing.
The afternoon activities were a blessing.
At Hengistbury Head John was a spoil sports.
That is because the stuff we got was not the best courts.
Shopping and swimming at Castlepoint was so much fun.
The problem was, there was no sun.
At karaoke night we learned we are not the best singers,
But the boys were for Max some good Wingers.
Late at night on the third day,
We celebrated Victor‘s birthday.
We arrived in London at ten,
There we visited the Tower Bridge and the Big Ben.

Text and poem written by students of the 5a class, April 2023