During the fall semester of my Junior year in 2023, I went on the IES German Language and Culture Abroad Program in Berlin. I have been studying the German language for the past two years at Bates, starting from scratch in Freshman year after taking French throughout my previous schooling. I was drawn to the language because of my father’s time spent teaching in Germany out of college, as well as my interest in German theater and film.

As a History and Theater double major, I knew I wanted to incorporate my German minor into my studies. I had too many ideas and no solid plan. Living in Berlin changed everything. The friends I met there, both in and out of my program, opened my eyes to many new ways of thinking.

Germans are also super friendly! It was easy to strike up conversation at flea markets, bars, music concerts, lakes, etc. I also found that Germans will speak German right back to you and continue to do so – and are rather encouraging about it! There were multiple instances where I was a translator between a German and my friends, and we fell into teaching each other random words in our languages. I came to learn how international Berlin is, and actually found it challenging to meet someone who had lived in Berlin for their whole lives. My professors were largely from outside of Berlin, which gave me an insight into the rest of Germany and how it differed from Berlin.

The IES Language Program is set up so that all classes are taught in German – of which I took German language, German Business, German Contemporary Film, and Museum & Memory in Berlin. The professors were all incredibly engaging and encouraging of speaking in German, even if mistakes were made! Additionally, they have an option to find an internship through IES with a company of your choosing in Berlin. I opted for this because I wanted to be working with people who lived in Berlin on a more personal level that took me out of the classroom, especially if I could relate it to my interests. I interned with Dr. Bariş Ülker, who was in the midst of conducting a study of ethnic enclaves in Berlin, specifically Turkish. As part of my tasks (much of which was research), I got to travel around Berlin photographing and speaking with Turkish business owners about their experiences in entrepreneurship in Berlin. 

Living in Berlin was definitely an adjustment, but since I grew up in Brooklyn, I felt I had a little leg up in getting used to the city lifestyle. The transportation is efficient, and the city itself is rather inexpensive. There is food from all over the world – the best (in my opinion) being Turkish, Sudanese, and Vietnamese.
IES is very helpful in getting you set up and providing information on doctors, grocery stores, monuments, or generally fun things to do in Berlin! Many of the classes incorporated field trips to theaters, cinemas, memorials, or even to the professors’ homes for dinner! We also had program wide trips to Potsdam and Sachsenhausen (a concentration camp just out of inner-city Berlin). Berlin is also super accessible. I was able to visit many countries easily and inexpensively via bus, train, or plane. Overall, I loved my experience in Berlin and can’t wait to go back.