2_1_DiscoverGermany_August2014_Issue17:Scan Magazine 1
31/7/14
14:32
Page 54
Discover Germany | Special Theme | Learn a Language
Home away from home Live and learn while abroad Active Abroad offers opportunities to learn or improve upon a foreign language with a purpose. With a unique selection of programmes located around the world from the US to Australia, Active Abroad combines travel with unforgettable opportunities for learning and growing. TEXT: JAIME SCHWARTZ | PHOTOS: ACTIVE ABROAD
“We offer a variety of programmes, Au Pair or Demi Pair stays, language courses and work experiences abroad like Work&Travel, Camp Counselling, volunteering or internships,” explains Demi Pair programme manager Lisa Hussenether. Participants are put in direct contact with a new culture through living with a host family or work placements, thus fulfilling Active Abroad's aim to immerse participants in more than just a new language. As an Au Pair, applicants are able to enrich their experience of being abroad by experiencing local culture and traditions firsthand. Not only are they expanding their own horizons but there’s also the added bonus of contributing to the host family by sharing and learning together. As Ms Hussenether says: “These days a good command of one or more foreign languages is key to keeping up – and I don’t just mean in
54 | Issue 17 | August 2014
business, but it also boosts self-confidence and you benefit from a larger sense of the world.” For those who are not able or ready to make a long-term commitment, the Demi Pair programme provides a shorter option. This programme focuses on improving foreign language skills by including courses at one of Active Abroad's certified partner schools. Attending classes in the morning and working in the host home in the afternoon gives the language learning direct impact and application. Additionally, through many of the partner schools, Demi Pairs can use their language learning as a chance to acquire a Cambridge, TOEFL or IELTS certificate. Company owner Maria Riedmaier also runs the au pair agency Maria Theresia, which places international Au Pairs with German families. Host families welcome applicants with free accom-
modation, meals and pocket money in exchange for childcare and light housework. An Active Abroad experience is a way to explore the culture and language of new land and feel at home while far away. The committed staff helps applicants to find the most suitable programmes through their knowledge and years of experience working with their worldwide partners. Detailed information about work or study opportunities can be obtained online or by visiting the offices in either Freising/Munich or Berlin. www.activeabroad.de www.aupairmaria-theresia.de Main image, left: Australia's Ayers Rock. Photo: Verena Meindl Above: School facilities in Valencia Chinese language course, Lisa Buddelmann with her first calligraphy Bottom: San Francisco. Photo: Christiane Armannsberger Australia Work&Travel. Photo: Verena Meindl