What students say about the activities of the week 

Language classes at CELTS language school in Edinburgh 

 From Monday to Friday we had our English classes from 9am to half past 12pm. The group I was in was taught by Paul, who I thought was a really good teacher. The lessons themselves were much more fun than regular school lessons because we focused on speaking and playing games in English instead of grammar. We started the first day by introducing ourselves and talking about our hobbies and favourite TV shows, and then went on to give our opinions on certain topics. In the following days we played games like telephone and Who am I. Paul was always happy and motivated, which had a positive effect on my mood. Paul also guided us on the walking tour on Monday and told us a lot of interesting details about Edinburgh and its history. We did a lot of group projects in class which helped us to use English in normal conversation and in creative ways.  

Of course I can't speak for everyone, but I really enjoyed the English workshop in Edinburgh and I'm sure it helped me a lot with my English.   

Ines Fliecher, 6A 

The day trip to the Highlands 

On Monday we went on a day trip with our teachers and David, who was our guide for the day. We travelled by bus and our first stop was a small tourist shop that also had a cafe. Outside the shop was a large field where we first saw the Highland cows. The second stop was at Loch Katrine. We could decide if we wanted to go for a walk or have lunch in the nearby restaurant. Most of us decided to walk around the loch, which was a really good decision. The scenery was stunning and we saw some wildlife. Then we went to the Wallace Monument, which is a really tall tower. It was fun to walk up the hill with your friends after sitting on the bus for an hour. Our last stop was Stirling Castle. We were split into groups from our Old English classes and explored the castle together. Overall, the day trip was a great experience and a really fun and interesting thing to do with friends. 

Clara Scharitzer, 6B 

The Edinburgh city walking tour (with group leader Bruce)  

 My guide for the walk was Bruce. We first met under the big tree on George Street and from there we walked towards Calton Hill. On the way we passed the old Parliament House, which was built in the late 30s. This was easy to see as it was huge and designed to demonstrate power, as most government buildings at that time were built to do. From there we walked up to Calton Hill. By the time we had made it, everyone was quite exhausted. However, we enjoyed a great view. 

After that we made our way to the old town. There we saw a lot of historical buildings. To sum up, the tour was fascinating, especially the way Bruce told us so many stories behind the buildings that we would not have known otherwise. The tour has changed the way I see Edinburgh. 

Petar Popov, 6B 

Ceilidh Dance evening 

  On Tuesday evening almost all of us took part in a Ceilidh dancing class. The class was held at the Summerhall festival site, so everyone met there. The class was supposed to run from 8pm to 11pm, but as we had to get up early the next day, we left an hour early. At the very beginning of each dance, a Scottish man gave us instructions on how to do the steps correctly, which was quite difficult as no one really showed us. When we had big problems and couldn't figure out how to do the steps correctly and in the right order, some very advanced Scots tried to help us, which I found very pleasant. The live band playing different songs for each dance added to the enjoyment. Looking back on this evening, I have to say that it was one of the highlights of my trip to Edinburgh. Spending a whole evening with my classmates, surrounded by people from different backgrounds and learning more about their culture was an invaluable experience.  

Franziska Wolkerstorfer, 6B 

Bowling & karaoke night 

 A small group, including myself, didn't take part in the Ceilidh dance. Instead we went bowling. Me and four girls didn't want to bowl, so we went to the karaoke room. First we were given some instructions on how to use the karaoke machine, then we chose some cool and beautiful songs. Three of the girls sang while I just watched because I can't sing that well. It was really fun and also very nice to watch/listen to them. I think I was there for half an hour, then me and the other two boys who were staying with the same host family went home as the bowling was over (it generally lasted about an hour). I can't say anything about the bowling because I didn't get to see it. Anyway, I think it was a really nice experience and a good evening programme to have some fun or maybe to relax a bit. 

Timon Melzer, 6B 

Scottish Parliament 

 Another day, we had the opportunity to get a deeper insight into the Scottish Parliament. Since we had had our first gaze at it, we were astonished by its unique and meaningful architecture. In the building, several symbols relating to Scotland can be found, in addition to an exhibition concerning Scottish history. Furthermore, we had the chance to listen to a Parliament debate, which was highly appreciated by us. Sadly, our time there was very limited, which led to us leaving without having paid further attention to colourful gardens and impressive fountains. All in all, the Scottish Parliament was definitely worth a visit and we enjoyed our time there a lot. 

Simon Hahn, 6B 

The Edinburgh city walking tour (with group leader Emma) 

 One day after school we went on a walking tour with our teacher from our class in Edinburgh. At the beginning she asked us what our interests were and tailored the lesson accordingly. First we (a group of 15) went to the Surgeon's Hall. This is a museum about the history of medicine. She also told us a story about two criminals called William Hare and William Burke, who were two body snipers in the 19th century. Then we went to the National Museum where she also told us a lot about the history of the museum and the artefacts on display. She is a really good storyteller and knows a lot about Edinburgh and different historical stories and a great place. Later we went to Greyfriars Bobby, which was interesting and everyone took a photo. Then we went to the cemetery where JK Rowling found some names for Harry Potter characters. As a big Harry Potter fan I really enjoyed this. She showed us different graveyards with the names on them. Finally, we went to Harry Potter's 'birthplace', a coffee shop where J K Rowling started writing her world famous teenage novel. It was a great ending. I really enjoyed the tour because it took us to places that only locals know about or if you do a lot of research. 

Elisa Kaltenbacher, 6B 

Arthur’s Seat 

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what you should do in Edinburgh, I can only recommend going up Arthur’s Seat! 

We went there on our last day in Edinburgh, since our group leader, Prof. Hackl-Lehner, stated that Arthur’s Seat was a must-see in Great Britain, especially when you spend a whole week in Scotland!  

At the bottom, we had two options concerning the hiking route: Either we take the steep path or the more gentle one. Of course, our teachers decided that the steeper walk was preferable. Considering the fact that I was not in good physical condition, I did not agree. The hiking tour itself started off very comfortably, in fact I had enough air in my lungs to properly talk to my friends. But as the path got steeper and steeper, some students decided it was time for a race to the top. Ironically, I participated I placed last but I admittedly didn’t care because the view up there was so beautiful. The prettiest part was not even the city Edinburgh itself, but the beautiful grassy meadow on Arthur’s Seat that shone emerald green in the sun.  

In conclusion, I would say that the walking tour on Arthur’s Seat was definitely the highlight of the entire language week. I can only recommend you do the same and experience the breathtaking view. This is a memory unlike any other! 

Simon Schaupp, 6A 

Scavenger Hunt 

On Wednesday, we had a fantastic scavenger hunt. We started at 2 pm at the Scott Monument in groups of four or five with a team leader who had to operate the app for the hints. During the hunt, we received 19 clues and had to take pictures as proof. Unfortunately, we were kicked out of the mall by a security guard because we were running all the time, but we didn’t give up! The first team arrived back at the starting point after 34 minutes, which was a new record. The hunt could have been a bit longer, but it was an excellent experience to explore parts of Edinburgh. Congrats to the winners!  

Paul Krca, 6A 

The Scottish weather 

 The weather greeted us in true Scottish fashion. For the first few days it was mostly cloudy, foggy and rainy. This continued until Wednesday, when we were treated to our first spell of sunny weather. From that point on, the freezing temperatures began to ease, so you could actually wear a T-shirt and a jumper instead of five jerseys on top of each other. On the contrary, the Scots found the temperatures unnaturally hot.  In retrospect, we were quite lucky with the weather and enjoyed some lovely days. 

Stefan Hahn, 6B 

 Host families  

 One of the biggest parts of the trip to Scotland was the different host families. I had a host family with my friend and looking back it was very good. We stayed with a single, very nice, 63-year-old lady who lived with her Labrador Retriever. At the same time there were 2 other girls from Austria in the flat and we had dinner together most of the time. To be honest, I wasn't too happy with the food at first, but it got much better over the next few days. We shared a room and had a nice little bathroom. It was a bit cold at night, but we were prepared and had enough clothes to wear. All in all, I can definitely say that we were quite lucky with our stay and it was a pretty good first experience! 

Anna Vetterlein, 6B