Between two cities

Learning Spanish: this is what the Department of General and Interdisciplinary Studies offers all HM students. Learning Spanish through direct intercultural exchange with students from the Spanish city of Alicante was the special project led by HM Professor Maria Begoña Prieto Peral and lecturer Dunia Barrera-Segura.

Using digital exchange as a bridge

The aim was to promote creative exchange between HM students and students from the University of Alicante, transcending national and cultural boundaries. In collaboration with Professor Dr Carmen Aljibe Varea, students from both cities engaged in a digital collaboration, set themselves joint tasks and took part in intercultural discussions: What is the academic world like here and in Spain? What are the cultural differences and similarities? In this way, the HM students were able to improve their Spanish directly through dialogue with the students from Alicante.

Creative collaboration for ‘Entre Ciudades’

The processes and outcomes of their exchange are brought to life through words and images on the ‘Entre Ciudades’ blog. It documents this creative form of collaboration, in which participants take turns introducing each other to their favourite places and special spots in Munich and Alicante, amongst other locations, or capture their experiences in photos and written posts. “The focus was not only on linguistic expression but also on visual design. The result is a joint blog that combines language, creativity and intercultural exchange in a unique way,” says HM lecturer Prioto Peral.

The contributions to the seminar were made by HM students Antonia Bayer, Chiara Taucher, Valentin Schmid, Julian Bühler, Marlene Bethkenhagen, Elisabeth Brugger and Emily Eschbaumer, as well as the Spanish students.

Further information: The ‘Entre Ciudades’ blog showcases the students’ intercultural exchange in Spanish through words and images.