European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday december 15, 1990 the stars and stripes Pago 9over her teens from East tackle life in West by de reams staff writer Frankfurt Germany a the six students from the East sit in the classroom Busy learning the lessons of the West. 1. Language culture and consumerism. All Are difficult and mandatory subjects that the students must master. The six a five germans and an ethnic German from Poland a began their course in Western culture after their parents breached the rusting Iron curtain in search of Freedom. And now teachers like to Ratel gha Sharick arc trying to Cushion the inevitable cultural Shock Waves that these journeys set off. A one of the most identifiable problems is their Lack of English the main foreign language Here a said gha Sharick a free Lance teacher at the Ziethen gymnasium a Frankfurt High school. The culture that five of the girls left behind prize russian not English As a second language. To assume any official kind of office or position in the former East German state russian was mandatory. Training and education were often coupled with schooling in the soviet Union. Despite such lures russian never caught on. Quot compared to the number of people who had russian in school you la find few who speak it or have any feeling ,�?� said gha Sharick who has a degree in the language a the teen agers said they Seldom had any practice in russian. There was almost no Day Torday Contact with the Russart speaking soviets in the East because both sides shunned each other. In Western Germany the opposite is True. A the More they learn about our West German life the More English they automatically learn because of the great influence of America a gha Sharick said. A just looking at television or going through town is As important As the English textbooks we use. German life is full of americanisms in language and certain attitudes a for Eastern germans introduction to Western Ger Many and its English sprinkled German language satisfies a Long time longing. Everything that interested the great majority of Young East germans was connected to american and English culture a pop music films a the soviet Union was equated with deprivation and oppression a the . With Freedom and plenty a said a Frankfurt social worker. But the students have found out that there Are practical As Well As political reasons for learning end Glish. A v a Quot a a Quot a a suppose you re in a disco and some Good looking Ami chats you up. You want to be Able to answer a said Phoebe Riedel from Berlin. There Are More than 60,000 such students in Western Germany receiving English catch up lessons said Gerd Jungblut a spokesman with the Hessen ministry of culture. A education in Germany is the responsibility of the 11 old West German states which spend millions financing English lessons for pupils from the former East Germany or ethnic germans from other East bloc states a. A a. Although English is a must for their future they Hope the years of russian weren to wasted said Ramona Sasse 16, from Neu Brandenburg. Fortunately russian is taught at the Ziethen Schule one of the two German High schools that also offers a French baccalaureate Bachelor of arts or science degree program recognized by the Paris government. The Young women All say that life is far better in the West than in the East. But they still have some reservations about westerners and their attitudes. Diana born Ichen a 16-year-old who has been in Frankfurt for 11 months finds the crime rate shocking. ,. A a a a a. A a a t a we were used to going out anytime at night with our thinking of crime a said the former resident of. A a a but of course crime has come to East Ger Many and my friends in Leipzig say you have to watch out for the skinheads and Neo nazis a the girls also have found out that they have left a society where the party Label was an essential part of life and entered a society where a designer Label has significant social say they said that the peer pressure ass l Emmonl Lola or. Alfred Blauth teaches an English class. Lack of English is an obvious problem for students from the East. For consumerism in the West is an oppressive element in school. / a i found it easier to Deal Here than my parents a said Riedel. A they still stare at shop windows for hours. 1 find it pm harassing to walk Down the zeil Frankfurt a shopping mall and see East germans looking gape mouthed in the a the school kids Here have snotty attitudes about the kind of clothes one wears a said Julia Schmidt 14, a native of Cottbus who has been in Frankfurt a year. A in the East we All wanted the latest jeans but Here. Is amps l Emmett Lewis or. Julia Schmidt 14, finds life lonely in the West. She misses her native Cottbus in former East Germany its the latest expensive boutique teacher Alfred Blauth concurred asserting that consumerism seems to be the moving Force among today a High school students. A a in be Learned All the Trade names for clothes in the process. There was a time when ones political stance was important. Today its the Label on ones clothes a Blauth said. Styles in dress Arentt the area of school that the Eastern germans Are finding to be different. The ways of the classroom also provide a contrast in styles. A in East Germany when the teacher came into the room All the pupils stood up. You made sure the blackboard was cleaned a said Schmidt. A there the teacher cleans the Riedel said that in the old East Germany before class a the class spokesman stood at the head of the class shouted a be prepared to defend socialism a and we shouted Back a we re always prepared a and then the teacher took Over the class with the greeting a y. Education in East German also had the mandatory lesson of military instruction. The courses inc Orpo it rated theoretical military instruction with strenuous physical activity marches and other exercises a it Wasny to pleasant making forced marches for Miles through mud and rain but it kind of welded us together a the class the group. It Wasny tall bad a said Doreen Hofmann 15, from Zwickau. So far the girls have been unable to find similar camaraderie in the West Schmidt said she suffers most from homesickness. Whenever she has a Chance she travels to Cottbus to be with with her friends. A we All live rather isolated Here Quot Hofmann said. A most of us come from much smaller towns where everybody knows everybody. We lost our friends in the East and Haven to gained any Here. Even our parents have that problem on the Job. There a Little help from fellow the prejudices of the Western germans Are based on pure ignorance the group said. A _ we re always being asked to Tell our classmates Here just How much we suffered in East Germany. They re surprised to hear that it Wasny tall said sasse., ,. A a a. A imagine a Schmidt said a a in be been asked what East germans look v r
