AkadGym Students Write to Their New British Pen-Pals

It seems both ironic and surprising that the first emails from Austria and Great Britain are arriving while students in both countries are in Corona home confinement. Both schools, the AkadGym, and The Bishop Llandaff (https://www.bishopofllandaff.org), are in Covid-19 lockdown. Exchanging emails is now part of students’ distance learning and an unexpected and most welcome window into the big wide world. “It is great to read from young people at my age and their lives in Cardiff”, says Nikolas of class 2e.

 

 

German teacher Daisy Huball of The Bishop Llandaff School in Cardiff, Wales, and English teacher Christian Lutsch of the AkadGym started this exchange project in July 2019, when a student of The Bishop Llandaff attended the AkadGym. From then on, both teachers had been working on establishing an email-exchange between the two schools. Due to the new European General Data Protection Regulation of 25 May 2018, this process lasted longer than expected. However, when all forms were finally filled in, signed and returned, the Covid-19 lockdown began, first in Austria, then in Wales.

Against all odds, AkadGym students of classes 2e, 2a and 3a are now using their time at home to email their new British pen-pals, whilst their teachers are planning their next online lessons and further steps in their school partnership.

Text: Christian Lutsch                                                                                        Photo: Daisy Huball

Class 8LHR students of The Bishop Llandaff Church in Wales High School in Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain