German language, Sao Tome and Principe

Project name: The German language on the small islands in West Africa - Sao Tome and Principe

Project location: The place of this project is the University of Sao Tome and Principe in Sao Tome and Principe. Sao Tome and Principe are small islands in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. Sao Tome is the taller island and the islet Principe is located 150 km northly from Sao Tome.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dep.lingua.alema

Project description:

A German female young scientist came to Sao Tome and Principe (STP, two small islands in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa) for field research within the scope of her doctoral thesis in 2014. But, a few months later, after her arrival on the archipelago, noboby counted with a real story full of success –

The successful implementation of the German language into the education system of STP

thanks to the active and tireless engagement, fight, commitment and work of Mrs. Diana Jordao da Cruz (Head of the German Department and German teacher at the University of Sao Tome and Principe). The first German Department at the University of Sao Tome and Principe (USTP) could be founded and the first German course could be started in January 2016.

The first meetings and discussions between the Head of German Department and representatives of the santomean Government, i.e. Ministry of Education, took place in April 2017 with extraordinarily positive results. These meetings were necessary because of the official authorization for German into the education system of STP. After nearly 40 years, the Ministry of Education agreed for the renewed implementation of the German language. After its independence from Portugal (Portuguese is the official language on the arquipelago) in 1975, the German language „survived“ only 4 years more in the Secondary school „Liceu“ after cancelling German out of the education santomean system. The reasons were the lack of German teachers and the ex-Minister of Education did not see any sense to implement German in the santomean curriculums. The Geman Department of USTP has the goal for taking here up.

We mention in the following important steps / successes we achieved:

• 45 imatriculated students in October 2016; 35 students of them regularly participating students in 4 German courses (level A1, adults);
• Development of a curriculum for „Tourism“ and „Hotel Management“ (academical courses at USTP), that means the implementation of German language in the summer semester 2017 besides English and French;
• Implementation of German as Second/Foreign Language in private Primary and Secondary School in STP the next school year 2017/18;
• Development of a new curriculum „Minor Deutsch“ for German as a minor subject in Bachelor-Degrees Portuguese and French at USTP;
• The first 3 fellowships for a summer course at the Universtity of Münster in August 2017;
• A young santomean men started a professional course as a German teacher with the Goethe-Institute in Cameroon;
• Business trip for the Director of USTP in October 2017 for official meetings with Universities in Germany to discuss about future cooperations,
• Internships for German students (course: German as a Foreign Language/Master) and German teachers;
• A regular exchange of students, teachers and staff between the USTP with different German Universities, etc.

I did my 3-months internship (April to June 2017) in the German Department of the USTP and I admit the work of Mrs. Diana Jordao da Cruz because she has worked / works alone so hard and tireless for the distribution and the promotion of the German language on the arquipelago and she achieved a lot within a little while. That is why, we apply in the area of social entrepreneurship for the project #youforG20 because we, the application team (German teacher and German students) are sure that our teacher, Mrs. Diana da Cruz, fights for the distribution and promotion of her language in Sao Tome and Principe and she also added and will add new jobs for young santomean students.

Goal and purpose of the project:

The leaders of the STP government face a new challenge and a big problem: the ever-increasing population growth on the island. Over 60% of STP residents are under 23 years of age. What will young people do in their future? Therefore, they see a new possibility with the implementation of the German language on STP. A new and innovative branch for development and new jobs will be created at STP. The santomean students at USTP will have new and professional future labour perspectives.

The German Department of USTP has the following goals:

• Training of the German language, especially for tourist guides and santomean who work in hotels, restaurants and bars in STP;
• Mediation of a new language, new country and a new culture;
• Preparing students for stays in Germany and postgraduate courses (doctors or master);
• to prepare the young students for study and to work in Germany;
• to train young students as German teachers and as mediators of the German language and culture (creation of a Bachelor´s degree "German as a foreign language" at the USTP).

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

The application team, consisting of me, Johanna Seyffarth (trainee for a 3-months internship at the German Department), the Personal Assistant of the Head of the German Department, Mrs. Ivone Martins, and 4 German students (2 students from the first German course: Joao and Luiz and two students from the 3rd German course: Hélcio and Paulo Jorge). The last named students, Hélcio and Paulo Jorge, were also responsible for the making of the short application video and the translation into English.

The application team, me, the Personal Assistant and the four students, took the initiative to apply for this project because we would like honour my boss and our teacher, Mrs. Diana Jordao da Cruz for her personal initiative and the fight for the German language on the two small islands, Sao Tome and Principe. Without her personal initiative, her fight, her social engagement, her tireless work and her power of endurance, the German language would not be taught and learnt in Sao Tome and Principe! She brought T W O N A T I O N S together because I realize a certain S O L I D A R I T Y between all the students and the teachers of German language. She opened a new sector here and also new doors for a lot of young santomean students. And this is just the beginning: We want more because we want to create a lot of new jobs and new opportunities and possibilities for young santomean students!

Use of prize money:

We need the money for our long-term goal and dream:

The Creation of a Bachelor-Degrees "German as a Foreign Language" (4 years) at the University of Sao Tome and Principe.

We have to create a lot of new conditions for ou long-term goal and dream. We have to prepare curriculums for the Bachelor´s Degree, we have to recrute new professional teachers / docents for the Bachelor´s Degree, we have to do exchange with other Universities in Germany, etc. We also have to create conditions for the accreditation.

This Bachelor-Degree is to train future German teachers in the area of the Primary and Secondary schools in Sao Tome and Principe. We also have the vision to train German teachers for all the lusofone countries (Portugal, Brasil, Mozambique, etc.). If we have had success with the creation of a Bachelor´s Degree "German as a Foreign language" on the archipelago, we could send the graduate students to African countries like South Afrika, Kenya or Namibia who offer a Master´s Degree in this area. With the help of other Universities, we can also create a Master´s Degree.

Our models of Bachelor and/or Master Degrees in the area of German as a Foreign Language are African countries like South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon and Ghana. These countries have a long tradition over decades of the implementation of the German language. We would like to handle like these countries!