Born in London, Ellen Atwood was raised in rural Virginia, in a family who loved to travel. After graduating from James Madison University, she moved to Germany. Learn why she chose to study German and how learning a language can change your point of view:
Winter in the Schnoorviertel, a neighborhood in the medieval centre of Bremen, Germany.
Why Germany?
From the time I was very young I knew I wanted to live abroad. It wasn’t until my classical voice studies in college that I was charmed by the quirky sound of the umlaut (mark ( ¨ ) over a vowel to indicate a different vowel quality). I fell in love with German in particular. Something about the color of the language mixed with its bad rap for being “harsh” was enticing. After one semester of German 101 (with a great teacher) I was completely hooked and set a goal to become fluent.
Check out German Holiday Markets
Your family loved to travel — what other countries have you visited or lived in?
In college I lived in Italy for two summers, one in Florence and the other in Correggio. I also spent a month living and teaching in Northern Ireland. Aside from our time in England, I’ve traveled with family to France, Greece, Kenya, Costa Rica, and Japan. While living in Germany I travelled to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Scotland.
Sunset along the Schlachte in Bremen, a promenade along the east bank of the River Weser in the northern city.
As a musician, how do you bring music into teaching?
When I taught English in Germany, I found music to be very useful. Most students have a favorite artist or song, many of which have English lyrics. This personal connection allows students to engage in a deeper way. Learning German, I also found it helpful and fun to listen to popular German music.
Being exposed to new vocabulary in the context of a musical mood sticks differently. Suddenly you’ll hear a phrase from a song in everyday speech and think, I’m not quite sure what this directly translates to, but I know what it means.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Learning a language is a door. With enough dedication you start to crack it open and enter into another worldview and way of being. In my experience, it dissolves prejudices, increases empathy, and facilitates deep connections that serve as an important reminder that we are all in this together.