Recently, LHS students competed in the National German Exam, with stunning results. One of the students with the highest score, Tanthalas “Tanis” Amnottee-Zupan, was eligible for a three week study trip to Germany, to study the language and experience the culture.

Tanis is very dedicated to the German language, studying four periods of German in school and spending an extra two hours working on the foreign language at home.

“The national German Exam was pretty standard, 50 questions of listening comprehension and 50 questions of reading comprehension. Although it was a test, I found it quite entertaining. I’d say I enjoyed it more than a math test,” Said Tanis. “My score was 96%.”

Tanis has many ideas of what he wants to do during the study trip. “I hope to go to historical sites and learn about German history, and I also hope to walk around the cities and see what everyday life is like” He said. “I’m looking forward to meeting and conversing with the German people and improving my German.” Tanis also is interested in learning about the culture and history of Germany.

“I will be in Germany for around 3 weeks.” Said Tanis. “When I found out I had been picked I was excited, although I’m not looking forward to the flight there.”

“Tanis will make some wonderful experiences, get to know a variety of different people and will grow in various ways as a person,” said his German teacher, Arne Scholz. “Not only will the total immersion into a completely German speaking environment help his language skills immensely but he will gain a much better understanding of German society, culture and history. He will stay with a German host family for about 3 weeks. He will get to know the people he will live with and thus get an invaluable insight into German everyday lives and the little joys and sorrows of the average German. Hopefully, he will take away from the trip the recognition that even if Germans do some things differently they are not very different from Americans as people. He will become more self-confident and self-reliant after a stay abroad away from his family as well.”

Tanis was not the only German student with exemplary results. Amanda Earnhart received a 99% on the exam. According to Scholz,  “Jake Rayome won a Silver Medal. Henry DeWitt, Olivia Rothrock, Derek White, Quinlan Muller won Bronze Medals. An additional 4 students won Achievement Awards.”

Tanis says that his favorite thing about the German language is the pronunciation. “I think the words sound really interesting, better than any other language.”