Alona Nikolenko (a 3-rd year student of the Department of Germanic Philology) had a unique opportunity to take part in a 10-week online program in German philology at university in Tübingen, Germany. The course was held in Zoom and brought together students from different parts of the world, regardless of time zones or borders.

The program included modules about political system, gastronomic culture, education and language in Germany.

Analysis and in-depth study of use peculiarities of dialects, depending on the territorial population location, was the most fascinating topic for Alona. Southern German dialects, which include the Bavarian and Swabian ones, stand out against background of the High German dialect (Hochdeutsch). That is studied at Sumy State University as well.

Alona admitted that these linguistic variations sounded like a completely different language that would have to be learned from scratch. Despite this, she managed to master all possible greetings: Grüß Gott, Grüß dich, Moin, Tach, Grüezi, Servus, Hallöchen, Hallihallo, Salü.

This course was a great example of continuous learning and self-development. We congratulate Alona on her academic achievements and expect new success.