Die Freude war groß als unsere Schule am 17. 9. 2020 die Auszeichnung als Cambridge English Gold Preparation Centre erhielt.
Herr Strohmeier als Schulleiter und Herr Tretter als Koordinator für Individuelle Förderung nahmen die Plakette entgegen, die von Frau Christine Schrempp vom Englischen Institut Köln übergeben wurde. In ihrer überaus herzlichen Ansprache betonte Frau Schrempp die hohe Qualität der nunmehr bereits über zwölf Jahre andauernden Zusammenarbeit mit der LFS, die im Laufe der Zeit zu der erstaunlichen Zahl von mehr als 1200 (!) erfolgreich absolvierten Cambridge Prüfungen unserer Schülerinnen und Schüler geführt hat. Damit liege die Schule im nationalen Vergleich weit vorne und habe sich somit die Auszeichnung als eines von nur zehn Gold Preparation Centres in Deutschland mehr als verdient.
Für einen weiteren Grund für Jubel sorgten die 13 Schülerinnen und Schüler unserer Q2, die im Rahmen der Veranstaltung von ihrem Fachlehrer Herrn Tretter ihre Zertifikate über die bestandene Cambridge: Advanced (CAE) Prüfung erhielten. Obwohl die letzte Phase ihrer Vorbereitungen und auch die Prüfung selbst unter Coronabedingungen stattfinden mussten, ist es ihnen gelungen, das beste Ergebnis zu erreichen, das es an unserer Schule bislang gegeben hat. Insgesamt sieben unserer Absolventen haben ihre Prüfung auf einem durchgehend so hohen Niveau absolviert, dass ihnen sogar statt des eigentlich anvisierten CAE Exams (C1 Niveau) gleich das Erreichen des C2 Niveaus bescheinigt wurde. Dabei handelt es sich um die höchste Kompetenzstufe, die im Gemeinsamen Europäischen Referenzrahmen für Sprachen ausgewiesen ist.
Wir freuen uns sehr über den Enthusiasmus und das Durchhaltevermögen unserer diesjährigen Absolventen und ihrer zahlreichen Vorgängerinnen und Vorgänger und wir sind sehr stolz auf ihre großartigen Erfolge.
Der Gold Preparation Centre Status bedeutet eine Anerkennung für den herausragenden Platz, welchen das Fremdsprachenlernen an unserer Schule einnimmt und es ist zugleich ein Ansporn für uns, auch kommenden Schülergenerationen die Begeisterung für das Erlernen anderer Sprachen zu vermitteln.
Lesen Sie unten, wie zwei Schülerinnen ihre „CAE experience“ beschreiben!
My CAE experience
What is it like to prepare for Cambridge: Advanced (CAE), one of the most challenging English exams a student can take? Here are the testimonials of two of our recent Cambridge graduates
My CAE experience
by Anna-Maria Stark, Q2
I had a great experience in our CAE prep-class. Since we were a small group of only 10 students per teacher, I was able to ask a lot of questions and Mr. Tretter could really go into detail with our individual needs.
Therefore we could prepare for the exams very well, even with the lockdown. All of us passed the exams with great results and I am very happy that I took part in this course.
I strongly believe that even if you don’t necessarily want take the exam, (which I nevertheless highly recommend you do) the course helps you a lot with increasing your vocab, listening to native speakers and also speaking freely without being afraid of making mistakes. You even learn to write proposals and reviews, which is really helpful for your future life.
My CAE experience
by Emily Seul, Q2
“Only about half of you will actually remain in this course”. Something along these lines was said to us in our introductory class to CAE. Most of us probably took it as an attempt at intimidation to prevent us from slacking, I mean, we all knew Mr Tretter… Regardless, many students were interested in earning a certificate that would later on allow them to study abroad more easily.
Each Monday in the seventh period, while our other classmates went home, we stayed and learned how to master the infamous test. We didn’t know what to expect and the first exposure to it definitely left an impression on us. However, studying various types of exercises turned out to be a piece of cake most of the time, no doubt thanks to Mr Tretter’s dashing PowerPoint presentations, which were one of the highlights of our lessons. Apart from that our class got along perfectly and overall created an enjoyable atmosphere for learning. It felt a lot like taking an English Advanced Course (LK), only more fun and without the pressure of being graded.
After a few months, Mr Tretter’s words had come true: our class had grown smaller and smaller. In the first semester, we mostly ignored the pressure of the exam but now we were among those who were truly determined to pass the test. Things were getting serious. We practised and revised the different phases: reading, use of English, writing, listening and speaking.
The oral exam was first. Trying to suppress the urge to run away whilst waiting outside the exam room proved to be incredibly difficult. Yet, whether it was the adrenaline or the preparation, during the exam all worries from before seemingly flowed away. There is this moment when everything just clicks and you think to yourself: Oh, this isn´t so difficult, I can do this.
Our written exam was then held on a Saturday shortly before our summer holidays. Knowing it would be a long day, everyone had stuffed at least two lunch boxes beforehand. It´s hard to describe what exactly happened in that exam room since in hindsight it all seems to blur. One moment you’re pouring everything into writing the best essay of your academic career and the next thing you know, you’re standing in front of the school gates, having completed the exam and thus feeling overcome with joy.
It’s safe to say that everyone in our class gave it their all and is completely deserving of their certificate.
Even though it’s a lot of stress, money and hard work I would highly recommend participating in the CAE course, because it’s definitely a worthwhile and useful experience.