Málfríður - 15.05.1997, Side 18

The reason for this is obvious;
the two countries have very dif-
ferent needs in language learn-
ing. Icelandic students need
good reading skills in English if
they wish to carry on with their
education whereas our students
need foreign languages for com-
mercial and recreational pur-
poses.
The other major difference I
have noticed is general interest
in the subject. In the UK stu-
dents older than 16 choose to
study a foreign language, this
means they are generally well
motivated and informed about
the language and culture of the
country. As Icelandic students
are obliged to study English,
whether they are interested or
not, you do not find the same
level of commitment. I have
often found Icelandic students
to be surprisingly unknowledge-
able and uninterested in the
British culture, this could of
course be due to the high pres-
tige of the United States,
although when asked the stu-
dents normally prefer British
English to American English.
I have found that generally
Icelandic students have a high
level of English, particularly in
speaking and understanding.
They are also much more will-
ing to talk to me outside of the
classroom than inside, and I
have found it quite amazing
how some lively, interested stu-
dents in the corridor seem so
passive and disinterested in the
classroom.
Of course the lingua assis-
tants scheme does not exist
only to benefit the students but
also the assistants themselves.
Very little is known about Ice-
land in the UK, and it has cer-
tainly been a fascinating if
sometimes frustrating country
to discover. I have found Ice-
landers to be very sincere and
helpful people once you get to
know them although this is not
always an easy task. On my
arrival here I joined the sport
diving club of Iceland, which
aided my settling into the coun-
try by providing a way of meet-
ing Icelanders with whom I have
an interest in common. Through
the club I have made many
friends and seen bits of Iceland
very few Icelanders have seen
let alone foreigners!
It has also been an interest-
ing experience working in the
more laid back atmosphere of
Icelandic schools and seeing
how another country teaches
languages.
Wendy Richards
Þýska bókasafnið
Goethe Institut
Tryggvagötu 26
101 Reykjavík
Sími 551 6061
Stærsta safn þýskra bóka á íslandi
Menningarmiðstöð Sambandslýðveldisins Þýskalands
Myndbönd, tónbönd, kennsluefni fyrir þýskukennslu
Dagblöð og timarit
Safnið er öllum opið og útlán endurgjaldslaus
Opið mánudaga til fimmtudaga frá 14.00-18.00
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