From the first hello to fluent discussions – English lessons at Schiller Gymnasium take students on a journey from class 5 to class 12 and next year to class 13.

Learning English in year five was a completely new and exciting experience. Here are some voices from students in class 5b, who talk about their first year with the English language.

 Anton:

How I Find English in the First Year

In the first week, I think English isn’t a cool lesson. But I was wrong about English. It is one of the best lessons at Schiller School. English is cool, interesting, and you can talk with your classmates. In English, the exercises and homework are always fun. I like learning vocabulary and grammar. We often laugh in English class with our English teacher. It’s good to understand English songs. I’m happy when we learn new vocabulary. I’m happy too when we go on holiday – there I can speak with other people and talk to them. In English, we are always quiet and listen to the teacher.

 Lenja:
I am in class five, and English is nice, interesting and cool. My favorite exercises in English are listening exercises – they are really great. We learn lots of things in English, e.g. vocabulary and grammar. But English is not easy. I learn a lot in English. The exercises and the vocabulary tests are fun. Our English book is Green Line. That is a nice book. The city in the book is Greenwich. Greenwich is cool, big and interesting. In Greenwich, there is the Food Tunnel, the Royal Observatory, Mudchute Farm and the Cutty Sark. In English, I can’t talk with my neighbour in German, only in English. English is a nice subject.

Paul:

The New Subject English

In our English lessons, we use our book Green Line 1, an exercise book, a grammar book and our workbook. We write new vocabulary in our vocabulary book. Now I will tell you what we typically do in our English class: First of all, we say hello to our teacher, Mrs. Espig. Then we start reading a new text in our book or listen to a story. The units have different themes like It’s fun at home or Let’s do something fun. My favourite part was learning about sightseeing in London. Next year, I will go to London on vacation and I will try to talk to people there in English. After reading or listening, we usually learn new grammar in our lessons and do some exercises in our workbook. For homework, we often write down new vocabulary in our vocabulary book. Right now, we finished Unit 4. I am excited to see what comes next. I like the English lessons because it’s fun to learn a new language and our teacher explains everything clearly. We have a lot of fun together.

 Marlene:

This is my first year of English at Schiller Gymnasium. I am in class 5, and I like English. It is fun and interesting. We learn a lot of vocabulary and grammar. I like our Green Line book and the beautiful stories about the kids in the book. English is not easy for me, but I don’t give up. I want to speak and write English well. I try my best every day.

 Vincent:

My First Year in English at a Gymnasium

English is one of my favourite lessons because I learn so many cool and new words and grammar. For example, the simple present or the present progressive. Or vocabulary like animals, buildings, difficult words, and much more. One of the best things is London. There is Greenwich. In Greenwich, there are many places and famous sights, for example the Royal Observatory, Mudchute Farm, and the ship Cutty Sark. We also learn about the United Kingdom.The U.K. has got four different countries: Wales, England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland with very old sights, stories, and buildings. Overall, I think English at a Gymnasium is a very fun and exciting subject.

 Constantin:

The First Year in English at a Gymnasium

English is one of my favourite lessons because we can learn a new language and talk with other people. We learn a lot of grammar, for example the simple present, personal pronouns, the time, and a lot of other things. We also have difficult vocabulary like charity, community centre, jewellery, and more. Now we also know more about Greenwich. We know that in Greenwich there is Mudchute Farm, the Royal Observatory, the Meridian, and many other interesting and cool places. Our topic now is British money. There are pounds and pennies.

I think English is a very cool lesson. Sometimes it is fun and very funny.

 Madleen:

My First Year of English

English was always my favourite subject. At Schiller Gymnasium, I learned lots of new things, like writing letters to friends or buying something to eat. We also learned the simple present and the personal pronouns. Now we have pounds and pence. It’s difficult, but okay.

But we also learned lots of vocabulary in such a short time. Greenwich is also a beautiful place, and we learned a lot from the book. There are lots of famous sights like the Cutty Sark or the Royal Observatory. Now I want to know more about English culture, and I’m excited for the next year of English.

Voices from class 12 – Leistungsfach

 While our younger students share their first experiences with English, the seniors of class 12 delve into the rich world of Shakespeare, exploring timeless themes through their study of Macbeth

Tuanna: Reading The Tragedy of Macbeth in class was actually way better than I expected. I really liked that it wasn’t just the same boring routine every lesson, because we got to do role plays, which made things more fun and helped me understand the characters better. We were also asked interesting questions about the characters and our opinions, which made me think more deeply about the story. Listening to each scene before talking about it made a big difference too. It felt more real, and the emotions of the characters were clearer. At first I thought Shakespeare would be super hard to understand, but the lessons actually made it pretty easy to follow. I honestly liked it a lot.

Simon: Experiencing Macbeth in the classroom was a unique and engaging journey that left a lasting impression. The spooky atmosphere, intense emotions, and complex characters immediately pulled us into the world of the play. As we were reading and discussing it, the story became more than just text — it came alive. At times, we were so involved that it felt like we were part of the action ourselves.

We began to understand not only the plot but also the deeper ideas about power, ambition, guilt, and fate. The classroom discussions helped us see how Shakespeare’s themes still matter today. Macbeth remained exciting and meaningful throughout, making us think about human nature and the consequences of our choices in a powerful way.

 Emilie: I found the book overall really interesting. Macbeth was introduced as this fearless warrior who would protect the king with his life. But then the first plot twist came with the witches’ prophecy, that Macbeth would become king and that shifted everything, in my perspective. After the prophecy, his personality shifted due to the manipulation of his wife, and those were intense scenes to read because it wasn’t how we initially knew him. I believe that was what made the book so interesting. But towards the end it became somewhat predictable. It was also the time were we didn’t really like Macbeth anymore because of his attitude and his willingness to do anything to stay king, even murdering everyone. That was also the point were I started to despise him as a character due to his sudden change. But overall it was an interesting book with mixed feelings that would change all the time. Especially how he went from one of the most loved ones to the most hated character in the play.

 Mariam: The theme of tyranny in Macbeth

The theme of tyranny plays a central role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It is shown through Macbeths rise to power and how he rules as king. At first he is presented as a loyal, brave soldier but after killing Duncan and taking over the throne he turns into a tyrant who is rather feared than respected. Instead of being a good and loyal king to his followers he takes advantage of his power and kills many people who might become a threat to his rule. Throughout the play his tyranny worsens causing his kingdom to live in fear, oppression and violence.

 Leni: Unchecked ambition and its consequences – How ambition drives both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth—and what it leads to.

In the book Macbeth, unchecked ambition drives both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to their downfall. Macbeth begins as a noble and loyal warrior, but after hearing the witches’ prophecy, his ambition grows uncontrollably. Encouraged and manipulated by Lady Macbeth, he murders King Duncan to become king himself. This terrible act triggers guilt, paranoia, and a chain of further violence, as Macbeth kills again to protect his power. Lady Macbeth, once strong and ruthless, is eventually destroyed by overwhelming guilt and madness. Their unchecked ambition leads to chaos, broken relationships, and death. Instead of achieving greatness, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lose everything, including their lives and peace of mind.

Lucy: The role of witchcraft and fate

Witchcraft and fate significantly influence the actions of the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The three witches ignite Macbeth’s ambition by forecasting his rise to power, yet they do not explicitly instruct him to kill. Their mysterious prophecies, however, cause him to think that it is his fate to become king. This conviction affects numerous choices he makes, such as murdering Duncan. Throughout the course of the play, Macbeth’s obsession with fate grows, and he places his trust in the witches’ words even when they lead him astray. Through the witches, Shakespeare illustrates how faith in fate and supernatural forces can blur the line between free will and destiny, resulting in a doomed tragedy.

Edana: Lady Macbeth’s character and her desire to become queen

In the beginning of the book, we get to know Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, as a very strong, ruthless character, who is fearless and cold-hearted. Wanting to become queen very badly, she is driven by unshakable ambition. Bold, controlling and cruel, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband into finally killing the king, by knowing exactly what buttons of Macbeth she has to push. But her hunger for power comes at a cost. As striving to commit crimes, like murder, she was at the start of the play, to reach her goal of the crown, her ambition turns into guilt. Haunted by nightmares of blood stained hands and other things, she is badly disturbed and traumatized by her and Macbeth’s actions. Never-ending guilt turned Lady Macbeth into an now weak, broken and deeply troubled character.

 Victoria: Macbeth’s transformation from hero to villain

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title character transforms from a noble hero to a ruthless villain. At the beginning, Macbeth is a brave and loyal soldier, praised for his bravery in the battle. However, the prophecy of the witches awakens his ambition, and encouraged by Lady Macbeth he murders King Duncan to gain the throne. Guilt and paranoia soon consume him, leading to further violence. He orders the deaths of Banquo and Macduff’s family, becoming a tyrant feared by all. Macbeth changes because of his ambition and moral weakness. His descent into evil leads to his downfall, showing the tragic cost of power.

 Sara: Manipulation and Persuasion

In Macbeth, manipulation and persuasion strongly affect Macbeth’s decisions. The witches influence him by predicting he will become king, which sparks his ambition. Their words make him believe he is meant for power. However, it is Lady Macbeth who truly pushes him to act. She questions his bravery and manhood, convincing him that killing Duncan is the only way to succeed. Macbeth gives in to her pressure and begins a path of violence and guilt. Over time, he becomes more ruthless and changes from a brave soldier to a man ruled by fear and ambition, showing how easily someone can be changed by the influence of others and the desire for power.

Charlie: The role of guilt and conscience in the play Macbeth:

Shakespeare’s play Macbeth raises interesting points about how different people cope with traumatic events and how far they are willing to go to achieve their goals. Both the protagonist, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, are affected by their ambition and the resulting guilt in very different ways. While Macbeth is initially plagued with paranoia and grief over King Duncan, whom he murdered with his own hands to claim the crown, Lady Macbeth remains stoic and dismissive. She tells him to simply get over it and wash it all off, as Macbeth hallucinates blood on his hands that won’t come off. But as the play progresses and Macbeth settles into his role as a tyrant, clinging to the prophecy he believes guarantees his success, Lady Macbeth begins to slowly lose her mind. She sleepwalks and obsessively tries to wash away imaginary blood, crying, “Out, damned spot!” Ultimately, Macbeth becomes numb and detached, consumed by power, while Lady Macbeth’s buried conscience overwhelms her. Her guilt drives her into madness and, eventually, to take her own life rather than face the consequences of her actions.

Amélie: The role of prophecy – fate vs. free will

Do we have a purpose and can we choose the path we walk on ourselves? Or does fate exist and the way we will take is already decided.

Shakespeare also asked himself that and included it into the famous play “Macbeth”. 

In the beginning of the play three witches prophesise Macbeth that he will become king. At first he can’t believe it but after a while and with a little help from Lady Macbeth, he starts to believe it could actually become true.

The only big question that remains is: Does he have to do something to achieve his goal?

Briana: Shakespeare’s language: beauty, difficulty, and famous quotes –

What lines stood out? What was hard to understand but powerful? – Shakespeare’s language is rich and poetic, but often challenging to understand. He used many old-fashioned words and unusual sentence structures. One of his most famous lines is “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” It explores deep ideas about life in a simple but powerful way. Another well-known quote is “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” which expresses how Macbeth hopes his evil thoughts remain hidden, even from heaven. At first, his language can seem confusing, but once you understand it, the meaning becomes clear. Shakespeare’s words are still full of emotions and experiences we have today. His plays remain powerful because of the beauty of his language.

 Johanna: What makes Macbeth still relevant today? How can a play this old actually be worth reading?

Macbeth still remains relevant for today as it explores topics like ambition, desire for power and corruption. Throughout the play, Macbeth changes from a brave and friendly hero into a reckless tyrant and this character development is often seen in e.g. politics. Therefore, being aware of the influence of power is essential when forming opinions about people in higher positions and creating a critical understanding of authority. Analysing Macbeth’s behaviour can give us a better insight of what happens to ourselves and our surroundings when we become too self-focused and egotistical. The play teaches us an important lesson about the importance of compassion and acknowledging the influence that privilege has on us.