In episode two, we delve into the crucial topic of the German language, which is essential for anyone studying or living in Germany. We follow the journey of Hariharan Arevalagam, an international student who initially had a good grasp of the language but ended up "unlearning" it after residing in Germany for five years. He embarks on a mission to recover his proficiency, and along the way, he meets various individuals who share their stories and experiences. These include a German language student, a German teacher, a member of a folk society, and an HSRW employee who also came to Germany from another country and became fluent in German while working in the university's Languages Department. Together, they explore the most effective and enjoyable ways to learn the German language.

Hariharan Arevalagam is a student of Science Communication & Bionics at Hochschule Rhein-Waal. He is not only the main guest of this episode, but also co-produced the episode by helping with conducting interviews as well as post-production.

Related links: How to Hochschule Podcast, Science Communication & Bionics

Carlos Eduardo Cabral Holguin was in his second semester of Mechatronics Systems Engineering at the time of recording. As an international student with an international background, he was able to share some relatable experiences about living in Germany and using the German language.

Related links: Faculty of Technology & Bionics, Degree Programmes, Mechatronic Systems Engineering

Carla Bongers is a German teacher at Hochschule Rhein-Waal. A native of the lower Rhine region, Ms Bongers has years of valuable experience in teaching the German language to international students and offers great advice to German learners.

Related links: Languages Department

Benedikt Brömling is a treasurer of the Schützenbruderschaft St. Josef Haldern. As a longtime member of this traditional German nightwatch brotherhood, he shared some insights about the annual folk festival and how it is closely tied to its local village community. Benedikt highlights how these traditions are not only annual events where people have a good time, but they also make up a big part of their members' identities, who also happen to be very open to "outsiders" joining them.

Related links: Schützenbruderschaft St. Josef Haldern

Brett Ellis is the deputy head of the language department at Hochschule Rhein-Waal. Originally from the United States of America, Brett is a great example of someone from a different country making Germany their home - and becoming fluent in German while they're at it. Brett talks about his language learning journey and the importance of culture in language learning.

Related links: Languages Department, Centre for Internationalisation and Languages