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| June 2008 Newsletter |
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I WANT TO BE INFORMED OF THE NEXT NEWSLETTER AS SOON AS IT IS ONLINE |
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Attention all Members!! - Events for June at Messina Palace
Wednesday, 4th June at 18.30
hours
The Masquerade Theatre Arts School present MY FIRST GERMAN LIEDER, a vocal concert of songs by SCHUBERT, SCHUMANN, BRAHMS, MENDELSSOHN and GRIEG at Messina Palace. The songs will be performed by voice students from Masquerade, under the guidance of Mrs. Andriana Fenech Yordanova. They will be accompanied on the piano by Christine Zerafa. Our members are invited to attend. Entrance is free.
Wednesday, 18th
June at 18.30 hours |
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Language Courses & Examination News
The
German-Maltese Circle reminds its students that the
following Goethe Institute Examinations are due in
June 2008:
FIT
in Deutsch 1 The Grundstufe 1 examination will also take place in the last week of June. Only those members whose attendance in the German language courses organised for them during the scholastic year 2007-2008 has been 70% or more, will be allowed to sit for examinations. The last lesson for this scholastic year will be on Tuesday, 17th June 2008. The Examinations’ timetable can be viewed on the Circle’s Noticeboard or on our webpage: www.germanmaltesecircle.org/courses/examtimetable.htm Contact the Circle’s office for further information.Summer German Language Revision Classes for Schoolchildren: The German-Maltese Circle is again offering German language revision courses during summer for students who are in Forms 1 to 4. These courses consist of 18 lessons of one and a half hours each (in the morning) and will start on Thursday, 10th July. Fee: € 70 Summer German Language Introductory Course for Primary Schoolchildren: Also on offer are short courses of 10 sessions for children in Years 5 or 6 in Primary Schools who wish to get familiar with the German language. Fee: € 50 For more information click on the course title headings above. Gespräche über interessante aktuelle Themen Diese gebührenfreie Veranstaltung findet alle 14 Tage für Fortgeschrittene in der deutschen Sprache, die Mitglieder des Deutsch-Maltesischen Zirkels sind, freitags statt.
Nächstes Treffen:
13 Juni um 18.30 Uhr. Dr Francis Cachia, a long time member has donated a substantial quantity of books from his personal collection to our Library. The German-Maltese Circle thanks Dr Cachia for his kind gesture. German Firm Hosts its International Sales Meeting in Malta
UWT GmbH started operations in 1977 as UWT Apparate GmbH, founded by Peter and Gerda Schropp as a small family business. The company accelerated the successful entry into new markets in all continents of the globe in 1999, at the same time that Uwe Niekrawietz became a partner and second director. In order to achieve it’s business growth strategy, UWT GmbH has also set up partnerships in USA and China, as well as in Malta through Melitech Design Ltd. The UWT group of companies develop, produce and test Point Level Indicators used in industries handling and processing solids. These include the food, plastic, wood and agro-industries, amongst others. Adpro-Instruments Ltd., a member of the UWT Group and a Corporate Member of the German-Maltese Circle, started operations in 2001, initially as UWT International Ltd. employing 5 people and 1 sub-contractor. The company now employs 23 people and 2 sub-contractors. It has increased its turnover seven-fold since inception, with its sales being 100% export, with deliveries being sent both to the mother company, as well as directly to clients. The Company plans to hold an open day on the 21st June 2008, as part of its innovative strategy to meet future challenges. Los Magazine - Prize Giving Evening at Messina Palace On the occasion of the issue of the LOS Magazine for schoolchildren by the German-Maltese Circle, a successful Prize Giving Evening was held at Messina Palace on the 30th May. The LOS Magazine is another initiative by the German-Maltese Circle as part of its ongoing German Language Awareness Programme. The LOS Magazine was distributed free of charge amongst schoolchildren in Years 5, 6 and 7 in Primary Schools all over Malta and among those in Forms 1 and 2 currently studying German and attending Secondary Schools. The Magazine included a Crossword Puzzle, which had to be filled in by the children using words in German associated with pictures. The response from these children aged 9 to 12 was very encouraging. In fact, 1885 entries were received from the Primary School sector, while 387 entries came from the Secondary Schools. From amongst the correct entries received, 64 children were selected by lot. These were presented with their prizes – consisting of MP3’s, Memory Sticks, Sudoku Games, CD Educational Packs and Tee-Shirts. A copy of the LOS Magazine in pdf format can be downloaded from our homepage on Internet.Deutscher Filmpreis 2008
The Silver “Lola” for Best Picture went to Doris Dörrie’s film “Kirschblüten - Hanami”, which in total received six nominations while the Bronze “Lola” was awarded to “Die Welle” by Christian Becker. Further nominations for Best Picture were “Yella” by Christian Petzold, the comedy “Shoppen” by Ralf Westhoff and Robert Thalheim’s “Am Ende kommen Touristen”. The “Lola” for Best Actress went to Nina Hoss in “Yella” while Elmar Wepper was awarded the “Lola” for Best Actor in “Kirschblüten - Hanami”. This film award ceremony is not only regarded as the most important film prize in Germany, it is also the most highly endowed with prizes totalling nearly 3 million Euros. The Goethe Institute has already bought the rights for several of these films - which we are hoping to screen some time soon within the premises of the German Maltese Circle. |
Wednesday,
11th June at 19.00 hours
Friday,
13th June at 18.30 hours
Mon
After
having successfully held the 1st International Sales
Meeting in Malta in 2004, UWT decided to hold the 3rd
International Sales Meeting in Malta once again. This important
event was held recently over three days. More than 55
participants from 22 different countries came to Malta this year
- the attached photo shows most of the participants who attended
this year’s event. Participants came from across the globe,
from China and Thailand to the USA, as well as from India,
Turkey and a strong contingent from Europe – representing 17
different countries from all over the continent. 
A
film by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin has stormed
this year's German film prize in Berlin. “On the Other Side”
was awarded best picture, as well as three further so called “Lolas”,
including best director, best original screenplay and best
editing. The film is a tragedy set in both Germany and Turkey. | Attention all Members!! - Exciting Events for May at Messina Palace |
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Ronald Debrincat |
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Although of genuine Xewka stock, Ronald was born in Australia. Two years later the family moved back to Gozo to the village of Xewkija, from where his parents originated. The Maltese word “Xewka” means “thorn” and thus Xewkija could be the place of thorns? Well, certainly not for the young family at the beginning. In addition to the three children they had in Australia they were blessed with another three in Gozo. Father worked and mother looked after the happy crowd and the spacious family home. The children went to schools, and Ronald attended Sacred Heart Seminary School being always one of the FIRST in class. Until fate struck. His father fell ill, unable to further support the family, and grieving mother looked after the house as best as she could. The oldest daughter left school immediately in order to be of help to mother and the youngest siblings. The second oldest son and Ronald, then aged twelve, decided to find part time jobs boosting the family’s finances. In fact the three older siblings each took the responsibility for one younger sibling - in one way or another. Ronald found a weekend job at a restaurant and at that time decided to become a chef. Yet he carried on attending school and started to learn German with Josette Buttigieg and Father Cordina as teachers. Asked for the reason of this decision, Ronald said he had met some German tourists on Comino, and he had found a German pen friend. In class he was particularly lucky, as the only other pupil was in fact a German girl. He also chose Mathematics as a subject, as he anticipated he would need this for management in his chef career. He worked extremely hard, spending the entire weekends preparing food at the restaurant and the weekdays and nights learning for school. In addition he had started and passed a special course for chefs. He achieved his A Levels when he was 18 years of age, having lived through his formative adolescence’ years as a responsible youth whose only joy was seeing his mother and younger siblings not suffering under the circumstances. I like to stress – and that with pleasure – that while he was unfolding these years before me he did not once give the impression of having borne the burden unwillingly or being sad about his “lost” youth. To the contrary: he was happy to have been able to give the young ones chances they thought they would never have. While writing his A-Levels he abandoned the idea of pursuing the career of a full time chef and decided to become a teacher after all. He enrolled at the University of Malta for English and German and for quite some time was the only Gozitan taking German as a main subject. “But”, so he says, “I soon found good friends in Malta and have spent happy years there – yet going home to Gozo every weekend”. He also discovered the German-Maltese Circle and true to his perfectionist tendencies, he followed first the ZMP (Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung) and subsequently the ZOP (Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung) courses as well as the course “German for Business”. He graduated as a teacher last year and is now teaching English language and literature for Forms 2 – 5 at the Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary School in Gozo; and teaching German Grundstufe I level for the German-Maltese Circle in Gozo as well. Cooking became Ronald’s hobby. He still helps out at the same restaurant where he started some ten years ago, or likes to prepare something delicious for his family at home. He also tries to read, but that was and still is hardly hobby related; these are books referring to the courses he attended or more or less syllabus based in preparation for his classes. “I continuously like to widen my knowledge of the German language and culture – I love German!” says Ronald with emphasis. He has already spent times in Munich and Bremen. He had also replied to an offer by the German-Maltese Circle for a scholarship arranged by the Goethe Institute, which was granted to him. Consequently he will be attending a Language Course for Teachers in Berlin for one month this summer, about which he is very much exited.
His plans for the
future - rather his wish - is to teach fulltime German language
possibly in Malta and to settle in his own house - “his personal
surroundings” he calls it; and telling those who want to listen:
Always aim for happiness in life! |
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L-Ghaqda Internazzjonali tal-Lingwistika Maltija |
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The primary goal of GĦILM is to facilitate research on the Maltese language. It aims are to become an international contact point for linguists, translators, students and other people working with the Maltese language. Furthermore, the GĦILM seeks to establish the study of Maltese Linguistics as an academic discipline in its own right. The creation of centres for research and teaching of Maltese will be a subsequent goal of GĦILM. The GĦILM has just announced the publication of a new scientific Journal concerning Maltese Linguistics called “ILSIENNA – Our Language”. This periodical, the first issue of which is expected in December 2008, will come in one issue of 120-160 pages once a year. For more information contact ghaqda@uni-bremen,de or browse www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/ghilm
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“Zeiten
der Not vergiss, doch was sie dich lehren nie!” – Do forget the
times of hardship, but never forget what they taught you! – This
could have been one of the themes of Ronald’s young life. He adhered
to it and today is able to tell the story as a happy young man. 
The
International Association of Maltese Linguistics 