The River of languages: The language of the river

Without water, there would be no life on earth and if we don’t protect this resource, human life in many aspects will be severely affected. Water usage and water protection go hand in hand and require a high degree of responsibility.

For years, the Goethe-Institut Thailand has been promoting environmental and climate protection and raising awareness of sustainable living through a number of projects. In 2024, together with 30 students from all over Thailand, this commitment sparked an exchange on what a responsible approach to our livelihood can look like and how it can be shaped.

With the Support from the Thai Ministry of Education in cooperation with local experts, the German camp participants not only had the opportunity to improve their German knowledge, but also to expand and deepen their knowledge of water usage in Thailand, discussing their own actions in this context. Acknowledging the role of water in agri- and aquaculture, we harvested and processed rice, built a dike to stabilize the river beds, started our own population count of fish and other animals and analyzed water qualities.

These activities were made possible by the one language that brought us all together: Accompanied and guided by three highly qualified German teachers from the Goethe-Institut Thailand, the focus was on community building, teaching new terms to fully dive into the sometimes technical matter of the camp. Through this, a bridge was built between language proficiency and social and personal responsibility. Going back to their schools, these moments and ideas will find implementation in the participants’ educational and private lives, shared among friends and families to became a reality. A strong, and sustainable connection!