As part of the TourEdu4All project, an initiative aimed at promoting inclusive, accessible and high-quality tourism education, Professor Marianne Zappen-Thomson, a retired lecturer from the University of Namibia, has extended an invitation to students and interested participants to take part in a two-day Basic German Language Course.
The initiative offers participants an opportunity to discover the German language, develop basic communication skills and gain an initial understanding of German culture. Through this short introductory course, learners will be encouraged to explore the importance of foreign language skills in an increasingly interconnected world, particularly within the tourism and hospitality sectors, where effective communication and intercultural understanding are essential professional competences.
The two-day course will provide an introduction to basic German, allowing participants to become familiar with common expressions, everyday vocabulary and simple communication structures. Beyond language acquisition, the activity aims to stimulate curiosity about other cultures and highlight the value of multilingualism as a tool for personal development, employability and international cooperation.
This initiative also reflects the broader objectives of TourEdu4All, which seeks to strengthen tourism and vocational education and training (VET) institutions by promoting empowerment and inclusion, entrepreneurship and excellence in tourism education. By encouraging accessible learning opportunities and the development of additional competences, activities such as this demonstrate how education can contribute to creating more confident, skilled and adaptable future tourism professionals.
The involvement of Professor Marianne Zappen-Thomson highlights the important contribution that experienced educators can continue to make to lifelong learning and knowledge-sharing. Her invitation provides an opportunity to bring learners together around a shared educational experience, demonstrating that learning new skills and exploring different cultures can take place at every stage of life.
Through this initiative, the University of Namibia contributes to the wider ambition of TourEdu4All: making tourism education more inclusive, innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of learners and the tourism labour market.
Learning a new language opens doors to new cultures, new opportunities and new professional horizons.
