Spotlight - 14.2019

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76 Spotlight 14/2019 MY LIFE IN ENGLISH

When was your first English lesson,

and what do you remember about it?

When I was a child, my father kept his

English alive with the help of audio

cassettes and videos. I was completely

fascinated by this, and I took the opportu-

nity, of course, to join in and listen to the

cassettes or watch a video. I was probably

around five at the time.

Who is your favourite English-language

author, actor or musician, and why?

Al Pacino. To me he is a great and inquis-

itive actor who is always trying out new

and unconventional techniques, whether

on stage or on screen.

Which song could you sing at least a few

lines of in English?

The 1988 hit “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution”

by the American singer Tracy Chapman.

Which person from the English-

speaking world (living or dead) would

you most like to meet?

Rowan Atkinson. He is just the funniest

actor, and I admire his talent enormously.

If you could be any place in the English-

speaking world right now, where would

it be?

Durham in England. When I was 17,

I went to school there for a year and

stayed with the wonderfully warm-

hearted family of a vicar. I am still friends

with the daughter, who is the same age as

I am. It was a marvellous experience, and

I still think about it often.

Which is your favourite city in the

English-speaking world, and why?

Of the cities I know, my choice is New

York. For me, this city has a European

character. It unites many nations, has

a vibrant, creative spirit, an open and

creative pulse.

Have you ever worked in an English-

speaking country or environment?

I have been acting in the play Vögel by

Wajdi Mouawad at the Staatstheater

Stuttgart for the past year. The actors

come from different countries and act

together in four languages: English, Ger-

man, Hebrew and Arabic. The rehearsals

took place in English — and the com-

munication before and after the perfor-

mances is in English, too. Subtitles are

provided for the audience. It has been a

great experience for us and the audience.

What was your best or funniest experi-

ence in English?

At the school in Durham, I acted in the

musical Godspell. At the beginning, I was

supposed to play only a sheep. I was dis-

appointed not to be allowed to sing in

English, so the teacher encouraged me to

bleat in English and to make something

of it. It was really funny and ended up be-

ing a big role.

Which English word was the hardest for

you to learn to pronounce?

“Psychiatrist.”

When and how do you practise English?

Now and again I take private English les-

sons. I watch English films with the sub-

titles off, and for international castings,

I train with a dialect coach.

Do you have anything from the English-

speaking world at home?

I have books on acting theory in English.

I brought them back from New York af-

ter attending a masterclass with William

Esper.

What would be your motto in English?

I could think of a lot of mottos: “Enjoy

the little things”, “Success is best when

it’s shared”, “Live, laugh, love”...

admire [Ed(maIE]

, bewundern

bleat [bli:t]

, blöken

Hebrew [(hi:bru:]

, Hebräisch

inquisitive [In(kwIzEtIv]

, neugierig, wissbegierig

marvellous [(mA:vlEs]

, wunderbar

psychiatrist

[saI(kaIEtrIst]

, Psychiater(in)

rehearsal [ri(h§:s&l]

, Theaterprobe

subtitle [(sVb)taIt&l]

, Untertitel

supposed: be ~ to do sth.

[sE(pEUst]

, etw. tun sollen

vibrant [(vaIbrEnt]

, lebhaft

MY LIFE IN ENGLISH

Silke Bodenbender

Die Schauspielerin lässt uns an ihren glücklichen Erinnerungen

an einen Besuch in Durham teilhaben.

MEDIUM