American high school students from across New England found a new, creative way to practice their German skills and learn about an unexpected part of German culture thanks to the Goethe-Institut Boston’s Hip-Hop Battle.

This year’s battle brought students from Boston Latin School in Boston, MA, ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, NH, and Cony High School in Augusta, ME to Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Sudbury, MA for a one-of-a-kind competition that put their language and rapping skills to the test.

During the semester, students listened to German hip-hop, analyzed the lyrics, and wrote and performed their own original verses. A two-day workshop gave language learners from participating schools the chance to work together and with experts on improving their rhythm, pronunciation, and stage presence before competing against one another at the finale showcase.

“It’s not about grammar. It’s not about correctness of speech. It’s all about courage, standing at the podium, on the stage,” said Kerstin Hämmerling, Language Consultant at the Goethe-Institut Boston. “It’s about rhythm. It’s about pronunciation. And it’s about fun.”

The winners of the competition won a studio recording of their German rap and some serious bragging rights!