Hoßfeld Conni & Co: Conni and the Exchange Student

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-3-646-92291-2
Verlag: Carlsen
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 192 Seiten

Reihe: Conni & Co

Aufregung in der 6a: Eine andere sechste Klasse kommt zu Besuch - und zwar eine aus England! Jeder will unbedingt jemanden zu Hause aufnehmen. Conni schafft es, ihre Eltern zu überreden, und freut sich schon riesig auf die Austauschschülerin. Als die endlich kommt, ist Connis Überraschung groß. Aber auch Paul macht große Augen!

Dagmar Hoßfeld wollte als Kind Tierärztin, Bäuerin oder Gestütsbesitzerin werden. Dass sie sich anders entschieden hat, verdankt sie ihrem Sohn: Als er ungefähr ein halbes Jahr alt war, bekam sie Lust, ein Kinderbuch zu schreiben. Sie setzte sich an den Schreibtisch - und hörte mit dem Schreiben einfach nicht mehr auf. Zum Glück! Mittlerweile sind viele wunderbare Kinder- und Jugendbücher von ihr erschienen. Geboren wurde Dagmar Hoßfeld 1960 in Kiel. Heute lebt sie in einem kleinen Dorf zwischen Ostsee und Schlei und hat, wie sie selbst sagt, den schönsten Beruf der Welt: Autorin.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hoßfeld, Dagmar

Weitere Mitwirkende

Ragg-Kirby, Helena

Tust, Dorothea

Leseproben

»For goodness’ sake, Conni! Where on earth have you been?« Anna looks reproachfully54 at Conni. »If you had a mobile55 like every normal person nowadays, I’d have phoned you at least ten times!«

»In that case it’s a good job I’ve not got one,« counters Conni. »It has its advantages!« She locks her bike up and grins. Since getting her own mobile for her birthday, Anna has been full of hot air. It makes everyone else feel like the last of the Neanderthals for not having one.

»Oh, don’t make such a big drama about a few minutes,« she says to Anna. »I said I’d be a bit late. Where are Billi and Dina?«

»They’re already upstairs, bagging56 a computer.« Anna pulls Conni into the library. The public computer terminals are on the first floor. They run up the wide staircase and round a couple of high bookshelves.

Even from a distance, Conni can hear Billi laughing.

»Is the English school system that funny?« she says, surprised.

»I don’t think so.« Anna giggles. »I think Billi’s good mood57 might have more to do with the people at the next computer. They’re pretty special!«

Conni frowns. Special people at the next-door computer? What can Anna mean?

As they go round the corner that separates the internet terminals from the rest of the library, she sees what Anna means: two blond boys are sitting at one of the computers. They are staring at the flickering monitor, shaking with laughter as they greet Conni in passing.

»Hi, Conni,« one of them says. The other one just raises his hand briefly.

»Paul! Phillip!« Conni cries. »What are you doing here?«

»Researching for our English homework,« Phillip replies. He leans back casually. »What did you think we were up to?«

He looks so innocent58 that Conni can’t help grinning.

»Hey, Conni! You’re here at last59!« Billi’s face appears above the divider that separates the monitors. »Don’t believe a word of it! They’re just looking at daft60 video clips. You know: ›The world’s greatest blunders61‹ and stuff like that.«

Dina pushes her way up next to Billi. »We can’t concentrate properly at all,« she says reproachfully. »And people are supposed to be quiet in the library!«

Paul and Phillip start snorting with laughter again. Conni frowns.

»Have you finished yet?« she asks. »Or are you planning to spend the whole afternoon on this rubbish?«

Paul lowers his head. »Wow, you sound like my mother,« he mutters. »Don’t panic, we’ll be done soon.«

»Sure thing.« Phillip smiles at Conni. »Fun first, work later – isn’t that right?«

»No, it’s not.« Conni returns the smile. Then she turns and slides herself into the last remaining chair between Anna, Billi and Dina.

»We’ve already started,« says Dina. »There are some great British school sites, but unfortunately they’re all in English.«

»Never mind,« says Conni. »We’ll manage!«

Billi pushes herself forward slightly so that she can reach the keyboard more easily. »There are some good German school homepages too, with information about school exchanges.«

The friends are soon immersed in their work. Anna has a writing pad62 on her lap, and makes studious63 notes.

Conni casts a quick glance over the divider. Paul and Phillip are studying the homepage of the British tourist board. Phillip looks up briefly from the monitor and winks at her.

»The poor things!« Anna suddenly exclaims.

Conni turns round. »Who? What?«

Anna sets her glasses straight. »In England, children go to school when they’re five years old. Did you know that?«

»No.« Conni shakes her head. »But write it down!«

»And they have to wear school uniform,« says Billi. »The boys wear long trousers with a white shirt, a tie64 and a dark jacket, and the girls wear white blouses with a tie and a pleated skirt.« She shudders. »Pleated skirts – yuck! Just imagine having to wear a school uniform!«

»I’d rather not,« laughs Conni, her gaze65 wandering across the screen. »It says here that most schools in Britain are ›comprehensive schools‹. And, what’s more, they’re open all day. Lessons start at nine o’clock and don’t finish until half three in the afternoon! Wow, that must be exhausting66.«

Anna nods, writing as she does so. »But on the other hand, the British school system is still regarded as one of the best in the world.«

Conni, Billi and Dina grin at one another. Anna sounds like a little teacher.

»What’s the matter?« Anna raises her head, looking confused. Her biro is poised above her notepad.

»Oh, nothing,« laughs Billi. »You just carry on writing.«

Once they have gathered enough information, the four of them decide to reward themselves with a Coke.

»We’ve really earnt it,« says Conni. »Are you coming?« she asks the boys.

»What do you think?« Phillip gets up and stretches, as Paul logs off the terminal.

***

There are lots of people in the little library café, but they manage to grab a couple of free seats at a table by the window. Phillip brings two chairs over as well.

»Do you know yet whether you can have anyone to stay?« he asks, looking at the drinks menu.

Conni shakes her head. »My parents aren’t going to decide until this evening. Cross your fingers for me.«

»My parents won’t let me,« Dina says sadly. »Oh well, that’s what I thought would happen.«

»Don’t worry,« Billi comforts67 her. »We’ll have one in any case, and you know what I said: half of my exchange student belongs to you!«

»We’re having one too,« announces68 Anna.

»My parents agreed as well,« says Paul. He grins. »It’ll be brilliant! I’ll be able to play football against a real English person. Maybe we could even form national teams and start a football tournament and –«

Phillip interrupts69 him. »Hey, do you imagine that all English boys are interested in football? I don’t think so.«

When the waitress arrives, he orders Cokes for everyone. »Anyway, we’re having an exchange student, possibly even two if they’re short of places to stay, my dad said.«

»Two at once?« Conni says, surprised. She knows that Phillip has been living alone with his father in a huge villa since his parents split up70, but she can’t believe that they want to have two English exchange students to stay!

»Lucky you,« murmurs Dina.

Modestly71, Phillip waves her away. »We’ve got heaps of space in our house,« he says. »And my dad’s quite liberal about that sort of thing.«

When the waitress appears with a big tray and hands out their drinks, Phillip raises his glass. The ice-cubes clink gently. »Well,« he says, looking solemn. »Here’s to the English students!«

***

When Conni arrives home, Mum and Dad are sitting on the patio72, talking. Conni sits down with them.

»We’re just talking about the school exchange,« says Mum.

»Cool,« says Conni. »So?«

Dad gives her an amused look. »What do you reckon73?«

»I’d think it was brilliant if you said yes,« Conni replies. »Frau Lindmann said that kind of school exchange is supposed to be a fantastic way to learn a foreign language. Oh, I’ve just remembered,« she grins broadly. »I got a B in the English grammar test!«

»That’s great!« says Mum, pleased.

»Well, if you’re doing so well in English grammar,« Dad says slowly, »then you don’t need an exchange student to improve74 your language skills.«

Conni stops short. That isn’t what she’d intended! »That’s different,« she says quickly. »You talk to an exchange student. You learn slang, conversation and stuff.«

»Conversation. Hmm …« Dad grins.

»We shouldn’t torment75 her any longer,« says Mum, adding: »We’re saying yes!«

»Hurrah!« Conni jumps up and leaps round the table in delight. Jakob comes round the corner.

»What’s going on?« he asks suspiciously.

Paul’s little sister Marie is with him.

»I bet you’ll soon be visited by an English kid,« she guesses. »Paul yelled just like that when Mum and Dad said yes.«

»Really?« Jakob opens his eyes wide.

Conni hugs first Mum then Dad. She is beaming76 from ear to ear.

»You’re totally fantastic,« she says breathlessly. »I’m so happy!«

»Yes, we’re happy too,« says Mum. »Dad agreed immediately.«

»Of course I did,« nods Dad.

Conni speeds77 into the living room, grabs the telephone, and dials78 Anna’s number as she runs. As she throws herself onto her bed, Anna answers. Conni doesn’t let her speak.

»We’re having one!« she yells into the receiver.

»Hey, brilliant! Congratulations!« says Anna. »Does Billi know?«

»No, I wanted to...

Über Autor(innen)

Dagmar Hoßfeld wollte als Kind Tierärztin, Bäuerin oder Gestütsbesitzerin werden. Dass sie sich anders entschieden hat, verdankt sie ihrem Sohn: Als er ungefähr ein halbes Jahr alt war, bekam sie Lust, ein Kinderbuch zu schreiben. Sie setzte sich an den Schreibtisch – und hörte mit dem Schreiben einfach nicht mehr auf. Zum Glück! Mittlerweile sind viele wunderbare Kinder- und Jugendbücher von ihr erschienen.
Geboren wurde Dagmar Hoßfeld 1960 in Kiel. Heute lebt sie in einem kleinen Dorf zwischen Ostsee und Schlei und hat, wie sie selbst sagt, den schönsten Beruf der Welt: Autorin.