Learning and teaching

I’m a teacher from Australia who is looking to semi-retire in a few years from now. I was able to take 3 months leave without pay from my college to mix some travel with volunteer work, doing what I love.

My two week program at the Excellence Centre has been exactly what I’d hoped for: the opportunity to meet and work with people from other parts of the world, who have either temporarily or permanently settled in Halle (Salle).

The team at the Excellence Centre is a great mix of people, working under the guidance of Rafat. Our shared breakfast every morning is warm and welcoming. Rafat’s cooking is delicious and completely different from what I’d usually have at home. The team of volunteers develop friendships over breakfast and discuss their day ahead. Plans are made for evenings and weekends.

Halle (Salle) is a beautiful city. I had planned to travel to Berlin for my weekends, but decided against it as there is so much to do, both here and in nearby Leipzig. The public transport system is efficient and many places of interest are within walking distance. There’s a lot of local and international cuisine to try and Halle has many coffee shops.

I have had the pleasure of working with a number of students: some teens on summer break; some young ones about to commence their university studies; and some young professionals seeking to develop their careers with yet another language. All had a high level of English already. These students were from various places: Syria, Palestine and Ukraine.

Sometimes my small groups met at the Centre and worked together there. Sometimes we visited our favourite cafes, to drink coffee and have conversations in less formal settings. Adult students know what they want to work on, so sessions can be student led. Most wanted English conversations but some also wanted to conference their essays and CVs. Interactive grammar activities from free online quiz websites were fun and lively. Students’ errors make for handy teachable moments. The Centre has wifi so we could use very short films for discussion. Students quickly began bringing their own YouTube clips for class

I chose Arabic as the language in which to receive some instruction as part of my program. It seemed to me to be a more useful language for my Australian context. I’m an absolute beginner. Ali was an excellent teacher. (Sh’kran, Ali) I now know a few greetings and useful phrases to use. I also learned a lot about the Arabic alphabet and culture.

I’d recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone who wants to spend time learning and teaching languages in less familiar surrounds. I’m sad to be finishing. I’ve really enjoyed my two weeks here. It’s been a very positive experience.

Thank you Rafat and your special team!