Short Term Volunteer Projects in Germany

I am Chaima, I came from the UK to teach English and learn German here in Halle, Germany. My aim when applying for this was to acquire more experience in teaching English abroad and attempting to improve my German by being in Germany and attending one-to-one lessons with a teacher. I was also very intrigued by Rafat’s approach in combining a language and community-led project both in Halle, Germany and in Hebron, Palestine.

Coming to the centre everyday was pleasure. Every morning, we would gather for with all the volunteers and have a typical Palestinian breakfast. I have really appreciated this welcoming tradition that set us well for our day. We would then all attend our respectful tasks of the day.

My experience in Halle has been diverse and culturally rich. I have enjoyed teaching different students from different backgrounds and discussing teaching methods and styles with the teachers and volunteers in the centre. The city of Halle is rich of its people, native of this city, and those who have moved and settled here. During my short time, I have been able to meet people from different countries in the Middle-East, each of them have a story and bring a stone to the edifice that is this place.

I have also had the privilege of observing the way the excellence centre operates. I have come to really admire the space that is given to the community here. The centre provides a safe place for students of all ages to get the help needed after school with teachers or/and other students of higher grades. This place builds a bridge between the newly settled communities and the school system. This truly can build their confidence and help them overcome any language barrier hindering them from excelling in their education.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weeks here in Halle and come out grown from this experience.

I had a really great time at Excellence Centre Europe and it was an amazing learning experience. Everyone was very kind to welcome me, and I really appreciated the daily communal breakfast. It was a brilliant way to get to know people at the centre at a deeper level, especially since our activities were largely individual. I had some truly wonderful conversations over these meals, and the food itself was also fantastic.

I was initially apprehensive about coming all the way to Germany from Singapore for this volunteering stint, but I am very glad I did so. I definitely do not regret coming here! Not only are the people great, the Excellence Centre has also set up a good system so that the volunteers, as well as the students, benefit from the experience. I really appreciate the chance to enter into the lives of the students here in Halle and to get to know them on a personal level. Most of my classes were centred around conversation, so I had many opportunities to learn about their lives and to briefly experience the world from their point of view. I definitely learnt a lot from my time at the Excellence Centre.

The Excellence Center in Europe is quite a unique place and it doesn’t really do it justice or even fit in terms of calling it a language school. It’s actually a cultural center where Arabic speaking students from a diverse number of countries including but not limited to Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and others come to learn English and teach the Arabic language to individuals from all over the world coming to the center. I studied German and taught English there for two months in the fall of 2021. My German classes were either private classes or with just one other student, focused on real world speaking skills, conducted both at the center and outside in town. My teacher was superb. The town of Halle is also a huge factor in making the overall experience here truly outstanding. Halle is a small city, but culturally rich, and drenched with the feel of both the old East Germany and pre World War 2 Germany. In addition, the city of Leipzig is only 45 minutes away by train and offers many of the amenities of much bigger cities such as Berlin, but without the hassles and downsides of huge cities.

My four weeks at the Excellence Center has been a very rewarding experience that will stay with me for a long time. I got the chance to meet wonderful people who are doing great things for their community. I have come to admire Rafat and his work in providing a safe space for people to come and learn English and also receive tutoring services. I have had the chance to be surrounded by people from the Arabic community that I would have never had in the United States, and I am really grateful for that.

I also had the chance to meet other volunteers, and in my free time I was able to travel and see other parts of Germany. This program is also a great way to gain some teaching experience and you are encouraged to make your own schedule with your students, so the atmosphere is really relaxed. At the same time, I also received German lessons in which I was able to brush up on what I already knew and learn a lot in real-life settings, not only in the classroom. Overall, I had a great time and I’m sad to leave so soon.

After 3 months volunteering at the Excellence Center in Halle (Saale), Germany, I can walk away confidently thinking it was worth it. During my stay in Halle I met such a diverse range of people; other volunteers, students, locals in Halle, and my very own English students. After spending 3 months in a place you are bound to make connections to it. For example, I made friends outside of the Center's immediate field and regularly went out to biergartens - a staple of anybody's life who decides to travel through Germany. Further, students invited me to family gatherings, cookouts, cultural events, and their homes. I'll never forget my students providing me with what are now some of my most precious memories. There is a real sense of adventure with this program, and I encourage all those applying knowing that you will need to be flexible and openminded. But if you don't mind a dynamic, at times slightly chaotic environment, and are looking for a great way to gain teaching experience, meet new people, and make a difference, I recommend this program. I am walking away with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my service has helped the Arabic community here in Halle (Saale), Germany.

I just completed a two-week program volunteering at the Excellence Center in Halle (Saale), Germany. This is a good program for anyone who is searching for an opportunity to experience learning and speaking German or Arabic. In this program, you teach about 2-3 classes a day, along with having language classes for either German or Arabic. You will also get the ability to speak the language, this area has speakers of both languages and many of the locals speak to the volunteers in these languages. The staff is very friendly too.

The Excellence Center in Halle is an great affordable volunteering opportunity for anyone interested in travelling and gaining teaching experience. Located in the center of the city, the EC allows volunteers to explore the East German city of Halle. English is spoken around the center, but there are many chances to learn and practice German.
The EC has great connections to the Arabic community in Halle. The city is about 250,000 people, but has a large Syrian community (probably around 5% of the city), after many refugees fled due to the war. Many Syrians need both English and German language skills in order to open up job prospects and integrate into Germany, and the Center helps them a lot in this regard.
Personally, I started volunteering in the EC as a resident of Halle in order to gain experience as a Language Teacher, which helped me in finding further work in other language schools and gain confidence as a teacher. However, I remain connected with the Center because of the great atmosphere at the place and because I was able to get paid work through the Center after I finished.

The Center is located in the city center, basically, which makes it really easy to get there - either by train or by foot. All the people at the Excellence Center, both the volunteers and the staff/teachers, are very friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is very nice and you get used to the place really fast. The relationship between teacher and student (both you and your student/students and you and your German/Arabic teacher) are great.
The students are very ambitious too. you get to know them pretty fast which makes it easier for you to prepare your stuff based on that. It’s about being creative yourself!

Regarding the city: Halle is a very beautiful and historical city with so much history and has a lot of interesting and high decorated buildings. Besides, it has many beautiful and huge parks which I will recommend you to experience yourself.

This experience is probably one of the best and memorable things that I’ve ever experienced in life!