Volunteer and Learn German in Germany

It was a chilly December day when I came to Halle Germany. The center itself is located in a very convenient quite part of the city. It’s a small center but the atmosphere inside was very welcoming and comfortable. This was my first experience volunteering so I had very little expectations. But I had taught abroad before in Asia so I imagined it might be similar to that. I met Rafat and the other volunteer I would be working with as well as other local teachers and students. The first thing that we all did was have breakfast together. While eating and getting to know everyone I realized that this was a place very conducive to a community atmosphere that supported a multicultural environment.

I should tell you my reason for taking the trip and a little about myself. I’m from the US and I spent a decent amount of time studying abroad in Japan. Since then I’ve had a very different view of the world and all the people in it. When I felt like I had been in my home country for too long and needed a break I started looking for volunteer work. Some people like to travel the world and go sightseeing. While that is nice, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to enjoy myself as just a tourist. I really look for a sense of purpose in any kind of international traveling I do. I enjoy the opportunities to meet people in an international community and have meaningful experiences.

My time here at The Excellence Center has been short, sweet, and full of memorable experiences and people. I feel absolutely honored and humbled to have had the chance to get to know these people. What life has been like for them, their struggles and hopes for the future. From the volunteers to the refugees not a single one falls short of incredible. I definitely got what I was looking for and so much more. For instance, my views on a lot of things changed, like my perspective on Germany and the refugees in Germany. Rafat and his staff are superb, kind, and friendly. They are always so flexible and understanding you won’t meet many people like them that are so hard working and driven. I will definitely miss the center and all the people. I hope that in the future I will have a chance to work with them again and stay longer. I would recommend The Excellence Center to everyone.

The experience at The Excellence Centre was an unique one thanks to the people I met there. Even when teaching I was able to get to know interesting people, their stories and their view of the world. Besides, you get to know the lifestyle of people in Germany! That's something that just a trip for vacation can't achieve so easily.

Learning German at the Excellence Center was amazing. I had a native speaker teacher who guided me in the language by helping me with advice on trips, people in Germany and culture.

Students there were thankful of my work and, even though I went expecting to teach English, they found it interesting to learn my mother language: Spanish. It made me feel more relaxed and happy, and it showed me a challenge, for I had never taught Spanish. I even had to teach in German, which I don't speak so well, but helped me improve it, for students there speak it very well.

It's hard to do justice with a review by describing my experience as a volunteer at The Excellence Center as it was truly mesmerising.

My time spent at the Excellence Center, although very short, was amazing very much because of the people and staff I got to meet. Mahmoud, Rafat, Elisa and the students I worked with frequently over a span of a week were warm and they made me feel at home easily - I was glad to find out that the refugee students were enthusiastic about learning English and therefore, they participated actively during lessons. To add, I was most impressed by the tenacity of the students whom I met with - most of them are young (otherwise very young at heart!) and incredibly intelligent that it became such a pleasure to learn more about themselves, their families and aspirations.

From Day 1, the programme set out clear expectations for me and the level of involvement that I would be comfortable with as a volunteer. Aside from my main responsibilities (i.e teach English lessons), I was happy to learn that I would be participating in one of their social and cultural events - the evening turned out great with a lively crowd and that was my first time being able to mingle with many people of different native tongues; it was an eye-opener to see the local community coming together to converse in Arabic, German and English. Elisa, who taught me German had encouraged me to practice my language skills during the event and I was definitely motivated to continue on my learning journey after hearing from others about their own.

At the end of the week, I was able to join a friendly city tour organised by the staffs to explore the sights and history of Halle - that capped off my week on a very good note! Despite the short time I was around, I am grateful for the thoughtful consideration by Rafat and the rest of the center to plan the activities to ensure my time during the programme was well spent.

Not to forget, Rafat coordinated smoothly to match me with a local home. I can't forget how my host introduced me to her friends and graciously helped me practise German! She sat down on the couch and gave me a notebook to write some important words to learn :) As for food, I can't say enough how much I appreciated the breakfast meals as that saved time for me - I must say I miss the traditional Arabic breakfasts hugely now that I am back home.

Lastly, this was something I read about in another review for the programme and it actually proved true for me - the only thing I would change is to spend at least 2-3 weeks to be able to continue the rapport there.

I enjoyed the hospitality of the families, staff and people I met with and the efforts that I saw at the Excellence Center working with refugees who are settling their lives in Germany is truly inspiring.

I would definitely consider coming back in 2019.

As 2018 is coming to a close, I can look back, reflect, and confidently say that volunteering at the Center has been one of the best decisions I have made this entire year! First and foremost, the work I did was meaningful and impactful. I really felt that I got to know my English students on a personal level, and I learned a lot from them. In addition to this, my co-workers ended up being my good friends. We ate meals together, explored the city together, and I believe that the friendships I have made here are going to last a life time. Finally, my time here was made extra special by my host family. My host family welcomed me with open arms and I loved spending time with them and getting to know about their lives and their culture. It was all in all an amazing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys exploring, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures!

Hello, I am a second-year university student from the United States. At university, I study Arabic and I have always hoped of becoming involved in the refugee crisis. Therefore, when I found the Excellence Center program that offered me the opportunity to improve my language skills and tutor refugees, I could not resist coming to Halle.

From the moment I arrived in Halle, the workers and students at the Excellence Center have been more than welcoming. I was greeted at the train station by one of my students, who always has a smile on his face, and he took me to the center to meet Rafat. Rafat, the manager of the Excellence Center, has been incredible by organizing activities within Halle and making sure I feel as at home as possible while here.

Although I have had little experience in tutoring English, Rafat gave me a few guidelines on how to effectively tutor. The welcoming environment of the Excellence Center has made tutoring easier and not stressful. The most rewarding part of volunteering at the Excellence Center is the opportunity to meet so many people and hear each one of their stories. Each student that I have taught is resilient and has a passion to learn the English language. I have a lot of admiration for every individual I have met during my time at the Excellence Center.

As most would be, I was nervous about staying with a host family, but my host family welcomed me with open arms. Since I am a beginner at the Arabic language, and my host mom is a beginner in English, communication took a lot of effort, but communication was able to be accomplished. From making signals and noises, we were able to make our points, and being immersed in the Arabic language was a beneficial experience for me. Also, my host family introduced me to their other family members that live in Halle, as well as their friends. At night, we would even go walking around the center of Halle together.

Another incredible experience I was able to have while volunteering at the Excellence Center was meeting another family and going to their house for a home visit. There, the family graciously offered me sweets, bread, chicken, coffee, and anything else within their home that they could. As we sat together on their home sofa, they shared with me about how much they love Damascus, how they miss their real home, and showed me pictures of the city of Damascus too. Being able to hear their life stories and their dreams for the future was astonishing.

I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to work at the Excellence Center in Halle, met the incredible people who work and come to the center, that I have improved my Arabic skills, and been able to hear the stories of the people at the Excellence Center. In the future, I hope to come back to the Excellence Center and continue to tutor and visit with some of the students I had the opportunity to meet this year.