2 weeks Teaching English and Learning German

I spent two weeks at the Excellence Center and it was a wonderful experience. I wish I had stayed here for longer!
I took part in the Teach English and Study German programme, which was a great way of improving my German while simultaneously developing new skills as a teacher. Working closely with my Syrian and Ukrainian students allowed me to learn a lot about new cultures and the experiences of refugees in Europe. It was very rewarding to help students of all levels to converse in English, and to see their great improvement after only two weeks of working with them was very impressive. The majority of my students were enthusiastic and willing to learn from me, and we had a lot of fun in the lessons doing different English language exercises and games. I enjoyed creating lesson plans and learning how best to teach each specific student. We had a lot of freedom to format the lessons in whatever way we wanted. I also worked with one student online, who wrote some articles for me to read and correct, which were really interesting to read. Teaching English at the Center taught me to view language from a different perspective, and made me notice the nuances of English in a way which I have never previously experienced.
I chose the non-intensive German course, so I had a total of six German lessons with Muaz. He is possibly the best German teacher I have ever had. I really enjoyed these lessons, which helped to drastically improve my German. He gave us a lot of fun exercises and activities to do in class, which created a very comfortable and welcoming atmosphere where I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes while speaking German. These lessons were extremely beneficial and I learned a lot about different German dialects and slang words which I had not previously known about. Our lessons were also informative on wider topics such as the history and culture of Germany as we discussed current events and topical issues.
One of things I really enjoyed about coming to the Excellence Center was having the opportunity to get to know the city of Halle (Saale). The city is perfect to spend a few weeks in; the town centre is walkable with lots of interesting architecture, and there a lot of nice cafes, restaurants and bars. It also has a great public transport system which is very reliable. Here I lived with a Syrian host family, who provided me with a nice bedroom in their apartment.
My favourite thing about this programme was the ethos at the Center. From the day I arrived I felt welcomed and accepted by everyone. My other volunteers and staff at the Center truly began to feel like family, and I am sad to have to say goodbye to them! Having breakfast at the Center every morning was always a highlight of my day, as it allowed us to catch up and chat with everyone (while eating some really delicious food!). Rafat has been extremely accommodating and is always ready to help if you have any issues. I am also very grateful to Ali for introducing me to his circle of friends and other Erasmus students, who were all very kind people. I feel privileged to have met such interesting and bright people from around the world, with which I was able to create deep connections within such a short period of time!
Overall, I had an amazing experience at the Excellence Center and I would highly recommend for anyone who is interested in languages to come here. I really enjoyed studying German here, and I would definitely consider coming back (possibly to study Arabic!). I will never forget the unique experience I had here and all of the wonderful people I have met.