Friday, 23 & Saturday, 24 April
FRIDAY
We met for breakfast at the usual time and quickly departed for our schools and the last day of classes, saying “good bye” to students and teachers, final shopping and then packing as we prepare to leave on Saturday morning.
There was a concert at the Catholic Church in the center of the city. Anna Buza and Susan, at teacher at List School, are part of the choral group. There was a visiting group from Austria who also sang.
Hotel Fáma is full because this is the weekend for the Agricultural Convention.
We had supper at Fisherman's.
SATURDAY
Breakfast was at the usual time of 7 am. Packed luggage was placed near the front door of Hotel Fáma in preparation for a 8 am departure for the airport. The luggage was loaded, good byes said to the hotel staff and we started the trip to the airport.
The good news is that we arrived at the airport and all of us were able to continue on the next phase of our journey.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Update from Hungary
22 April 2010Kedves,
It appears that the European airspace is now open. This morining there were over 400 planes in the air at 7 am. At the moment I believe all of us will be able to travel.
Yesterday was a nice day, but this morning there is light rain which might clear the air of some of the dust.
The adult classes have gone well. A total of 52 adult students signed up and 44 to 46 have attended all the lessons. The volunteers and students have bonded well and many of the students have asked me for the dates when the next team will be here and will be contacting city hall very soon to sign up.
The volunteers have done such an outstanding job!!!! Please find me at 10 to 12 volunteers for each of the next teams this fall!!!!
One of the students is a friend of Rita's father and he and his daughter have been attending the classes and Rita has told me how pleased they are with the classes. The mayor has accepted my offer to give English lessons to employees of Municipality during working hours which we will start in Sept. In the past he has required them to come to class after the normal work day. This is an example of the increasing degree of acceptance of what we are doing in and for the community.
There are many more stories of a positive nature to report, but I must now go to class with students who I enjoy being with very much and it is a mutual feeling. The students in this class have been so responsive to interacting with me.Ok, story time is over for now.
Take care and I expect to be back in the States on Saturday.
Best wishes,
Milt (Hungary Team Leader)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Another Day of Teaching, Culture & Delicious Food!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “You must strive for a quiet mind. If the eyes are perpetually restless, they cannot appreciate a beautiful object set before them; they glance this Way and that, and so fail to discern the subtlety of the object’s form and color. Equally, if the mind is perpetually restless, distracted by a thousand worldly concerns, it cannot apprehend the truth.” - St. Basil the Great (329-79)
At our bountiful breakfast this morning, we had the additional choice of tasty scrambled eggs. Over conversation, some implied that that sweet, quiet Lee could, on occasion, manifest a strong temper. After packing our lunches, we walked through a light rain to our individual classes.
Peggy said her classes were abbreviated because had swimming and the pool was some distance away. Lee had additional classes combined with her own after a regular teacher fell ill. Kathleen engaged her classes in a variety of conversations. Patsy faced the quandary of having two strong speakers in an otherwise silent class.
Joan’s supervisor, Susan, presented her with yellow socks to match her sweater. Frank had “a heck of a time” with his students and passed up dinner to work with one of them. John, in one of his classes , learned the Hungarian word for “whistle” and ended the hour conducting a chorus of whistlers!:)
In addition to their morning classes, Terri (the music teacher), Patsy and Mary Martin are team teaching. Today, they worked with the topic of Travel: Departure, Flight, Arrival – acquiring passport and visas, clearing Security and then Customs, meeting one’s needs while on the plane and collecting one’s baggage. Several had specific reservation for trips to Barcelona, Florida, and New York, so this is reality for them.
Milt traveled to the train station to purchase tickets for the six of us traveling to Budpest this weekend.
At 1500, Milt led a small group of us to the studio of the master potter, Ambrus Sandor, a world famous artist. It was breathtaking to witness the creative process to see in action lumps of clay being transformed into a bowl or a candle holder. Joan was so absorbed by the activity that she donned an apron, immersed her hands in the clay, and proceeded to shape a bowl!
From there we continued to our adult classes, followed by dinner at The Black Eagle. Cherry soup was the speciality, which made Terri’s heart sing, especially when Mary Martin offered Terri a second helping with her bowl. (1940’s cherry-flavored cough syrup had cured MM’s desire for cherries.) Plachinta was the grand finale, a chestnut kind of pureed pancake.
Departure was somewhat chaotic as three took off walking to the hotel, Joan was taking care of personal need, Milt joined Reta at a table with Dutch guests. Well, our crowd looks after each other, so Terri, Lee, Patsy, John and MM piled into one taxi – to the consternation of the bewildered driver who wanted to call a second taxi. We reassured him we were just “crazy Americans”, as he dubiously pulled away from the curb. We paid him two taxi fares, for no doubt, he was violating company policy, he reported his dilemma over this intercom, and he was good-natured about our U.S. American independence. “This is fun!” we all agreed, reverting momentarily to the behavior of our adolescent students.
All in in all, it was an eventful day!
Written by: John Doty
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “You must strive for a quiet mind. If the eyes are perpetually restless, they cannot appreciate a beautiful object set before them; they glance this Way and that, and so fail to discern the subtlety of the object’s form and color. Equally, if the mind is perpetually restless, distracted by a thousand worldly concerns, it cannot apprehend the truth.” - St. Basil the Great (329-79)
At our bountiful breakfast this morning, we had the additional choice of tasty scrambled eggs. Over conversation, some implied that that sweet, quiet Lee could, on occasion, manifest a strong temper. After packing our lunches, we walked through a light rain to our individual classes.
Peggy said her classes were abbreviated because had swimming and the pool was some distance away. Lee had additional classes combined with her own after a regular teacher fell ill. Kathleen engaged her classes in a variety of conversations. Patsy faced the quandary of having two strong speakers in an otherwise silent class.
Joan’s supervisor, Susan, presented her with yellow socks to match her sweater. Frank had “a heck of a time” with his students and passed up dinner to work with one of them. John, in one of his classes , learned the Hungarian word for “whistle” and ended the hour conducting a chorus of whistlers!:)
In addition to their morning classes, Terri (the music teacher), Patsy and Mary Martin are team teaching. Today, they worked with the topic of Travel: Departure, Flight, Arrival – acquiring passport and visas, clearing Security and then Customs, meeting one’s needs while on the plane and collecting one’s baggage. Several had specific reservation for trips to Barcelona, Florida, and New York, so this is reality for them.
Milt traveled to the train station to purchase tickets for the six of us traveling to Budpest this weekend.
At 1500, Milt led a small group of us to the studio of the master potter, Ambrus Sandor, a world famous artist. It was breathtaking to witness the creative process to see in action lumps of clay being transformed into a bowl or a candle holder. Joan was so absorbed by the activity that she donned an apron, immersed her hands in the clay, and proceeded to shape a bowl!
From there we continued to our adult classes, followed by dinner at The Black Eagle. Cherry soup was the speciality, which made Terri’s heart sing, especially when Mary Martin offered Terri a second helping with her bowl. (1940’s cherry-flavored cough syrup had cured MM’s desire for cherries.) Plachinta was the grand finale, a chestnut kind of pureed pancake.
Departure was somewhat chaotic as three took off walking to the hotel, Joan was taking care of personal need, Milt joined Reta at a table with Dutch guests. Well, our crowd looks after each other, so Terri, Lee, Patsy, John and MM piled into one taxi – to the consternation of the bewildered driver who wanted to call a second taxi. We reassured him we were just “crazy Americans”, as he dubiously pulled away from the curb. We paid him two taxi fares, for no doubt, he was violating company policy, he reported his dilemma over this intercom, and he was good-natured about our U.S. American independence. “This is fun!” we all agreed, reverting momentarily to the behavior of our adolescent students.
All in in all, it was an eventful day!
Written by: John Doty
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Positive First Day of Teaching!
Monday, April 12, 2010
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” - C Buddha
Our day began on an early note with an energizing breakfast provided by the wonderful staff at Hotel Fama. Milt made an announcement that we were all to meet back at the dining room area for a meeting at 1400 hours.
Each of us made ourselves lunches and proceeded to our respective schools:
Frank Dajka, Nemeth Laszlo and Josef Attilla. John Doty, Nemeth Laszlo Gymnazium es Alta Laqnos Ishola. Terri Hankins, Lizst Music School, 4-8th grades. Joan Himmes, Klauzal Gabor Elementary School 9-14 grades. Mary Martin Lane, Corvin Matyas Commercial and Technical Secondary School. Ji Lee, Varga Tamas Elementary School, 4-5-8th grades. Peg Scatterfield, St. Istvan Iskola, 4-8th grades. Patsy Welton, Eotvos Jozsef Secondary, 11,12,13,10 grades. Kathleen Yasumura, Hiszk Gregus Mate Member School, 9-14 grades.
Upon returning from our school experience, we attended the team meeting with Milt at 1400 hours at which time we wrote and discussed our three reasons for being in Hungary as volunteers. Each person’s reasons were grouped in the following manner:
•Learning about volunteerism
•Learning more about Hungary, its culture, language, and history
•Working with children
•Personal growth and development
Next, team members discussed characteristics of a good team. The following qualities were mentioned:
•Interdependence, tapping into each other’s riches
•Good communication, sharing, developing trust, honesty, respect
•Selflessness, sharing, generosity, consideration
•Self-care, humor, laughter
Mary Martin initiated the description of her day as she taught five classes with students ranging in ages 14-20 years. She related that she enjoyed her mentoring, gentle redirection and action-filled activities. Milt complimented her creative teaching strategies.
Patsy related her “lost and found” experiences in getting to her assigned school. She enjoyed her experience but asked Milt about strategies which might be attempted to overcome the shyness factor several students presented.
Peggy stated her introduction and singing strategies were implemented during her four classes for grades 4,5, 6, and 8.
Lee noted that she enforced simple situations and had students interact with each other in asking similar questions to one another in grades 4, 5, and 8.
Frank related that it felt like “old home week.” He noted that three of his classes were great, but his fourth class was a challenge with discipline issues.
John noted that all of his students and classes were great. He said that his teaching experience went well. However, he did inform us of his directional confusion difficulties in finding his way back to Hotel Fama.
Kathleen related her teaching experiences at the Gregus Technical (Agricultural) School which were fine overall.
Joan stated that her first day went very well. Overall, the first day of teaching appeared to be a positive experience for all.
Written by: Kathleen Yasumara
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” - C Buddha
Our day began on an early note with an energizing breakfast provided by the wonderful staff at Hotel Fama. Milt made an announcement that we were all to meet back at the dining room area for a meeting at 1400 hours.
Each of us made ourselves lunches and proceeded to our respective schools:
Frank Dajka, Nemeth Laszlo and Josef Attilla. John Doty, Nemeth Laszlo Gymnazium es Alta Laqnos Ishola. Terri Hankins, Lizst Music School, 4-8th grades. Joan Himmes, Klauzal Gabor Elementary School 9-14 grades. Mary Martin Lane, Corvin Matyas Commercial and Technical Secondary School. Ji Lee, Varga Tamas Elementary School, 4-5-8th grades. Peg Scatterfield, St. Istvan Iskola, 4-8th grades. Patsy Welton, Eotvos Jozsef Secondary, 11,12,13,10 grades. Kathleen Yasumura, Hiszk Gregus Mate Member School, 9-14 grades.
Upon returning from our school experience, we attended the team meeting with Milt at 1400 hours at which time we wrote and discussed our three reasons for being in Hungary as volunteers. Each person’s reasons were grouped in the following manner:
•Learning about volunteerism
•Learning more about Hungary, its culture, language, and history
•Working with children
•Personal growth and development
Next, team members discussed characteristics of a good team. The following qualities were mentioned:
•Interdependence, tapping into each other’s riches
•Good communication, sharing, developing trust, honesty, respect
•Selflessness, sharing, generosity, consideration
•Self-care, humor, laughter
Mary Martin initiated the description of her day as she taught five classes with students ranging in ages 14-20 years. She related that she enjoyed her mentoring, gentle redirection and action-filled activities. Milt complimented her creative teaching strategies.
Patsy related her “lost and found” experiences in getting to her assigned school. She enjoyed her experience but asked Milt about strategies which might be attempted to overcome the shyness factor several students presented.
Peggy stated her introduction and singing strategies were implemented during her four classes for grades 4,5, 6, and 8.
Lee noted that she enforced simple situations and had students interact with each other in asking similar questions to one another in grades 4, 5, and 8.
Frank related that it felt like “old home week.” He noted that three of his classes were great, but his fourth class was a challenge with discipline issues.
John noted that all of his students and classes were great. He said that his teaching experience went well. However, he did inform us of his directional confusion difficulties in finding his way back to Hotel Fama.
Kathleen related her teaching experiences at the Gregus Technical (Agricultural) School which were fine overall.
Joan stated that her first day went very well. Overall, the first day of teaching appeared to be a positive experience for all.
Written by: Kathleen Yasumara
Monday, March 8, 2010
Letters from Hungary
Here are 8 emails that have been received from students in Hodmezovasarhely. Their teacher, Anna, is a very gifted, qualified and experienced teacher who is able to motivate her students. Through the years Anna and I have team taught these students. For students to write these emails it requires a level of confidence, encouragement and permission to succeed. As volunteers we can be an important catalyst in their learning process and development.
Each student has received an personal response from me.
I hope you will join us in Hodmezovasarhely and contribute to the educational development of the students. I always feel that they “give me so much more than I give them” and being with these students is a very rewarding experience.
Milt Diehl
Volunteer Team Leader
Dear Milt!
Hódmezõvásárhely is a beautiful city. Vásárhely is a city with a county right. I think this city is the 2nd largest city in the county. The summer is very hot in the plain but the winter is very-very cold. Hódmezõvásárhely isn't a very exciting city but the park is very quiet and peaceful. There isn't heavy traffic and it's good. The Németh László Grammar and Primary School is the best school in the city (I think). The teachers are very beloved. I love that school.
Dear Milt,
My name is Patrícia and my best friend is Vivien. I'm writing this e-mail with her. How are you today? When are you coming back? In here the weather is very good because the sun is shining. We are looking forward to see you. That's useful for us because it's prove us English. Please write.
Best wishes,
Patrícia and Vivien
Dear Milt,
We are Lili and Berta and we study at Nemeth Laszlo Gimnazium (NLG). We are happy when you visit Vasarhely, because we can practice English talking and we can get to know American habits. We like listening to their stories about their families, their jobs, their hobbies, their pets, because these are very interesting for us and we can tell stories about our things. When you are here, we have a big challenge, because when you talk to me, the teacher doesn't say everything to me in Hungarian so we must understand what you say to us.
Best Wishes,
Lili and Berta
Dear Milt,
My name is Krisztina and my friend is Luca . I'm writing this e-mail with her. How are you today? What's the weather like there? In here the weather is very cool because the sun is shining. The school is very hard and boring. When are you coming back? We are looking forward to seeing you. That's important for us because you improve our English, we learn about your family and your life. Please tell the other volunteers to come to Hodmezovasarhely and enjoy teaching and the swimming pool, the potter house and the spring weather.
Best wishes,
Krisztina and Luca:)
Dear Milt!
I have to say thanks for you, because we could learn hard and boring grammar, but we're now in a IT room. There are a lot of answers for your question but I'll to write short. First and most importantly we can learn English from people who have spoken this language all their lives. It's important, because our pronunciation is very...bad. Second, we can learn interesting things about very different themes. You always tells us about your work, family, and your hobbies, and we're usually very interested. And at least we do not have to learn boring grammar and vocabulary. And well, it's very important for us.
Daniella
Dear Milt,
We are Zsolti and Miki from Németh László School. We were very happy when we heard that we can write about volunteers. We think that speaking with a foreign volunteer is much better than speaking to a Hungarian teacher because the Americans have much better pronunciation and we can learn many new words as well. It was very great when we spoke about a volunteer's experiences and we got to know a lot about the United States. What is more, the volunteers can see Szeged, a beautiful city in the area, which has a fantastic atmosphere.
Best wishes,
Miki and Zsolti
Dear Milt!
We are so happy and welcome to Hódmezõvásárhely! We enjoyed your last visit, it was really funny! We learned something from all Volunteers. The beach here is very good, the water is warm :D When you come here, days are going much faster in school and its very good! :) The weather in here is a bit warm! :) Have a good day!
Bence
Welcome to Vásárhely Milt. We are very happy. It will be a very good experience. We learned something for all the Volunteers. I hope you will enjoy the flight. See you in April.
Mikjl
Each student has received an personal response from me.
I hope you will join us in Hodmezovasarhely and contribute to the educational development of the students. I always feel that they “give me so much more than I give them” and being with these students is a very rewarding experience.
Milt Diehl
Volunteer Team Leader
Dear Milt!
Hódmezõvásárhely is a beautiful city. Vásárhely is a city with a county right. I think this city is the 2nd largest city in the county. The summer is very hot in the plain but the winter is very-very cold. Hódmezõvásárhely isn't a very exciting city but the park is very quiet and peaceful. There isn't heavy traffic and it's good. The Németh László Grammar and Primary School is the best school in the city (I think). The teachers are very beloved. I love that school.
Dear Milt,
My name is Patrícia and my best friend is Vivien. I'm writing this e-mail with her. How are you today? When are you coming back? In here the weather is very good because the sun is shining. We are looking forward to see you. That's useful for us because it's prove us English. Please write.
Best wishes,
Patrícia and Vivien
Dear Milt,
We are Lili and Berta and we study at Nemeth Laszlo Gimnazium (NLG). We are happy when you visit Vasarhely, because we can practice English talking and we can get to know American habits. We like listening to their stories about their families, their jobs, their hobbies, their pets, because these are very interesting for us and we can tell stories about our things. When you are here, we have a big challenge, because when you talk to me, the teacher doesn't say everything to me in Hungarian so we must understand what you say to us.
Best Wishes,
Lili and Berta
Dear Milt,
My name is Krisztina and my friend is Luca . I'm writing this e-mail with her. How are you today? What's the weather like there? In here the weather is very cool because the sun is shining. The school is very hard and boring. When are you coming back? We are looking forward to seeing you. That's important for us because you improve our English, we learn about your family and your life. Please tell the other volunteers to come to Hodmezovasarhely and enjoy teaching and the swimming pool, the potter house and the spring weather.
Best wishes,
Krisztina and Luca:)
Dear Milt!
I have to say thanks for you, because we could learn hard and boring grammar, but we're now in a IT room. There are a lot of answers for your question but I'll to write short. First and most importantly we can learn English from people who have spoken this language all their lives. It's important, because our pronunciation is very...bad. Second, we can learn interesting things about very different themes. You always tells us about your work, family, and your hobbies, and we're usually very interested. And at least we do not have to learn boring grammar and vocabulary. And well, it's very important for us.
Daniella
Dear Milt,
We are Zsolti and Miki from Németh László School. We were very happy when we heard that we can write about volunteers. We think that speaking with a foreign volunteer is much better than speaking to a Hungarian teacher because the Americans have much better pronunciation and we can learn many new words as well. It was very great when we spoke about a volunteer's experiences and we got to know a lot about the United States. What is more, the volunteers can see Szeged, a beautiful city in the area, which has a fantastic atmosphere.
Best wishes,
Miki and Zsolti
Dear Milt!
We are so happy and welcome to Hódmezõvásárhely! We enjoyed your last visit, it was really funny! We learned something from all Volunteers. The beach here is very good, the water is warm :D When you come here, days are going much faster in school and its very good! :) The weather in here is a bit warm! :) Have a good day!
Bence
Welcome to Vásárhely Milt. We are very happy. It will be a very good experience. We learned something for all the Volunteers. I hope you will enjoy the flight. See you in April.
Mikjl
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A Special Message from Fanni
The following is written by Fanni who is a serious and highly motivated 16 year old student who is very interested in improving her English abilities. She has found interacting with Volunteers very helpful. Three of her classes are taught in English by very capable Hungarian Teachers who also teach English.
But it is true, and the volunteers' are so kind and helpful that the local people, student’s and teacher’s want to be helpful to the volunteers and talk and meet with them. I am glad to know many volunteers.
Speaking with the volunteers always makes me happy. They are very attentive so the problem due to the lacks in my English knowledge is surmounted. That is the very first reason why I felt in love with this feeling given by the conversation of English speakers.
Besides they are really, really nice, they are always smiling, and have a good sense of humour The continuous speaking taught me many things. First of all how to speak in English in an clear way and speed with correct accent. Moreover my listening comprehension has improved, and I always learn new words, expressions which are useful. I really enjoy all the time what I spend with them, their calm takes me over then, and thinking in English works out, better expressions come to my mind and the speaking becomes more immediate. I enjoy this state. And when it comes during the lesson, it is fantastic. However, we have teachers who speak and teach in English well, it is not the same. A lesson with native English is always a great fun. We have a certain vocabulary in certain subjects, but the natives always have more to show us. The way they speak is very enjoyable, and their personality always give the final spice for it.
Left to right: Beni (a friend of Fanni), Oonagh (a Global Volunteer), and Fanni.
The town has many nice places which are worth visiting, knowing the background, the history of them. The students like the lessons with volunteers because they always have interesting topics to talk about and funny game, and we can talk about serious ones as well, so it is a great fun. Studying by playing. Furthermore, the students do not have to study for those lessons, only bring their knowledge and attention and the lesson is going to be much better than any before with the official teacher. The programs are useful and interesting.
I like the story, about a volunteer who did not believe that she could hold a lesson. But the time came and after the lesson she went to the Team Leader and told him, that she thought that ' I can do this now and I like it'. Well, we are people as well, and we will not value the performance, we just want to know people by the help of an other language, and have a good conversation. The most important is to be self-confident and talk about something interesting, what you think to be interesting for the certain age group. The evening lessons are the same: calm conversations about a topic which everyone is interested in, questions, and feeling good all the lessons long and after them as well.
A very interesting and good part of those lessons is when we teach something in Hungarian to the volunteers, like 'puha' (soft). OK, Hungarian is a hard language, but we like their first pronunciation. Later they become better, and more clear.
Me, a student, who tries to keep in touch with the volunteers, can not say other, just to come here and have fun with the locals. It is a good feeling, I think, to be on almost the contrary part of the Earth, or I will feel it when I will be in the US, but it can be just good. I have spoken with many volunteers but I do not remember any, who would have told they did not enjoyed here.
Fanni, an enthusiastic student
- Milt Diehl, Volunteer Team Leader
Fanni—front row lower right in a Geography class being taught by Volunteer Ann Marie Cox in English. Fanni is very intently listening to the lecture. The students had already studied the topic when it was taught in Hungarian (magyar) and now they are hearing the same information in English and learning new vocabulary.
Fanni—front row lower right in a Geography class being taught by Volunteer Ann Marie Cox in English. Fanni is very intently listening to the lecture. The students had already studied the topic when it was taught in Hungarian (magyar) and now they are hearing the same information in English and learning new vocabulary.When I first met the Volunteers the question was why right here, why to Hódmezõvásárhely? And the answer was really surprising: because in Hungary this is the only town where they are invited to. My reaction: how can it be that such good people are invited only to one place in the whole country? I could hardly believe it.
But it is true, and the volunteers' are so kind and helpful that the local people, student’s and teacher’s want to be helpful to the volunteers and talk and meet with them. I am glad to know many volunteers.
Speaking with the volunteers always makes me happy. They are very attentive so the problem due to the lacks in my English knowledge is surmounted. That is the very first reason why I felt in love with this feeling given by the conversation of English speakers.
Besides they are really, really nice, they are always smiling, and have a good sense of humour The continuous speaking taught me many things. First of all how to speak in English in an clear way and speed with correct accent. Moreover my listening comprehension has improved, and I always learn new words, expressions which are useful. I really enjoy all the time what I spend with them, their calm takes me over then, and thinking in English works out, better expressions come to my mind and the speaking becomes more immediate. I enjoy this state. And when it comes during the lesson, it is fantastic. However, we have teachers who speak and teach in English well, it is not the same. A lesson with native English is always a great fun. We have a certain vocabulary in certain subjects, but the natives always have more to show us. The way they speak is very enjoyable, and their personality always give the final spice for it.
Left to right: Beni (a friend of Fanni), Oonagh (a Global Volunteer), and Fanni.The town has many nice places which are worth visiting, knowing the background, the history of them. The students like the lessons with volunteers because they always have interesting topics to talk about and funny game, and we can talk about serious ones as well, so it is a great fun. Studying by playing. Furthermore, the students do not have to study for those lessons, only bring their knowledge and attention and the lesson is going to be much better than any before with the official teacher. The programs are useful and interesting.
I like the story, about a volunteer who did not believe that she could hold a lesson. But the time came and after the lesson she went to the Team Leader and told him, that she thought that ' I can do this now and I like it'. Well, we are people as well, and we will not value the performance, we just want to know people by the help of an other language, and have a good conversation. The most important is to be self-confident and talk about something interesting, what you think to be interesting for the certain age group. The evening lessons are the same: calm conversations about a topic which everyone is interested in, questions, and feeling good all the lessons long and after them as well.
A very interesting and good part of those lessons is when we teach something in Hungarian to the volunteers, like 'puha' (soft). OK, Hungarian is a hard language, but we like their first pronunciation. Later they become better, and more clear.
Me, a student, who tries to keep in touch with the volunteers, can not say other, just to come here and have fun with the locals. It is a good feeling, I think, to be on almost the contrary part of the Earth, or I will feel it when I will be in the US, but it can be just good. I have spoken with many volunteers but I do not remember any, who would have told they did not enjoyed here.
And sorry for the mistakes. I will work on improving, and I will work on it during speaking with you and writing you as well.
Fanni, an enthusiastic student
Friday, June 5, 2009
Join Milt in Hungary!
Are you looking for a Global Volunteer Service Program where:
*the students are eager to learn and want to speak to a “native English speaker.”
*the teachers want your help and work with you
*you have the opportunity to teach adult students
*there is the potential to live in the community and learn first hand about the life of the people
*the hotel staff treats you like “family”
*the Mayor of Hodmezovasarhely is your host and provides support for the team.
* when at the end of the two weeks you might be saying “can I stay longer?”
Then the Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary site is for you. The following is based on my experience after having lead seven (7) teams to this site and just before leaving to lead the eighth (8th) team.
The service program in Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary is very rewarding. The focus of the program is to teach conversational English. Our “students” range from elementary school children to adults. We meet the needs of the students and community by having conversations with them in English. We have the opportunity to live in the community and interact in very meaningful ways with the citizens in Hodmezovasarhely.
The students look forward to having the volunteer’s come to their classes. The English language teachers in Hodmezovasarhely are excellent. Having stated that fact it is also important to the students to have a “conversation with a native English speaker” and it demonstrates to them that they can communicate in English. With these students the learning curve is very positive and the progress that they are able to make is amazing. Our being in the community motivates students, builds self-esteem, and confidence.
One of our “adult students” owns a local restaurant with her husband. Her progress in learning English has been great. She now comes to our table to take orders with ease and with pride in English. When I first meet her in February 2005 we frequently needed a translator.
*the students are eager to learn and want to speak to a “native English speaker.”
*the teachers want your help and work with you
*you have the opportunity to teach adult students
*there is the potential to live in the community and learn first hand about the life of the people
*the hotel staff treats you like “family”
*the Mayor of Hodmezovasarhely is your host and provides support for the team.
* when at the end of the two weeks you might be saying “can I stay longer?”
Then the Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary site is for you. The following is based on my experience after having lead seven (7) teams to this site and just before leaving to lead the eighth (8th) team.
The service program in Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary is very rewarding. The focus of the program is to teach conversational English. Our “students” range from elementary school children to adults. We meet the needs of the students and community by having conversations with them in English. We have the opportunity to live in the community and interact in very meaningful ways with the citizens in Hodmezovasarhely. We are invited by the Mayor’s Office and are provided a host coordinator to assist us during our time in the community. There is a real need in this community to teach conversational English. Many adults come to the classes because they need to improve their English skills because of requirements at work.
The students look forward to having the volunteer’s come to their classes. The English language teachers in Hodmezovasarhely are excellent. Having stated that fact it is also important to the students to have a “conversation with a native English speaker” and it demonstrates to them that they can communicate in English. With these students the learning curve is very positive and the progress that they are able to make is amazing. Our being in the community motivates students, builds self-esteem, and confidence.
One of our “adult students” owns a local restaurant with her husband. Her progress in learning English has been great. She now comes to our table to take orders with ease and with pride in English. When I first meet her in February 2005 we frequently needed a translator. Frequently teachers, and students, will seek us out after class and want to have a conversation because they learn so much by speaking to a native speaker. Personally I believe that the interaction we have with the teachers is very important because as they learn from us they will share this information with their students for years to come.
So, in answer to the question “what can be accomplished in two weeks” the answer is much more than you might first believe. One becomes aware of the positive impact of our Service Program only after making return trips and being with the same people a number of times.
We stay at the Hotel Fama which is a very nice hotel. The rooms are very pleasant. Many of the hotel staff speak English. All of the staff are very nice people and they will go out of there way to make our stay comfortable. We will eat breakfast at the hotel and some of our evening meals. There are a number of very nice restaurants in the city which serve very good food, extremely large portions, and we will have an opportunity to eat at a number of them during our program.
Some video clips of the Hodmezovasarhely Service Program are on “youtube” and they can be accessed on the Global Volunteer Hungarian home page or by clicking on the following url: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlobalVolunteers
This is being written as we prepare for the April to May 2009 team and the following is an excerpt the newsletter that has been sent to team members:
Our host representative from the Municipality, and a teacher who I have worked with since Feb 2005, are in the process or arranging our teaching assignments. At this time I do not have all the detailed information, but we will be teaching in schools ranging from elementary to high school, and possibly the technical schools in the morning hours. Then we will have the opportunity to meet with adults in the late afternoon and help them practice conversational English. Some of these students have been attending these free English conversation lessons since they were started in February of 2006.
Meeting and interacting with the school children is always a joy, but it is during the adult lessons that we are able to interact with and gain a greater insight into the community and lives of the people. Many of the adult students come to our classes in order to help them prepare to pass an English competency which they need to advance in their employment. Our teaching activities are designed for us to be of service to the community and support “our students” in their endeavors.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GlobalVolunteers
Frequently volunteers seek resources that will allow them to learn a few words in magyar (Hungarian) before the trip. This is a good idea if you are so inclined. Hungarian is a language that kind of “stands alone” even though there is some relationship with Finnish. At the following website http://www.byki.com/ are FREE programs provided by Transparent Language that can be downloaded and used to learn some basic words in a number of languages. Click on download and when the list appears click on Hungarian and proceed with the download and install process. I believe that the free program is adequate for those who will be onsite for just two weeks. Neither Global Volunteers or I have any association with Transparent Language and this information is being provided as a resource to you as preparation is made for the trip.
Please contact a Volunteer Coordinator and if you want more information they will provide you with information on how to contact me directly.
Looking forward to seeing you in Hodmezovasarhely.
Milt Diehl
Volunteer Team Leader
So, in answer to the question “what can be accomplished in two weeks” the answer is much more than you might first believe. One becomes aware of the positive impact of our Service Program only after making return trips and being with the same people a number of times.
We stay at the Hotel Fama which is a very nice hotel. The rooms are very pleasant. Many of the hotel staff speak English. All of the staff are very nice people and they will go out of there way to make our stay comfortable. We will eat breakfast at the hotel and some of our evening meals. There are a number of very nice restaurants in the city which serve very good food, extremely large portions, and we will have an opportunity to eat at a number of them during our program.
Some video clips of the Hodmezovasarhely Service Program are on “youtube” and they can be accessed on the Global Volunteer Hungarian home page or by clicking on the following url: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlobalVolunteers
This is being written as we prepare for the April to May 2009 team and the following is an excerpt the newsletter that has been sent to team members:
Our host representative from the Municipality, and a teacher who I have worked with since Feb 2005, are in the process or arranging our teaching assignments. At this time I do not have all the detailed information, but we will be teaching in schools ranging from elementary to high school, and possibly the technical schools in the morning hours. Then we will have the opportunity to meet with adults in the late afternoon and help them practice conversational English. Some of these students have been attending these free English conversation lessons since they were started in February of 2006.
Meeting and interacting with the school children is always a joy, but it is during the adult lessons that we are able to interact with and gain a greater insight into the community and lives of the people. Many of the adult students come to our classes in order to help them prepare to pass an English competency which they need to advance in their employment. Our teaching activities are designed for us to be of service to the community and support “our students” in their endeavors.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GlobalVolunteers
Frequently volunteers seek resources that will allow them to learn a few words in magyar (Hungarian) before the trip. This is a good idea if you are so inclined. Hungarian is a language that kind of “stands alone” even though there is some relationship with Finnish. At the following website http://www.byki.com/ are FREE programs provided by Transparent Language that can be downloaded and used to learn some basic words in a number of languages. Click on download and when the list appears click on Hungarian and proceed with the download and install process. I believe that the free program is adequate for those who will be onsite for just two weeks. Neither Global Volunteers or I have any association with Transparent Language and this information is being provided as a resource to you as preparation is made for the trip.
Please contact a Volunteer Coordinator and if you want more information they will provide you with information on how to contact me directly.
Looking forward to seeing you in Hodmezovasarhely.
Milt Diehl
Volunteer Team Leader
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