Student Feedback

My experience at GLS

Jabari, 35, from United States – February 02, 2016

Stay: 6 woche, Course Start: 2015 , Accomodation:

Course

Teachers

Campus

Support by GLS staff

The Good & the Bad - what did you like best? What least?

Prior to enrolling at GLS, I hadn't taken any formal German language courses. On a scale of 1-10, I was definitely a One. So much so that I didnt even need to take the placement test. I really didn't know what to expect when I signed up. I knew it was a full immersion program, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. There were moments where I was completely lost. Times when I didnt know what my teachers were talking about. Moments where I felt they were presenting too much information that was "above our heads". But slowly the pieces started to fall into place. 5 weeks later and I am a lot more comfortable speaking in class as well as out in public.

Each teacher brings something different to the table, but they each emphasize speaking, and group work to help make the students feel more comfortable talking in front of people. After experiencing 6 different teachers over the course of 5 weeks, my observations are as follows:

The most effective teachers spoke the least.

They were polite, yet professionally distant.

Emphasized effective communication, yet focused on correct grammatical structure.

Spoke slowly.

Showed flexibility by adjusting their lesson plans to meet particular class needs as they arose.

Engaged in minimal informal conversations during classtime.

Encouraged problem solving amongst and between students.

Patient.

Good balance between individual and group work during class. (This was a surprise, as I found doing the work by myself before working with my partner really helped me to progress. However not every teacher employed this method.)

There were a few times when we were struggling as a class with understanding how to create a proper sentence structure (Dativ, Akkusitive, Nomitive). Certain teachers would continue with their daily lesson plans without adjusting to meet our needs and give us additional instruction. I didn't find this to be effective. It is in these moments when additional flexibility would have been appreciated. I reached this conclusion when other teachers would adjust their lesson plan in the middle of class and take the extra time to meet our perceived need. These moments proved to be the most benefical and effective. There were/are moments when we need our instructor to focus on the "how", and other moments when we needed them to focus on the "why". We as a class (me as an individual student), appreciated the teachers who picked up on this and adjusted accordingly.

My overall experience at GLS has been extremely positive. I did a lot of research when comparing which language school I wanted to enroll in. I believe I made the right choice.

Your recommendations for other students

Study every day for at least 30min. It will help.

Do your homework.

Speak up in class.

Ask questions.

If you don't like/understand the answer... ask again.

Encourage each other.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes or look "stupid".

Keep a positive attitude, even when you struggle or feel lost.

This is your education. Take responsibility for it.