Hello! My name is Jennifer Sagar and I have been an ESL teacher
at Global Village Victoria (GV) almost since it opened five years
ago.
I taught English in Europe, Africa and Japan before returning
to Canada and settling in Victoria, a truly beautiful small
city. Living abroad and experiencing culture shock and language
challenges have given me an insight into the difficulties students
face as they live and learn in a foreign language.
I have always been impressed with the teaching staff at GV.
They represent a cross-section of our multicultural society.
Many speak a second or third language and almost all have lived
and worked overseas. I have never been in such a supportive
working environment. I really enjoy the helpfulness and friendly
teasing among the staff.
The students come mostly from Korea, Japan and Taiwan but there
is always an interesting variety of Mexicans, South Americans,
Europeans and even a few Middle Eastern students.
The students work together very well after some initial shyness.
Many of the classes discuss the unique cultural mix at GV. The
students love to hear about each others' countries and customs.
They particularly like talking about dating and relationships,
which makes for some very funny stories and discussions!
The classes are divided into a morning curriculum of grammar
and functional idioms, words and expressions, and an afternoon
focused on vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking/listening
activities (conversation).
The morning classes use grammar books. The emphasis, however,
is on
communicative skills. There are many fun activities and games
designed to stimulate discussion and prompt the students to
speak as much as possible.
The students spend much of the day asking questions, engaged
in serious
discussions and laughing a lot. Some close friendships are
formed and all the students grow during their time here.
The school property, right in downtown Victoria, has been recently
renovated. New carpeting and paint have given the school a
fresh look. The school itself is intimate (about 11 classrooms).
That limits the number of students and fosters a community feeling.
The students enjoy the small size and comment on the genuine
warmth and helpfulness of the staff. It is sad at the end of
the month when we say goodbye to people we have come to know
and care for.
GV is indeed like a village. I enjoy working here, interacting
with the
different people and cultures. I have great respect for the
difficulties the students face coming to live and study in a
strange country. The staff understand this challenge and offer
the students a safe place to make mistakes and improve. Students
often stay in touch and tell us they are very happy with their
decision to study at GV. They remember their experience fondly.
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