Student Feedback
The Monday After: Critical Feedback of Language Institutions from a post-Weekend Perspective
Mark, 23, from United Kingdom – September 02, 2013
Stay: 12 Weeks, Course Start: 2013 , Accomodation:
- Course
- Teachers
- Campus
- After class activities
- Support by GLS staff
The Good & the Bad - what did you like best? What least?
GLS provides a professional and clearly well thought-out environment within which to learn the German language. The teachers' insistence on using only German to explain new words and concepts, along with their consistent deployment of relevant outside cultural materials, such as newspaper articles or songs, not included in the textbook meant that the learning environment was much more wholistic, and therefore effective. My appreciation for the German language and my knowledge of German culture have both increased substantially as a result of my time at GLS.
However, two things prove ineffective, indeed detrimental to a point. The first is the lack of regular feedback on the student's learning progress. More short tests and quizzes, along with detailed feedback would ensure that the student is aware of his/her progress within the context of the larger group. Otherwise the risk is that the student is receiving only an opportunity to practice the German that they already know, maybe occasionally picking up a new concept here or there, rather than a systematic progression through the various levels.
The second thing is the variation in standards among the teaching staff. Both of my two regular teachers were excellent, but on the occasions when other members of staff had to cover for them, the disparity of GLS's teaching standards was made all too apparent. It is reassuring for the student to know that it is the institution that maintains high standards for all of its staff, and not just that several members of this staff are predisposed towards good quality education. This is particularly important for the reputation of a private institution such as yours.
Your recommendations for other students
- Attend as many of the programming events as possible. They are new and valuable opportunities to practice your German. The Tuesday seminars in particular act as another free German lesson per week.
- Maintain a vocabulary list, which you revise and learn from often. The best system might be to have a master vocabulary list at your apartment, to which you can add the new pieces learned and recorded during the day in some form of notebook.
- Attempt to speak very little, if any, of your mother-tongue. Force yourself to use German. Indeed especially force yourself to use terrible German and horrible body language in situations where what you are trying to say is complicated or when you know for certain that the other person speaks your own language.
