Hi everyone!

Hi everyone!
This week was like any other week in our busy Ulpan, packed with a variety of students from all different places. We have students from Holland, Italy, Germany, France, Canada e.t.c.
I am obliged to remark that it is simply delightful to host here all these people. I like to chat with them and listen to their stories and about the things that we have in common between our cultures and not. I really enjoy hearing what they think about us and what they like about Israel.
Every one of our students has a unique story. As teachers we are in the position to relate to and use their life experiences as part of our teaching strategy to figure out their learning styles. How they relate to themselves and their self image, really effects how they are able to learn Hebrew.
I believe that a positive learning experience is the key to success! On this basis, if a student comes to our Ulpan at the age of 35 and in their school they had a negative learning experience this really effects how they approach learning afresh and often are inclined to feel like a failure.
We are in the position to change all of this. We can make a profound effect even with simple positive words of encouragement. We have the strength to give our students a new learning experience and change the way they look at learning anything new.
A student who leaves their class feeling positive about learning Hebrew also leaves positive about learning full stop and then, well then the sky is the limit!
Have a great week full of positive, encouraging words!

Saray

Hello everyone!

This week has been unusually wintery here in Israel. It's easy to get confused and assume that one is in Europe!
This week though was especially warm and pleasant though, here in our Ulpan. I really like the wintery atmosphere outside when it is so comfy inside and our teaching really pleases the students.
We had training for the teachers this week in Jerusalem. It was a lot of fun to travel abit and to have a change of atmosphere. It was also really nice to see the teachers in Jerusalem and to exchange stories about the differences in experiences in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It was interesting to speak about and see the personalities of the different students that come to study in Jerusalem as compared to the personalities of the students here in Tel Aviv.
The great thing to see was that how the style of the city and the life there really attracts people with a similar personality. With regards to Tel Aviv, I can say that our students are really like the city that never sleeps. They are practical and are looking to study the language fast but not just Hebrew rather the language of the Israeli people. They want to become Israeli with a real Israeli accent and to be able to control their lives here. I personally like the practical nature of our students here in Tel Aviv and I think that it is a healthy and correct way to approach the Hebrew language. For this reason I very much enjoy studying with them.
Over the past few days we have been celebrating the birthday of Eliezer Ben Yehuda and so I thought to read a little about him in order to learn things that I didn't know already. It was interesting to discover that Ben Yehuda added around 300 words to the language such as; pedestrian street, train e.t.c His life work really took off after his death and I think that we are also proof that his life's work was correct. I don't want to think what life would be like without a special language of our own!

Shabbat Shalom and of course a warm and healthy winter,

Saray

Hello!!

This week has been an especially busy week…. Lots of work.
I have a student who is herself a language teacher-she teaches Italian, thus the experience with her has been unique. It is very different to study with and to teach a teacher; their ways of thinking are different and yet similar to my way of thinking as a teacher. Studying with her is pleasant, the lessons flow smoothly and I am really enjoying our classes. I also enjoy hearing about a different culture. She has a very small dog that would never hurt a soul and she brings him to class where he sits with us and learns Hebrew!
Additionally I have a student from London with whom I have a really nice and natural connection. I discovered just how much passive knowledge can exist within us and how much the barrier to talk in public can prevent us from getting out and using Hebrew. With her, I really saw a process similar to blossoming.
Just like how a flower that closes at night begins to slowly open as the day creeps in, this also happened with my student. At the beginning she was very nervous and there was a need to break the language barrier slowly and carefully. And with a lot of courage, she broke the barrier and was a great success. I discovered a real flower. Her ability to master the language and vocabulary really impressed me.
The lesson that can be learnt here is that we must not judge our students on their first attempts at speaking. Rather we should give them a little time to open up and blossom which then gives us the chance to see the potential which is contained within.
Last week a good friend of mine got married which was very exciting and afterwards we got to spend the "Shabbat Chatan" in Tiberius, at the foot of the lake giving us breathtaking views.
And so until next time,
Shavua Tov,
Sarai