You know what they say: if I tell you how good I am, you might be doubtful; if someone else says it, you will believe it!
Last Saturday, we invited Samantha (former secondary school French teacher) to the Academy to observe lessons and give us some feedback.
I was so astonished (and proud) by the report she wrote that I wanted to share it with you all!
So there it is:
‘The Vici Language Academy from Bartholomew Street, Newbury caters for all ages and abilities and I was mostly amazed by:
– Teachers’ passion and learners’ engagement
– A sociable and pleasant atmosphere in which to learn
The Infants… were obviously happy to be in the room. They all seemed to like the warm up games and activities, which recapped aspects of the language they were already familiar with. Some children seemed ‘off task’ at this point, but in keeping with the Vici’s ethos of French class being fun, they were gently cajoled into participation, rather than disciplined.
The Juniors… started their lesson by reading books in French. They were clearly very proud of their abilities, and were pleased at what they had achieved. The teacher was lively and enthusiastic, and this rubbed off on the students. They were confident with a grammar point that was explained to them, and even the youngest were able to complete the grammar exercise effectively.
I only spent a brief amount of time with the Teenage group…… but what I saw was great. They were able to work out some quite complicated questions in French. They were concentrating, and relaxed. The group atmosphere was supportive and they were encouraged to have a go.
The atmosphere in the adults’ group was amazing…… more like friends meeting for a coffee than a French class. I observed the initial half hour in which they engaged in a role play exercise with confidence and imagination. They were obviously very enthusiastic about the language and had an excellent rapport with the teacher.
Throughout the four lessons, what I saw was engaged learners being given freedom to learn by flexible, passionate teachers who were able to adapt their approach to learners’ individual needs. The atmosphere was that of a fun, sociable club rather than a stuffy classroom.’
If you too, would like to experience the above, give us a ring now on 0800 021 7181 or email learn@thevici.com