I will probably never forget my first day at German Language Centre Blackrock in August 2013. It was a dry, sunny and warm day and I arrived there about 10 o’clock in order to start my six-week internship with Tim and his small team of German language teachers. Back then I studied English and French to become a teacher in Germany and I had to spend some time abroad in order to improve my English language abilities. I was so nervous and afraid at the start that after only a very short time, Tim succeeded in making me feel comfortable by providing me with some snacks in the office, giving me time to get used to everything and having lunch with me at Carysfort Park. I spent the next six weeks regularly attending all sorts of language classes from starter to advanced level and from primary school to adult group classes, teaching some of them on my own and doing smaller administration jobs. I enjoyed that time a lot – not just due to the variety of tasks I was able to get to know, but especially because I loved the familiar and relaxed manner of working there – a manner that, I am sure, not only teacher trainees but also German language learners enjoy when attending classes there!
I loved it so much that I returned for another six-week internship at GLC in August 2014 and I enjoyed coming back, feeling that I needed only five minutes to be part of the team again. I saw a lot of new faces in some classes and I met more old ones again. It proved that these learners had not stopped learning German with Tim and with the help of all the authentic German materials. Not only did I learn a lot about how to teach German to foreign language learners, I also got excellent inside tips on all sorts of Irish traditions and culture. After that second internship at GLC, I was sad to leave Ireland and Blackrock because it has become part of my character.
Since then I have spent countless Monday evenings imagining myself sitting at the back of Dark Horse Pub, eating finger food, drinking beer on tap and enjoying German-Irish, German-English and German-German conversations with lovely people on all sorts of cultural and intercultural topics. Every morning still, I have a coffee out of my GLC mug that Tim provided me with when I left and then I often see myself sitting in Tim’s office, pouring instant coffee into IKEA mugs and serving students biscuits in the morning. YOU definitely know what I am talking about! 😉
Dear Tim, dear GLC staff, keep on teaching German like this and I am sure that students are going to keep on enjoying learning German with you! Take care!
Lena