Why did you choose this program?
I chose to do Angloville as I love to meet new people, travel and learn about new cultures. I really liked the idea of helping non-native English students practice and gain confidence in speaking over a one week stay in a hotel.
I did 2 weeks of volunteering on Adult programs in Poland and it was a fantastic way to meet Polish students, eat Polish food and see more of the country that I would never normally go to in my travels. It was also a great week to meet other native English speakers who were also mostly traveling Europe like myself.
I was already in Europe at the time and found Angloville through the internet. Everything seemed very organized on their website and it did turn out to be a very efficient company to volunteer with.
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Angloville provides 1-week accommodation at a nice hotel (2 or 3 sharing a room) usually quite far away from the bigger cities in Poland and other nearby countries (plus transport to and from the hotel/city).
While on the program, they provide you with food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and water, tea and coffee. You just need to cover your flight costs to get to Poland, travel insurance, as well as your accommodation in the city before and after the program.
They also provide a city tour the day before the program starts, which was great to meet some of the other volunteers and learn about the Polish city!
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Enjoy the week and get to know as many of the volunteers and students as you can. It is such a great opportunity to meet people from many different backgrounds and you will surely make some friends for a lifetime along the way!
Have fun and give your knowledge of English to someone that will appreciate learning from you :)
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
At Angloville, the 6 days are long, but they are filled with many speaking and activity sessions that make the day go by really fast. You get the chance to speak English on a 50-minute one-on-one session with almost all the students, and on the adult program, we could socialize during the evenings.
Depending on which hotel you are at, there can be a pool, gym, sauna, spa, etc that you can use in your free time.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I guess I had a little fear of not knowing anyone before you participate in the program. However, you quickly realize the first day when you meet at the meeting point that everyone is super friendly and wanting to learn more about each other. From that point on, you will not stop talking!
The adult age groups were varied and its great to see the bonds between the volunteers and students throughout the week.
It was such a great experience to do Angloville and it's one that I will always remember! If you volunteer for just one week, you will definitely want to do another!
