Angloville

Program Reviews

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Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

First (but not last) time with Angloville

Angloville was a very enjoyable programme. My first time working with them was as a Native English speaker at an adult weekend programme near Warsaw, Poland. It was well organized and I did not feel nervous at any point. The coordinator had a complete schedule for the weekend and made everyone feel comfortable. The location allowed for easy socializing between the mentors and the participants. I enjoyed the games and group activities. It was very rewarding to help participants who were eager to speak English and learn as much as they could. The program helped boost my confidence as a native English speaking teacher. Not only did the participants learn, but also, I learned so much from fellow mentors. I would definitely consider joining ther programme again when my schedule will allow for it.

What was your funniest moment?
I found the group activities and games to be the most enjoyable.
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Lerato
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering in Poland

My experience with Angloville has been amazing, the participants were very cooperative and the programs were well organized. Seeing how this program impacted the participants was the greatest thing to witness.

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Nicholas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Was a lot of fun

The time spent here was amazing! Everyone was so friendly and so many funny stories and new friends made. I have recommeneded it to a lot of people already. I left with so much respect for the 3 countries I did it in: Poland, Hungary and Romania. The other teachers were friendly and adventurous and were keen to hang out afterwards. For people travelling by themselves it would make for a nice change of pace. The workload actually isn’t that bad if you are helping kids you find really friendly and fun and the days go past so quickly. You will be wishing for more days by the end of it. After just a week, people were crying by the end and the letters written were very touching. So many great memories made! The venues I stayed at were definitely much better than any hostel too!

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe the communication before program, it didn’t seem very professional.
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mc
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

English Teacher Speaking English

Last Spring with my retirement looming I decided that maybe what I needed was a retirement adventure. After all, every year for the last 52 (one way or another), when Fall came around I was starting school. And in the coming year, the fall of 2019, I would be starting... nothing. So I did a little research and came up with the perfect solo adventure.

I had heard of a program called Angloville, where native English speakers traveled to other countries to work with adults who wanted to improve their conversational English. Angloville has programs in several European countries but the country that captured my imagination was Hungary. Shortly before WWII my fathers family immigrated to the United States from Hungary; I had always wanted to see "The Old Country" so working with Angloville seemed like a great fit.

My trip to Hungary coincided with the first week of the new school year. I was too excited about my upcoming adventure to miss any of my old routines. I planned to fly to Budapest where I would spend a few days on my own and then meet up with the Angloville group and travel to the Varga Tanya Hotel in the heart of Hungary, near the Kiskunság National Park..

After a few days on my own I joined up with the Angloville volunteers and our fearless leaders Astrid and Kornél . The other volunteer English speakers were from Northern Ireland, Scotland, The US and South Africa. Early on in this adventure I knew I had found my people, funny, talented, kind, open hearted and irreverent, because of course, I am funny, talented, kind, open hearted and irreverent. The Hungarians were a bit more nervous at first, but soon they were open to the experience of living outside of their comfort zone.

During the week each native speaker was assigned one Hungarian to mentor. The mentoring would culminate with a 5 minute presentation, in English. Additionally the native speakers met with other Hungarians in a variety of sessions including one on one discussions and group activities. Each night ended with a good glass of wine and folks just sitting around chatting about life. Language camp, with wine, for adults, how could life get any better!

I was seeking an adventure to begin my retirement and that is just what I got. The Angloville program helped me kick-off this new phase of my life and blessed me with a host of new friends. I'm ready to go boldly into retirement and live my dreams. :)



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Edwin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great time

I did 3 programmes and they were awesome! To Help others is incredibly rewarding, these kids are eager to learn and it is a great opportunity to participate in their learning experience and impact their lives just by having conversations with them.
Thank you Angloville and Poland! I will see you next time.

What would you improve about this program?
A day off in the middle of the program would be amazing!
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Rosetta
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Connecting with Other Cultures

It was so amazing to connect with people from other cultures, to see the world from their point of view. Instead of just reading about world events I got to experience them up close and personal. Being a foodie I loved experiencing the centuries of food traditions from the making of cheese from goat and sheep milk to the timeless pierogie. My biggest aha moment came when I saw that the people in all these cultures loved, laughed, took care of their children, fell in love, and celebrated life like every one else on the planet, it became so clear that we are all one. No matter who you are, what you think, what color your skin is, what food you eat, or where you sleep we are all one. It was wonderful meeting people with whom I will be friends for rhe rest of my life.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The little sculptures in Hungary were a surprise. They are placed around the city in arbitrary locations and all of a sudden you'll be looking at a view and notice a cute little sculpture.
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Sylvia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Warsaw Ossolińskich ADULT. 25-31 August 2019

This was my first experience with Angloville, and I enjoyed it very much.

The programme was well organised and participants and volunteers were enthusiatic and motivated. The atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to participate again next year. The volunteers were of different ages (from their 20s to their 70s) and the participants had different levels of English (from basic to excellent knowledge); some were participating for the 3rd or 4th time, so they must get something out of it. The coordinators were also very friendly and they ensured smooth running of the programme. We were very lucky with the weather too. What else can I say - I think this all covers it, no? Besides, I think it's the quality and not the quantity of words that describe the experience.

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Jo
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Memorable experience

Angloville was a unique experience and lots of fun. The location of the hotel was beautiful and very peaceful. It was a 2 hour drive out from the city of Brno into the hills near the Slovakian border.
The highlight has to be making friends with the local Czech people who were delightful and so eager to learn it made the conversation classes a pleasure. Angloville provided excellent course materials and all the arrangements ran smoothly. The facilities in the hotel were satisfactory, though the menu was rather repetitive. Evenings were spent socialising together which included games, a campfire and live music.
The city of Brno was a real treat to explore and an opportunity to learn some of the local history and culture. I would definitely book another course next year.

What would you improve about this program?
Unfortunately the food at the hotel we stayed was very average, though typical of the region we were staying in.
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Jack
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An opportunity to meet other Native Speakers and learn about new countries.

Its important to remember that you are bringing the English language to them in context which includes your native culture, idioms, special usage of words from your country. It was a unique experience and really enjoyable to work with folks from another culture. I enjoyed every minute of it but it was not always easy work. You are, after all, in a teaching mode for many hours per day. We enjoyed one of the exquisite venues chosen by Angloville. This was a pre-WW1 Palace in the Country. Classes were held in the large rooms within the Palace. The food was plentiful and delicious and organized efficiently. Interaction with the mentorees was valuable and an opportunity to make life-long friends. I was very happy to have completed my first Angloville experience and hope to participate in a future group.

What would you improve about this program?
The social activities were spotty and not really a valuable interaction. These were not set up very well at our venue. I understand that this depends a lot on the individual coordinators.
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India
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Angloville, Junior Family Programme

Angloville was a truly awesome experience with loads of great people - participants, fellow volunteers and staff were all enthusiastic, excited to be there and super interesting people. The accommodation was nice enough, with comfy beds and plenty of food, and the countryside location was stunning. It helped that during the week I spent there, we were I credibly lucky with the weather! The programme as a whole was incredibly immersive and such a great way to get to learn more about Poland and Polish culture while working hard to give something back! I was lucky enough to have some amazing conversations with the Junior participants, and genuinely looked forward to speaking to them each day. Will definitely be coming back, for much longer next time!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would sign up for more programmes - one week is not enough!