Our Refulingua teachers have been adapting to ‘the new normal’ by very quickly learning to use video conferencing technology for their teaching. In many cases, teachers are using Zoom on their mobile phones to teach, and coming up with innovative ways to use them to keep classes fun and interactive. Last week a new summer term of classes started, with classes at beginner – intermediate plus level. The beginner level class was overwhelmed with eager new learners, so much so that a new class was needed.
A 1-1 teacher, Hana, happily agreed to take on a new challenge and teach a group class using a new technology. As Hana was a teacher in Syria, she remarked that it was ‘her dream’ to teach classes of adults now that she in in the UK. Alongside the zoom class, each teacher runs a WhatsApp group to share links, homework and information with their students.
A new addition for this term is that Wala, our project assistant, is running a series of ‘conversation clubs’ for more advanced learners. This is an opportunity to chat freely in Arabic to develop fluency, and also to create a sense of community around the Refulingua classes.
by Katie Goldsmith, RefuLingua Project Manager
For more information about RefuLingua classes, visit www.bridgesforcommunities.com/refulingua or contact