I was checking in with a student yesterday and it reminded me what makes VLLC a success! Language really matters and bridges the gap in all walks of life. Amelia’s language journey started when she realised that 20% of her dialysis patients were of Greek heritage with minimal English.  Amelia saw a need of patients not understanding medical processes and decided to act on it. She received a scholarship from the hospital where she works to complete a Certificate II in Applied Language in Greek. She has seen so many positive impacts with patient confidence and staff interaction. Some of the Greek patients are even teaching the other staff members simple greetings and words as this has become quite an exciting activity for the whole unit. As VLLC programs are individually based, her tutorials are able to be adapted to real life, practical scenarios which she can use in her work place. She has learned Greek with VLLC to benefit her Greek dialysis patients and it has proven to be a life-changing success! Thanks for sharing Amelia!

April is Thai month at VLLC! You might wonder, why April? The answer is that April is the month of Songkran festival, which is the Thai New Year festival. The festival usually starts on 13rd of April every year. This usually continues for a week (or more!) depending on where you are; the middle parts of Thailand tend to finish later on around the 25th.  Many people know of Songkran as a water festival, where people come out of their homes to have water fights on the streets. We use containers (e.g. a garbage can and a bowl), to hurl water at people. This helps us to stay cool in the middle of April, when the weather is hottest, and most humid. Water fights also provide a good opportunity for family members to have fun as a family.  When I was a child, I remember sitting and waiting for my cousins to arrive on the first day of Songkran, and wishing Songkran could last forever! Those were the days…

Marhaba, my name is Yasmin and I am the Arabic tutor at VLLC Melbourne. After five years of celebrating Ramadan on my own in Australia, I was so excited to spend it this year with my family in Egypt. 

Every year millions of Muslims around the world refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan. Fasting brings Muslims closer to God and reminds them of those who are less fortunate.  It makes us very grateful for what we do have. By refraining from the worldly desires such as food and drink, Muslims develop and strengthen their powers of self-control and self-restraint so that they can then apply it to their everyday life to bring about self-improvement.

If you are planning to visit Egypt in the future make sure you come during the month of Ramadan so you can enjoy the special atmosphere it has in the country.  Shukran, Yasmin.

The Royal Palace was larger than any I have seen in Russia (would you believe it) and we went into the oldest restaurant in the world which was founded in 1725.  The history of the place (Botin Restaurant) is amazing and its specialty is whole suckling pigs (I have a photo but didn’t want to offend anyone!!). ​But what amazed me the most was all the shops with jambon – Jamón Ibérico is considered the finest ham in the world.​

I love what I do! I work with wonderful people from around the globe, and I get to travel regularly. Ok, not physically, but through my students. The only people I know who get to travel to so many different places without having to live out of a suitcase, are my colleagues.

Somewhat vicarious some might say – wouldn’t you rather go there yourself? Sometimes yes, but it is really special being able to share a student’s journey - from a little idea or dream, to starting their course and then going, it is lovely to be a part of it.

As many of you may know, one of our French students recently bought his one-way ticket to France. He is now settling in in the heart of Paris, and this week, resumes his French course via Skype.

In a few weeks another student will get married in Greece and for the first time, be able to have some simple conversations with her new extended family.
 
In addition, every day I get to hear my wonderful tutors share their language and culture with our students-helping the dream become a reality.

So keep dreaming, keep travelling-I’m there!
Melinda, VLLC Melbourne
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Learning French gave me an international opportunity.

Travelling and working overseas is something that many Australians plan to do during their lifetime. However, few realise just how much easier their journey could be with no language barrier to overcome. Sydney dancer, Kirsty, is an example of an ambitious young Australian who learned a second language through the Vocational Language Learning Centre before heading overseas.    

Kirsty equipped herself with a self assured fluency in French to back up her dancing talents before travelling to Paris for auditions with a ballet company in Bordeaux, France. "The positive and friendly atmosphere at VLLC helped me learn the language quickly and have fun doing it" she said. "They helped build my confidence and to absorb the French culture while learning the language. The VLLC fast track learning method was developed in Adelaide and is now considered one of the most effective in the world. It is based on neuro-linguistics and the ability of the subconscious mind to absorb a language in a relaxed atmosphere.  "I have set myself up for an international career." Kirsty says.

Hola¡ my name is Ben and I studied Spanish at VLLC.  I decided to start learning a language for two reasons; firstly after spending some time in Spain, I returned thinking that I would have got more from the trip if I could have spoken the language.  I want to go back to Spain, as well as travel to South America, hence my first reason to learn Spanish.  The second reason is that my workplace now has an office in Chile and being able to speak Spanish may open up opportunities for me to work in this office or overseas.  The VLLC program’s combination of online study and 1-1 tutorials is very enjoyable, the tutors are great teachers and I am finding that what I am learning is sticking, having studied a language at high school the approach of VLLC seems to work much better.  I have tentatively tried out my new found Spanish skills in a few restaurants and with colleagues at work, to my surprise they have understood me! It has been very rewarding experience.