South America is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome! Everyone should spend some time exploring this part of the world. Here you will find the remains of ancient civilisations, amazing wildlife, friendly people, tasty food and beautiful landscapes and sceneries including mountains, rainforests, coasts, deserts, lakes and plains. I spent 7 weeks travelling with my friend through Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. There were so many interesting places that we visited but the highlights for me were the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, the museum and city at the Middle of the World (La Mitad del Mundo) and Cartagena. During my personal experience and speaking with other travellers it was obvious that being able to speak some Spanish was very useful, particularly when travelling on a tight budget as many hostel owners don’t speak much, if any, English. It also made getting around in taxis, asking for directions, enquiring about costs of tours and other things and ordering food easier (especially since I am vegetarian). Speaking Spanish made the trip more enjoyable and I really felt that I had left the shores of Australia and landed in a magical, foreign place. Thank you to VLLC for helping me learn Spanish for this trip. Please share my experience and photos on your website as I hope this will inspire others to visit this amazing and interesting continent. Now time to finish sorting through my photos and start planning my South America Part 2 adventures. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru. A 4 day hike starting from Cuzco. . Swimming in the Amazon River, Iquitos, Peru whilst watching dolphins swim in the river nearby. Thankfully there were no piranhas out here in the middle of the river. Doing a cruise in the Galapagos Islands will allow you to visit the uninhabited islands and see lots of these cute little fellas close up as well as many other animals including iguanas, giant sea turtles, giant tortoises and many species of birds. You can even go snorkelling with giant sea turtles, rays, sea lions and fish. If you are lucky you might even see a shy white-tipped reef shark. Stand up paddle boarding at Isla Grande, Cartagena, Colombia. You will never complain of the water being too cold here.
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We have had a lovely lady from Sweden with us to do some intensive English training and we have asked her to give us a little feedback on how she found VLLC. What do you do for a living? I work as a Psychiatrist. What languages do you speak? I speak Estonian, Swedish and English. Why did you start to learn English and how quickly did you get to your goal? I studied some vocational English at your place in order to improve my English. I would eventually like to work as a doctor in Australia at some point, though it is not easy to get permission for this. What tools do you use to practice your language? I am using the tools to practice English which I got from my Tutor during our sessions, tools related to some English tests, for instance TOEFL.
Where did you hear about VLLC and how did VLLC help you achieve your goal? It was just a coincidence that I found VLLC online. I was searching for possibilities for language studies in Melbourne and saw an ad about VLLC and emailed you. I received an email straight away and organised a chat over Skype. What other languages would you like to learn? I would like to continue with English studies...... my long term aim is to learn Japanese. How effective was VLLC in helping you learn your new language? The studies at VLLC were highly effective, thanks to the individual one on one tutoring. I am very pleased about the opportunity I had to do this. I sent my highest gratitude to my Tutor and staff at VLLC and I am looking forward to continuing my studies through Skype. Hiie We have a lovely student Simon who has just completed a Certificate in Intermediate Proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and is now starting French. We asked him some questions so he could tell us about his language journey, here are his responses: Bonjour, Hola and 你好 What do you do for a living? Je suis un clown, yo soy un payaso, 我是小丑。 I am a clown. What languages do you speak? I speak Spanish, Chinese, just started learning French and I speak fair dinkum Australian aka bad English. Why did you start to learn Chinese and how quickly did you get to your goal? I started learning Chinese because my unicycle coach was Chinese and he didn't speak any English. So I quickly learnt some bare basics of counting to 20, if something I did was good, bad or average "马马虎虎“ in pinyin.... ma ma hu hu. If you say this to a Chinese person and follow up with the English of "horse horse tiger tiger" which is what the characters mean. They will laugh and tell you your Chinese is very good. I graduated from the National Institute of Circus Art (NICA) in 2012 in Prahran, which is a 3 year bachelor degree in circus. I was cast as one of the main characters in ABC kids TV show Hoopla Doopla. Which was a co-production with ABC and China Central Television (CCTV). It was filmed in Beijing for 7 months and there were only ever 4 other native English speakers on set who were all older than me, so I would end up hanging out with the Chinese film crew, who would teach me the important things in any language, how to swear, how to order beer, how to order food, more swearing. By the end of the 7 months I had what I call "survival Chinese" I could order a bus ticket, I could order food but not being exactly sure what kind of chicken and noodle dish I had ordered, I could ask where the nearest toilet was and I knew when people were talking about me when they said "老外" Lao Wai (outsider). Then I would respond to them with a cheerful ni hao and tell them I was Australian which would lead into a conversation and usually some tea or beer. Since this first encounter with China, I was enraptured with the people and the culture. They were always so excited to speak to someone who was foreign and knew more than Ni Hao and Xie Xie. Even if I knew not much more. I continued to study it online, and I tried a couple of different Apps. I also returned to China for different Comedy or Clowning Festivals. Physical theatre is very big in China and Chinese audiences are very rowdy, like to laugh and if you are not careful you might get pinched on the bottom by some old 奶奶 nai nai (grandmother). And with each tour my Chinese would get a little bit better. The last time I was there I could hold basic conversations about politics and the environment etc. But I didn't know how to read or write characters. Then in 2020 when the first lockdown started and all my touring work evaporated in about a week. I decided to use the time to learn Chinese characters and begin studying Spanish. I asked a friend whose Chinese was really good and they recommended VLLC and I was hooked. I would use the slides to copy by writing out the characters with the pinyin under them so slowly I learnt to recognise the Chinese characters. I would hijack the Chinese class from my teacher Xiu Fang by elaborating about a topic we were discussing and keep running the conversation until I had ran out of vocabulary. Fast forward to 2022 I now have my intermediate certificate and can read and write text messages and maybe write by hand 50-70 characters. I am dying to go back to China to test out my new skills and vocabulary now. What other languages would you like to learn? Na'vi, Klingon and Dothraki. Someone should talk to Jo about why we don't have these as options at VLLC. What tools did you use to practice your language? I am not afraid to make mistakes or to travel outside of the tourist hotspots, as soon as I can say half a muddled sentence I go for it. Despite my pronunciation. I also love just talking to people, market/shop owners are excellent targets because they cannot escape you and you can practice the same conversation multiple times just by walking from one shop to the next. I carry a notebook wherever I go and scrawl or get a native speaker to scrawl words and sentences for me. Plus, I like to listen to language podcasts when I am driving somewhere. Where did you hear about VLLC and how did VLLC help you achieve your goal? I heard about VLLC through a circus friend of mine who had studied at the Beijing Acrobatics school and has amazing Mandarin, she recommended it to me because of the excellent course structure. I thought the slides were weird at first but found that they worked really well for me if I wrote out every slide. How effective was VLLC in helping you learn your new language? The best thing for me was VLLC made sure I didn't take shortcuts in my language learning. Now I don't have huge gaping holes in my Chinese and now my sentence structures are more Chinese and less English. My teacher Xiu Fang was very kind but also strict with me to fix my bad habits. Plus now I can recognise a lot of characters which I would be interested in returning to China to test it out on some menus. We are so excited to see where Simon's language skills take him.
One of our students, Meredith, came to VLLC because she wanted to become fluent in French to improve her experience when she travelled there. When Meredith first came to see us looking for a language solution, she had some very specific goals. MEREDITH's GOALS: 1) to benefit from the experience by being different to when she started; 2) to meet individuals and discuss ideas she had never heard of before 3) to try new things and create memories that she will remember for the rest of her life. Meredith completed VLLC's Certificate in Social Proficiency and now that COVID-19 is less restrictive she can continue her dream. Her comments on completion of the course with VLLC were very touching as she said she had already attained her goals without actually getting to France. These were her words about her experience with VLLC: "I have already changed from when I started, I have already met individuals and discovered ideas I have never heard of before; I have tried new things and created memories that I will remember for the rest of my life." Meredith realised that life isn't only about the destination but also the journey to get there.. Well done Meredith! VLLC: The image is not of Meredith as she requested no online image. 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… There is another aspect, a spiritual aspect, to the Songkran festival. The Thai people are mostly Buddhists, and they usually take this opportunity to make merit (do good deeds) at their local Wat (temple) in the early morning on the first day of Songkran. We believe in karma, and that making merit at the beginning of the year will bring luck and happiness. After we finish at the temple, we return home to be with our family, especially our elders. Then, traditionally, they bless us, and splash a Thai perfume on us, as a symbol of good fortune. After that, it is time to enjoy food, drink, and especially water fights, in order to celebrate the rest of Songkran; the best holiday in Thailand. This is going to be the third consecutive Songkran that I will miss. If you have a chance to visit Thailand, please consider joining in and getting wet during Songkran. You will have fun, learn about Thai culture, make many friends, and bring back many fun memories. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Thai month at VLLC always reminds me of the good times I had in Thailand in Songkran month.
Barramee, VLLC Thai Tutor. 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. Although Ramadan may seem to be a hard and difficult month, it is, in fact, a very enjoyable time. Families come together and enjoy the delicious food for the breaking the fast and the pre-dawn meals. The shared experience of not eating or drinking all day unites Muslims both as a family and community in the Mosques where Muslims gather together to break their fast with other people also observing the fast that day. Celebrating Ramadan in Egypt is a very special and unique event. Egypt has one of the oldest and richest Ramadan heritage in the whole Arab world, ranging from lights to cannons to night callers. Egyptians welcome Ramadan with the Fanoos or Ramadan lanterns. They decorate their homes with the colourful lanterns and children swing with their new glowing lanterns while singing Ramadan songs. Using the Fanoos as decorations is believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate. Egyptians welcomed the arrival of Caliph Moezz Eddin Allah to Cairo in 969 during the month of Ramadan by lighting hundreds of lanterns. Another interesting tradition of Ramadan in Egypt is the firing of the cannon. The firing of the cannon marks sunrise and sunset therefore signalling the time for beginning and ending the fast. This tradition started during the time of Khedive Mohamed Ali (1805-1848) when he ordered a number of cannons for the Egyptian army, and so it happened that one cannon was accidentally fired during sunset in Ramadan and people then thought that this was a new tradition ordered by the Khedive. Finally, one of Ramadan’s special traditions is the Mesarahaty or drummer. Each morning during the month of Ramadan, an hour or two before dawn, drummers tour the streets, hammering out a repetitive beat to wake people up to have their pre-dawn meal. This tradition dates back to the Ottoman era when people didn’t have alarm clocks to wake them for their pre-dawn meals, drummers would walk through the streets beating their drums. 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.
Considering we are unable to travel at the moment, I started reminiscing on a past holiday to Spain. Other than completing a few lessons in Spanish 15 years ago, and attempting to learn Latin dancing, I have had zero experience with the Hispanic culture. While I was learning Italian, my tutors kept telling me I was sounding like an Italian person speaking Spanish and I must admit that if I didn’t know a word, I tried an Italian one to keep the conversation going. It worked 50% of the time. But in this holiday, we went to the beautiful city of Madrid and were wowed by the history and grandeur of this wonderful European city. We were amazed at how ‘alive’ the city was and as well as the small cobblestone streets, there were wide, broad boulevards with lots of greenery and parks. We also couldn’t believe how late people (including small children) ate!! 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. Every second shop was filled with this delicacy and priced accordingly. Yes I did try a few varieties and it was best on fresh bread with butter (a bit like caviar!!) I’ve only seen a little part of Spain and nothing of South America – I’d love to hear some of your stories…
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 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.
Paul is a student at VLLC - learning Japanese so that he and his wife can return to Japan and renew their vows with meaning. 'My wife and I both love Japan, we love the beauty, culture and history of Japan. We organised a holiday to Japan and leading up to the trip we got engaged, we thought why not share this experience in this beautiful setting. We got married at the Kamigamo shrine in Kyoto. We got to wear traditional attire for the ceremony, My wife's kimono was so delicate and treasured that she had to have a personal assistant to constantly adjust the dress and help her with any actions that she couldn't perform being restrained in the outfit. The ceremony itself was conducted in both Japanese and English by the Shinto priest, as per tradition both families drank sake together and my wife and I went up to the shrine and I spoke out our vows, in English and then we made the branch offering and asked for blessings for a happy family. My vision is to learn Japanese with VLLC and go back to Japan, experience Japan with a new perspective and be able to interact on a whole new level, revisit the Kamigamo shrine and repeat the ceremony all in Japanese. |
Our StoriesHere are some stories about VLLC' students and why they are learning a language Archives
March 2024
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