Teacher/Student Reactions

"Culture Club gave my students a chance to meet other non-native English speakers in another part of the world and therefore see how useful English can be as a window into another culture. Also, they had fun watching each other's videos in class and talking about language use, as well as content discussion. The idea was so good, that I've started implementing the idea of uploading videos in other courses. But the international component is missing, so Culture Club is ideal for that."

John Gordon (Teacher in Germany)

"There is rarely a chance to meet students from other continents. The fact that they can collaborate with a number of students from all around the world from the convenience of their own home and school is of great value. My students are very communicative, but sometimes lack motivation to take part in activities other than their studies. This is where Culture Club has helped a lot. Since the virtual exchange took part within their regular teaching hours, they were glad to participate. All in all, the Culture Club has most of the positive aspects of classical exchange, while at the same time it is available to everyone at any time and place, without any additional costs."

Džalila Muharemagić (Teacher in Bosnia and Herzegovina)

"Our students could communicate with international students thanks to this club. My seminar students are usually not confident with speaking English, but at the Zoom parties, they tried to communicate with an international teacher using simple topics. I really appreciated it. My students told me that even though they were shy, they could speak English confidently through the videos. And the videos are a useful tool for feedback on their speaking appearance and pronunciation. For me, I learned how to manage my students' speaking skills. I could see my students' performance and abilities through the videos and Zoom parties. As a teacher, the experience was very useful."

Takehiko Ito (Teacher in Japan)

"As a student it was easy to understand and do things in sessions. And Robert was very kind with explaining things. And his zoom party ideas I liked the most! I'm looking forward to joining next year!"

Hanna (Student from Pakistan)

"My favorite part is that I could communicate with several people. For example, I could talk with people from Germany, Turkey, and Korea."

Anri (Student from Japan)

"I loved meeting new people and learning about new cultures. Also, knowing that I won't be judged while speaking English, feeling the excitement of being a student again after many years, and being encouraged by my instructor to continue was great. I am very happy to share this experience. Thank you."

Esra (Student from Turkey)

"The best bits were talking with my group members, meeting different nationalities online, and talking about the things that we are interested in. It was amazing."

Yunxi (Student from China)