Janette Hendry

I was a teacher for over 30 years, with my specialism being foreign languages.  I was teaching English at an international summer school when a colleague told me about volunteering on English language immersion courses. She thought I might enjoy it!  So, having taken early retirement, purely because life is short and there were other things I wanted to do, the very next day I flew to Madrid and embarked on my first programme!  Since then I’ve been in the lucky position to do more than a few programmes at both Pueblo Inglés and Englischhausen.  I love to meet people and hear about their lives.   I’ve met so many wonderful people, both students and volunteers.  I’ve kept in touch with a lot of people and we’ve met up in a few different countries!  What I love about the programmes at Pueblo Inglés and Englischhausen is the great variety of activities during a day.  It’s not just one-to-one conversation and group discussions. There are also light-hearted group activities and theatre, which help everyone to relax and enjoy themselves, and also provide another way for the students to practise their spoken English. Also, the Masters of Ceremonies and the Programme Directors are so enthusiastic and super-organised that everything runs smoothly. When anyone asks why I do these immersion programmes, I explain:  I have fun, I make friends, I learn so many new things when I hear about people’s jobs and their interests, and in so doing I get to know the country and the culture in a way I could never do as a tourist.  But most importantly, it’s so rewarding to witness the students grow in confidence, and to see that moment of magic in the programme where suddenly the “immersion switch” goes on, and the students realise that it’s working!  To anyone that likes to talk, and also likes to listen, I’d say, “Give it a go.”. Volunteering is addictive!