English in action

From December 14th to 16th 2010 the 3FS tried to get fit for their final exam in English. On each of these days we had 3 trainers, both from Great Britain and the USA to make sure we learned to understand more than one variety of English. With them we covered some very important topics.
First we learned how to make a good impression when applying for a job. Our performance was recorded and when we watched the video clips together we got tips on how to improve our presentation.
That was really stressful but very funny, too … and certainly extremely useful. Then we learned how to cope with the demands of working in a medical centre or surgery - making and cancelling a number of appointments by phone or e-mail within 10 minutes. That meant a lot of pressure!
We performed funny scenes that were set in a hospital or surgery - and sometimes we laughed so much we couldn’t hear ourselves talking! Another important point was how to write good formal e-mails and understand First Aid terms.
Talking to people on the phone was a real challenge: how do you manage to stay polite even if they start  getting upset or abusive? In the afternoons we also had lessons with our language assistants - all three of them from the USA. They worked with us on topics for our final exam, for example the elderly and nutrition.
The Don Bosco Haus was ideal for these days - lots of room and light and all th technical support we needed. All in all we feel we have made great progress and are much less scared of our final exam in English now.
Many thanks to everybody who has made this possible for us!