Initiative Update: Dsegh Village English Program

For several years, AIWA-SF has provided an after school English program in the Armenian village of Dsegh.  As an organization a big focus of ours is on education.  We were delighted to receive a letter today from Anush Ghorkhmazyan, who is the teacher.  It is heartwarming to see how well the students are embracing the language and practicing regularly in class, with each other and with tourists. These are skills that they will carry with them throughout their life journey and we thank all our AIWA-SF donors who are the reason we are able to fund such projects. Below is the letter along with an image of one of the students that Mrs. Ghorkhmazyan shared… 

Letter written by Dsegh Village English Teacher, Anush Ghorkhmazyan

I would like to provide an update on the English Club after school program at Dsegh Village that AIWA-SF supports. As you know Dsegh is in the region of Lori. The famous Armenian writer Hovhannes Toumanian was born here. His house-museum is in the center of the village. Usually we have many tourists from abroad. Sometimes it is necessary to contact with them. Our students do it with great pleasure. Before nobody spoke English here. Thanks to your organization a lot of students speak English today as well as they can. Some of them speak even rather well! I think speaking English makes them happy.

Our English classroom is very nice and cozy. There is a rich library of English books here. We have computers and a projector. We work with CD-s, too. Sometimes we watch cartoons in English. We use a blackboard as well. Usually I write grammar rules on it and the children copy these in their exercise books. There is no problem with books. We have many student books, work books, basic English for students and other books for songs and games. The students, who attend English classes, know two languages – German and English. So they have the right to choose either of them, when they enter university. I am happy to say, that they always choose English. It is pity that English is only as a club after school. It is not difficult to imagine how tired the students sometimes are after school. But it doesn’t matter. In spite of it they don’t want to miss a lesson. They learn with and are overjoyed.

We use also to listen to English music with pleasure. Sometimes they sing themselves. The students know the songs by heart, what they sing. They know each word of these songs. I think, it is a good way to learn language, too.

We went on a picnic in May. Spring is a very lovely season in our village. You can see flowers always. The lilac smells wonderful. There is a very nice place , where you can have a rest. It is a little lake named Tsover”. You can enjoy there the beauty of nature. And of course, the main goal will be speaking English to each other.

So, I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone, who helps us with our English!!

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To learn more about AIWA, please visit www.aiwainternational.org.  To get involved with the AIWA SF affiliate, please visit www.aiwasanfrancisco.com or send an email to aiwasanfrancisco@gmail.com.