Anne-Marie - Erabel Brussels

Hy everybody !

Here are the votes of the Belgian jury ......... Ehsal: 10 points......that's a joke !
It's fine to read about your first experiences in your new "headquarters" and I'm pleased to see that about everything seems to be ok for all of you.
So it's time for me to give you some news from the Flamish side of our adored country!

I have to admit that a few days before my first day at the Ehsal I forgot to think about it because I was on training and as you know when you are on training you have the tendency to forget everything else.
I became anxious the day before I had to present myself at the Ehsal. The first hour was quite difficult because the school is very big and I was lost in this foreign environment (luckily I had Steve with me). I learned that the students had no real class group (as we have). They can choose a lot of options and they have to change of group and room for every lesson (Steve and I have to follow a group of 7 students for whom English is one of the options).

A woman showed us how to find our way in the 4 buildings of the school .... a big challenge!
From the first moment we were introduced to the teachers and the other students I felt much better. They immediately welcomed us and involved us in their discussions and activities. They are curious of the student's life in the French part of Belgium (as we are for the Flamish part) and we compare everything all the time. It's a fact that we have different uses and habits in our small country! We learn a lot from each other.

We have to follow 4 courses : English teaching - 4h once a month (it's like we did with Ms Henin), English grammar, vocabulary, speaking, reading and culture - 1 hour each every week (except the week we have English teaching) - Flamish teaching - 4h every week (it's like we did with Mrs Cattiez) and Flamish education - 2h every week (we learn all the aspects of the Flamish school life in Belgium - very interesting indeed!). In March we have a week "MCLT project" (it's like we did with Mr Groessens and Ms Hanciaux last year).
The level in English of the Flamish students is quite high. They speak very fluently and have a large vocabulary. They use the same books as we do but in an advanced level.

That's all I can tell you for the moment. We had only 2 weeks school and this week we had a week off for "carnival".

I wish you all the best and I'm looking forward reading of you.

Anne-Marie