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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 29, 2005 Goulash and grammar Staff reports Ashland residents Wolfgang and Kristin Hoppe spent three weeks from mid-February through early March in a town called of H�dmez�v�s�rhely, population 50,000, in southern Hungary, teaching conversational English to schoolchildren. The Hoppes served on a Global Volunteers team, a St. Paul, Minn.-based nonprofit organization that offers short-term service opportunities in 19 countries. The volunteers worked in the public-school classrooms of H�dmez�v�s�rhely, where they helped students practice their English-language skills. No teaching expertise was required, and the volunteers worked closely with Hungarian teachers. "I developed a warm relationship with some of the nine teachers to whose classes I was assigned," said Wolfgang, a retired lawyer who is also fluent in German. Consequently, he was also asked to teach some German, as well. "I gained new perspectives on life in H�dmez�v�s�rhely in comparison to life in my own town," said Kristin, a retired public health educator. She shares a few personal highlights: "The most memorable event was attending a winter carnival celebration at my assigned school - judging costumes and watching students dance - rap, hip hop - and doing some hip hop myself." They were engaged and speaking English and laughing and having fun learning. English instruction is mandatory in Hungary's schools and the country's leaders consider it a key element to the nation's integration into the economic arena of the West. For that reason, the mayor's office of H�dmez�v�s�rhely is the official host of the Global Volunteers teams. The volunteers were lodged in a tourist-class hotel and ate their meals in local restaurants. Outside of their work assignments, they managed to squeeze in some free time in the evenings exploring the historic central square and pottery studios of H�dmez�v�s�rhely and the nearby university town of Szeged. Weekend options included the cultural city of Budapest as well as quaint villages and vineyards. "The teachers welcomed us to their classrooms and we developed very comfortable and productive teaching relationships very quickly," said team leader Milt Diehl. "The city is clean and safe and its people are kind and considerate. It's small enough so that it is possible to walk to all the schools and shops." Global Volunteers coordinates service programs in 19 countries around the world. Projects range from teaching conversational English to caring for children to constructing community buildings. Sites include: Australia, China, Hungary, India, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica, Ghana, Tanzania, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Peru, Poland, Ukraine and Greece, as well as the United States. Global Volunteers participants pay a tax-deductible service program fee that ranges from $1,395 to $2,995 for international programs. One-week U.S. programs cost $750. The fee covers food, lodging, ground transportation at the site, project materials and team leader expenses. Call Global Volunteers at (800) 487-1074, e-mail questions to [email protected] or see the Web site www.globalvolunteers.org. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Futures Broker Bad Credit Loans Auto & Personal Loans Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Sports Betting Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Bonus Casino Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Mystery Shopping Jobs Debt Consolidation Loans Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams