A volunteer’s testimony: “Taalzomer has left me with a feeling of thankfulness”

“I don't know what you guys did yesterday, but my daughters were very excited and happy when they got home. A sincere thank you!”, or: “I wish to thank you for what you are doing here. Brighton is picking up new words really fast and he really wants to be there!”. These are some of the parent’s reactions we received after just one week of Taalzomer, this year. And therefore, we love to volunteer.

I am Jana, 29 years, and I work as a volunteer at vzw Roeland Taalzomer. About 6 or 7 years ago I had the opportunity to join an NT2 camp during the Easter holidays for a day, via someone I knew. I developed a real taste for it from the start. At first, I was an activity leader but, soon I became Head of Project Taalzomer. And I still am, for several years now.

Lifelike Twister

At Taalzomer, we try to show children of different origins who have only recently arrived in Belgium an unforgettable 3 weeks of summer while we teach them how to speak Dutch. This is not done in a traditional way, but we teach through activities, creative assignments, … We play lifelike twister to practice the colors and body parts, we go to the market for a food-and-drinks theme, we organize a fashion show to learn about clothing, …

Harry Malter

Every Wednesday we take the children on a field trip. The first week we usually go to Harry Malter, which is always a success! In the morning the children walk around in groups among the animals and in the afternoon, they enjoy themselves at the playground. The unfavourable weather conditions last summer didn't stop them from having a great time!

Show moment

At the end of each week, we show the parents what the children have learned, so we organize a show moment for them. These can be very moving; it is fantastic to see how fast the children make progress and to hear the pride in their voice when they say things in Dutch.

Thankfulness is the predominant feeling that stays with me after Taalzomer, both from the participants and the parents. We notice that the children are very happy to join and that we reluctantly part ways after 3 weeks of Taalzomer. The appreciation from the parents kindles a warm feeling that stays with us for a long time.

Volunteers wanted

Would you also like to work as a volunteer at Taalzomer? Create your Roeland profile here. We will contact you as soon as possible.

Jana

Head of Project Taalzomer