The majority of our feedback was collected on written sheets, as yet to be digitised, but here follows some excerpts from emails we received, often spontaneously, or via the HR manager. We intend to keep improving our services and products, but this shows that the quality of our work and service has remained consistent, even as we begin to upscale. We will not rest on our laurels, but continue to strive in our quest to help transform South Africa in a postive way.
I’ve been attending the Xhosa classes (taught by the Ubuntu Bridge team) here in Cape Town the last two months, and I have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed them. It’s been wonderful to learn something new, and in the process learn a bit more about Xhosa culture. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did, and it was also fantastic to meet Media24 staff from other businesses/business units. I really laud this Media24 initiative!
Warm regards,
Ester Levinrad
"Thanks for a great course – it has honestly changed the way I interact with people and has taught me so much more than the basics of another language. I hope to pursue it further."
Andrea Marchesi, Media 24
"Hi Craig
Just wanted to say a big thank you to you and Babalwa for the course. It was actually fantastic and it surpassed all my expectations. Having gone to school for 12 years and varsity for 5, I can safely say it was the most enjoyable course I have ever done.
Thanks again,"
Steven Mervis
Molweni Craig, Nosi, Harrison & Luphumlo,
Thank you so much for the wonderful learning experience you gave us at Media24.
You guys were the best!
Sobonana!
Elizca Henn, Media 24
Thanks, We had a tough time restructuring our business and our stress levels are high. I must say the one thing that helped reduce my stress levels were our lunch time classes with Luphumlo and Nosi. They are such a breath of fresh air and Luphumlo is sometimes a laugh a minute.
It is most definitely a worthwhile course to do and I think the uBuntu Bridge team that taught us is wonderful and very professional. I would strongly recommend that Old Mutual continue using them and most definitely continue presenting this course as part of the Business School HR initiative. I wish I have had this opportunity 20 years ago.
Finally, thank you for giving me this opportunity to enrich myself on a cultural and personal way. We have a wonderful country, and at Old Mutual we most definitely are living the value of diversity. I loved the past 8 weeks – THANK YOU!!!!
Regards, Mo van Niekerk, Old Mutual
Craig, thank you very much for creating the UBuntu Bridge initiative. The course is an enriching experience on many levels. And our teacher is a great ambassador for the culture and sensitivity of the people and the elegance of the language.
Louisa Botha, OM
Click here for Corporate info:
Or email us for more info: info@ubuntubridge.co.za
The official blog of UBuntu Bridge and http://www.learnxhosa.co.za, where you will find information pertaining to Xhosa language courses, Xhosa learning manuals and Xhosa Audio Cds, as well as Xhosa immersion opportunities and general cultural points of interest.
Showing posts with label Feedback Comments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feedback Comments. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Friday, February 27, 2009
Recent Student Feedback - Silwood Feb 2009
"The course was different than what I expected. The course was informal enough to make you comfortable and not to let you feel embarrassed to try and speak Xhosa in front of other people. It was wonderful to meet such a lot of people that also want to learn to speak Xhosa and use the language with people in their own environment. Craig, thank you for the experience and the opportunity you gave me to start with a new language that will grow daily for me."
- Petrie le Roux
"With Xhosa, the mountain we need to climb is massive. As you so correctly said, you cannot carry us, we must walk ! Its very difficult to learn a language from scratch as an adult as you well know. We can only motivate ourselves. It will be years before the fruit off the Xhosa tree tastes really good. But even now we can experience the reward of of taking our first steps over that bridge of uBuntu. Your course brings like minded, conscious people together and that in itself is great. So thank you Titshala, Siyathanda ukuthetha isiXhosa, Siyazama !!" (We love to talk Xhosa. We'll keep trying) - Stephen Praetorius
"I think the classes went really well. It was also really nice to meet you. These classes are great for people who are learning Xhosa as a second or third language with specific focus on functional and conversational use. I really enjoyed the experience of trying out all the new phrases I learnt with people I met and the response you get for trying to speak their language is really affirming!" - Carly Abramovitz
“I think your approach to teach beginners the basics of a new language is very effective. Most other courses start off by trying to teach the boring difficult stuff first. Most of the students then get confused and despondent. Your approach, as far as I understand it, is to get students first to construct simple sentences and to teach them the bare basic grammar to do so. I think it is an excellent way, because the understanding of the language grows with the understanding of the grammar. Doing it your way the student has a sense of achievement instead of a feeling that the task of learning the language is too difficult and too much effort” - Giel du Toit
“There are many barriers that separate people. They vary from believes to personality to race to... Language is the most important barrier in the sense that it has a lot to teach us about the other barriers and is the easiest most powerful tool to overcome these barriers and build bridges between people.I work with teenage Xhosa boys in the Pollsmoor prison and Craig's course has equipped me to cross the barriers between me and these boys in a more powerful way. Speaking a little Xhosa allows me to help them build a bridge between them and a brighter future in the community” -Francois Esterhuizen
“I think the course was most enjoyable and just the right balance for the strugglers and time challenged people like me as well as the more diligent/language-boff students.
I really liked the fun way you presented the course with a great love and respect for the Xhosa people, their culture and language. Having previously been moderately conversant in easy fanigalo/chilapalapa, Xhosa was a totally closed book to me. Your course quickly unlocked the main elements and was very practical in getting me going in simple conversation. I feel I have a great skeleton to continue building on. Another thing I liked was your care and encouragement for each and every student, which I think, helped everyone to make good progress.
Craig you are definitely an articulator of the new and wonderful cross cultural South African experience that combines the best of all our history and people – I feel the awesome vibe in this country is just going to keep growing – who knows where it is going to take us? - Kevin Creasey
“Having been immersed in the Xhosa culture through my work, I thought it would be quite easy to pick up the language as I went along. I was mistaken there, I really needed someone to put me on the right track, teach me the basics and the way the language fits together. I feel that the beginner’s course has done just that, it gives you enough grammar and vocab to string a whole lot of sentences together and to start making up sentences. I liked the way that we were taught useful escape phrases so that you can, at least, start a conversation and bow out when it all gets too much! I will certainly continue practicing and hopefully, in time, become more fluent. Thank you to Craig, who taught us in a very clear and methodical manner, which was easy to follow.” - Marion Gready
“The course was great because not only did we learn the basics of the Xhosa languages but we also learned about the culture. It deepened my understanding of the Xhosa people on many levels. The course is structured so that we learn the basics quickly and efficiently. We get a comprehensive learning experience through lecture and practice in class, the CDs, the manual, and the homework assignments.” - Joanna Cicchon
“What I appreciated (although I dreaded it) was you forcing us to speak in front of the whole class, if you hadn't I wouldn't have the confidence to speak to strangers.” - Sieggy Cooke
- Petrie le Roux
"With Xhosa, the mountain we need to climb is massive. As you so correctly said, you cannot carry us, we must walk ! Its very difficult to learn a language from scratch as an adult as you well know. We can only motivate ourselves. It will be years before the fruit off the Xhosa tree tastes really good. But even now we can experience the reward of of taking our first steps over that bridge of uBuntu. Your course brings like minded, conscious people together and that in itself is great. So thank you Titshala, Siyathanda ukuthetha isiXhosa, Siyazama !!" (We love to talk Xhosa. We'll keep trying) - Stephen Praetorius
"I think the classes went really well. It was also really nice to meet you. These classes are great for people who are learning Xhosa as a second or third language with specific focus on functional and conversational use. I really enjoyed the experience of trying out all the new phrases I learnt with people I met and the response you get for trying to speak their language is really affirming!" - Carly Abramovitz
“I think your approach to teach beginners the basics of a new language is very effective. Most other courses start off by trying to teach the boring difficult stuff first. Most of the students then get confused and despondent. Your approach, as far as I understand it, is to get students first to construct simple sentences and to teach them the bare basic grammar to do so. I think it is an excellent way, because the understanding of the language grows with the understanding of the grammar. Doing it your way the student has a sense of achievement instead of a feeling that the task of learning the language is too difficult and too much effort” - Giel du Toit
“There are many barriers that separate people. They vary from believes to personality to race to... Language is the most important barrier in the sense that it has a lot to teach us about the other barriers and is the easiest most powerful tool to overcome these barriers and build bridges between people.I work with teenage Xhosa boys in the Pollsmoor prison and Craig's course has equipped me to cross the barriers between me and these boys in a more powerful way. Speaking a little Xhosa allows me to help them build a bridge between them and a brighter future in the community” -Francois Esterhuizen
“I think the course was most enjoyable and just the right balance for the strugglers and time challenged people like me as well as the more diligent/language-boff students.
I really liked the fun way you presented the course with a great love and respect for the Xhosa people, their culture and language. Having previously been moderately conversant in easy fanigalo/chilapalapa, Xhosa was a totally closed book to me. Your course quickly unlocked the main elements and was very practical in getting me going in simple conversation. I feel I have a great skeleton to continue building on. Another thing I liked was your care and encouragement for each and every student, which I think, helped everyone to make good progress.
Craig you are definitely an articulator of the new and wonderful cross cultural South African experience that combines the best of all our history and people – I feel the awesome vibe in this country is just going to keep growing – who knows where it is going to take us? - Kevin Creasey
“Having been immersed in the Xhosa culture through my work, I thought it would be quite easy to pick up the language as I went along. I was mistaken there, I really needed someone to put me on the right track, teach me the basics and the way the language fits together. I feel that the beginner’s course has done just that, it gives you enough grammar and vocab to string a whole lot of sentences together and to start making up sentences. I liked the way that we were taught useful escape phrases so that you can, at least, start a conversation and bow out when it all gets too much! I will certainly continue practicing and hopefully, in time, become more fluent. Thank you to Craig, who taught us in a very clear and methodical manner, which was easy to follow.” - Marion Gready
“The course was great because not only did we learn the basics of the Xhosa languages but we also learned about the culture. It deepened my understanding of the Xhosa people on many levels. The course is structured so that we learn the basics quickly and efficiently. We get a comprehensive learning experience through lecture and practice in class, the CDs, the manual, and the homework assignments.” - Joanna Cicchon
“What I appreciated (although I dreaded it) was you forcing us to speak in front of the whole class, if you hadn't I wouldn't have the confidence to speak to strangers.” - Sieggy Cooke
Friday, January 2, 2009
Xhosa Audio CD Feedback
I dont often ask for feedback for the CDs, unlike my course feedback after every course, but I do get a constant stream of people telling me how great they are, and as a result I am now making 5 more CDs just to contain my ego. Here are a few, I remembered to save. Please add more, if you have the Cds and wish to.
“This is great stuff. As a beginner you gave me the words I could use right away in an easy to understand manner. I enjoyed your sense of humor which kept me listening after I would normally stopped. Thanks so much, this made a big difference in my last trip to the Transkei and I will be recommending it to other travelers. Cheers!”
Tim Stout Date Added: Saturday 29 November, 2008
“THE CDS WERE GREAT! They really help to get the sound, the rhythm and tempo of the language right”
Gene Falk
“Very high quality (have been a writer and publisher, so this is not said lightly!”
Barbara Johanssen
“They are so straightforward and easy to follow, thanks.”
Linda Codron
“Loved them! A great tool—my “security blanket.”
Dianna Crouse
“There is an obvious attention to detail shown in the development and structuring of the CD and notes. I find the detail in both sufficient to cover the areas that you don’t actually mention in class which may cause confusion or digression. I look forward to the future CD’s 3, 4 and 5. The amount of repetition heard on the CD is excellent. I find it very balanced. I did not refer to the notes as much as I did to the CD. An excellent learning tool.”
Beryl-Lyn Cocks
CDs can be ordered via email or on my site on the downloads page.
“This is great stuff. As a beginner you gave me the words I could use right away in an easy to understand manner. I enjoyed your sense of humor which kept me listening after I would normally stopped. Thanks so much, this made a big difference in my last trip to the Transkei and I will be recommending it to other travelers. Cheers!”
Tim Stout Date Added: Saturday 29 November, 2008
“THE CDS WERE GREAT! They really help to get the sound, the rhythm and tempo of the language right”
Gene Falk
“Very high quality (have been a writer and publisher, so this is not said lightly!”
Barbara Johanssen
“They are so straightforward and easy to follow, thanks.”
Linda Codron
“Loved them! A great tool—my “security blanket.”
Dianna Crouse
“There is an obvious attention to detail shown in the development and structuring of the CD and notes. I find the detail in both sufficient to cover the areas that you don’t actually mention in class which may cause confusion or digression. I look forward to the future CD’s 3, 4 and 5. The amount of repetition heard on the CD is excellent. I find it very balanced. I did not refer to the notes as much as I did to the CD. An excellent learning tool.”
Beryl-Lyn Cocks
CDs can be ordered via email or on my site on the downloads page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)