Oprah Winfrey openly admits that she has to constantly battle with her weight gain. I can relate to her situation. That said, it is not that I have weight issue. The idea of constantly battling with something in order to keep it in check ticks me off. As a foreigner, learning English has been challenging enough, let alone culture shock. Just like many other second language learners, I am constantly battling with my language skills so as to sound more natural. A couple of years ago, while web surfing, I stumbled across a school called Penobscot, aka language made easy, which changed my attitude on language learning in three different ways: language learning is fun; integrating a new language into one’s daily routine is indispensable, and a sense of humor is primo.

Language learning will be most effective should one be relaxed. Penobscot school is well known for providing conducive environment, where learners feel safe to maximize their language potentials with guidance from the experienced instructors. Personally, I enjoy grocery shopping and making meals from scratch with teammates as part of the immersion program that the school offers. Not only did I learn some new recipes, but also bring my interpersonal and verbal skills to new heights. It is because the program requires the participants to speak in English the entire time.

Relentlessly using a language whenever possible is a way on mastering the language. A highlight of the program is that I was matched to live with a local family. “What a pleasant treat,” I have to say. My homestay family was very generous to open their house to me. They included me in all their family events so that I could learn beyond the literal meanings of English language. Language is a living thing; one has to put the contents into context in order to communicate with people meaningfully.

Humor is our best friend when we feel like we are being misunderstood. The most precious thing that I have learnt from the Penobscot experience is that it is okay to make mistakes every now and then. Having said that, get back up and move on with a good laugh; seriously, need not to crumble and falter. After all, we are only human; we are forgiven.

In short, Penobscot school is the place if one wants to have fun on learning or sharpening a language. It sounds like a cliché that time flies when one’s having fun, and that is what I felt at the English Immersion at Penobscot Language School.

OISHAN "OCEAN" WONG
Hong Kong/California

My 16 months as Italian Exchange Teacher at Penobscot School flew by fast. It feels like yesterday when I first met my Italian students-to-be at the Open House of Fall-2010 semester. I remember how impressed I was with how many people are interested in learning Italian, and with what a range of ages, reasons, backgrounds and learning situations they arrived. See Photos and memoirs from 2010-2011 instructor Alessandra.

Talk about Penobscot School can be easy and difficult ........
It is a wonderful place, located in a beautiful village, full of friendly people that are willing to help you to achieve your goals. The human interactions with your host, teachers and classmates, is intimate and enriching. I personally felt fear in front the act of "having to live" with an American family for three weeks, when I had just recently come from my country (Venezuela), but a few days of being there, all my fears and prejudices were replaced by a huge, gratitude and admiration for all the people who shared experiences that touched me. Penobscot School is not only a language academy, it is much more, for me the most important was the interesting experience from a human point of view that I lived there I can only say that this school will change the view that you maybe have about culture and mentality of people living in this wonderful country and you will love forever this school, this town and the people that you will know!

Version en Espanol
Hablar acerca de la Escuela de Penobscot puede ser fácil y difícil ........ Es un lugar maravilloso, situado en un pueblo hermoso, lleno de gente amable que están dispuestos a ayudarle a alcanzar sus metas. Las interacciones humanas con sus anfitriones, los profesores y los compañeros de clase, es íntimo y enriquecedor. Yo personalmente sentía temor ante el hecho de "tener que vivir" con una familia norteamericana durante tres semanas, cuando acaba de llegar de mi país (Venezuela), pero los pocos días de estar allí, todos mis temores y prejuicios fueron reemplazados por una gran gratitud y admiración hacia todas las personas con las cuales me toco compartir. Penobscot school no es sólo una academia de idiomas, es mucho más, para mí lo más importante fue la interesante experiencia desde el punto de vista humano, que viví allí. Sólo puedo decir que esta escuela va a cambiar la opinión que usted tal vez tenga sobre la cultura y mentalidad de las personas que viven en este maravilloso país, despues de esa experiencia usted amará para siempre esta escuela, esta ciudad y la gente que conocera!

JUANA FRONTERA
Venezuela/Florida
www.midoctoraonline.com
www.educahoyfoundation.org

Hi Everybody!

I think of you, all, always! Here, unfortunately, I´m back to my real “work life”. But I´m very happy, working less and lighter than before my travel to Maine! I moved to my new apartment and, this is the best news, I´m cooking for our friends and family and we are like in honey-moon again. I´ve been dreaming a lot and last week I dreamed that I was in Maine at Penobscot School with Chico, my husband. This visit was, again, a scrumptious encounter. It was also funny, because in my dream, when I opened the door from the School, a lot of mosquitos flew out and I woke up! In other news, I met Barbara Beebe, from Maine, here in São Paulo. She came to visit her son and her grandson. It was a short brunch, but was amazing and I felt the same feelings that I felt in Maine, the place where it’s the way life should be.

See you! Kisses

CAROL RAMOS CIMA
Sao Paolo, Brazil
carolina.ramos@kraftfoods.com