I returned 5 months later for a 3 month session because my last visit to Bellingua was full of hard…read morework, great people, and excellent teaching.
This time, I was put in a class with a bad teacher. I wont go into detail about her because I feel mean bashing someone so openly. The worst part though, was that she was a good teacher when she wanted to be... which was when we had management sit in to analyze her teaching ability.
Why didn't the students suffer? Because Bellingua's materials are golden. The books are easy to understand and pair well with the exams. The students want to learn because they're paying a buttload for the classes, and if they fail more than 3 exams they are kicked out of the school. So really, a teacher is there to help but ultimately the students can teach themselves with the course work. Teachers like Ladina (my teacher the first 4 months I was at Bellingua) make the 3 hours of class enjoyable, different, stimulating, and enable the students to learn a bit more efficiently.
Why didn't I switch teachers? I tried, but I was told by the manager that my expectations were too high and I wouldn't be satisfied with anyone. For the record... they weren't! It was unbelievable some of the things my previous teacher did. The manager went as far to say that I couldn't take a break and return with another teacher. This is what she told me, in English and German.
I would question whether I was expecting more than necessary, but the fact that every student in the classroom was complaining about the same things showed me that something was wrong.
Months later, I wrote the owner of Bellingua, telling him that he has a really bad teacher, and that students should be able to at least switch to a GOOD teacher. I told him that the manager refused to let me change teachers. He did a lot of research, updated me with e-mails, and ultimately concluded that there had been a misunderstanding. He said that he was unable to conclude who said what, but that he updated the paperwork and website to ensure students that they are allowed to change teachers.
That's really all I wanted. I didn't message him while I was taking classes, because my teacher already knew I had problems with her, management thought I was better than everyone else, and I knew that e-mailing the owner would just escalate emotions.
He was an efficient and helpful man, and I am thankful that he handled the situation the way he did.
Unfortunately, I have no desire to go to Bellingua again. The relationship between me and the management would be awkward, and if my previous teacher is still there things would be even more awkward. Too bad
