Yaron Sivan | Israel, 2018Manager of Ulpan Bayit-Private Hebrew School Letter of recommendation for Noel Dunsky,
teacher of Hebrew as a foreign language.
To whom it may concern,
I have known Noel Dunsky for many years
as a teacher of both English and Hebrew as foreign languages. Noel has taught
all Hebrew course levels at Ulpan Bayit for about 3 years, focusing mainly on
the intermediate and advanced levels.
Noel is a treasure trove of learning
materials and teaching techniques. He has ample experience in teaching the
various levels and uses his vast linguistic and cultural knowledge to teach
many topics in interesting ways. Also remarkable is his ability in creating his
own materials, be they explanations, worksheets, exercises or texts adapted to
different learning levels, comprising a sensible quantity of vocabulary and
demonstrating an awareness of both language register and the students’
potential at any given level. His materials, which other teachers also rely on,
are clear, detailed and contain excellent examples that reflect his views on
"putting things in the right context”.
As a teacher, Noel has a unique
personality, brings a lot to the classroom and is highly appreciated by his
students. The order and clarity in which his lessons are planned and carried
out and the personal attention he devotes to each and every student have made
him a much-loved and valued teacher by both students and fellow teachers at the
Ulpan.
I expect Noel to be successful in any
place he chooses to work at, and that his professional future will include
pedagogic management in the field of language teaching, a field in
which he will surely be able to reach his full potential.
Sincerely,
Yaron Sivan | Ulpan Bayit Kerstin Müller | Germany, June 2015
Manager of the Heinrich Bell Foundation in Israel The Hebrew
lessons with Noel Dunsky at Language Links have done much beyond providing me
with a systematic introduction into the Hebrew language, they also teach me
about Israel and its people and are an introduction to the cultural history of
Israel. Tips on restaurants and where to do one’s shopping, combined with a
visit to Tel Aviv\s Carmel Market enable real practice and immediate usage of
fruit and vegetable vocabulary, for example, as well as ordering in
restaurants. The Hebrew lessons are especially recommended for students who
feel the need to make use of their mother tongue, as Noel speaks English and
German fluently.
Kerstin Müller
Manager of the
Heinrich Bell Foundation in Israel
Former German
Parliament member, and minister in the German Foreign Ministry Staff at
Yes Satellite TV Inc. | May 2015
We the staff
at the YES satellite TV logistics center participated in a course offered by
the company in order to improve our Hebrew skills from November 2014 to May
2015. We have felt an improvement in our Hebrew proficiency
level. Although we were not born in Israel and have emigrated from Ethiopia and
former Soviet countries we were happy to better our Hebrew and not remain at
the beginner level we acquired at the Ulpan. We practiced real day-to-day
speaking, managed to read and understand articles, improved language accuracy and
learned many new things.
Igor, Sanbeto,
Yeshume, Yeshuwerk, Eteri, Nita
Nuria Brufau-Alvira (PhD), Spanish
Embassy in Israel | April 2015
I have
attended Noel’s lessons for 8 months and feel that I am really learning Hebrew.
His experience and patience make of him a good language teacher, who manages
well despite the lack of updated manuals there are in the market. Noel
complements them to bridge the gap between grammar, vocabulary and real life
situations. He is flexible with timetables and adatps to my rythm, which is
important in my case (I have a 11 year-old baby).
Classes are
fun, not only because he favours dialogue but also because he offers me
cultural, historical and sociological information about the country. I am very
happy I found Noel as my Hebrew teacher, and I strongly recommend him.
Ludwig Blaurock | Israel, 2014 Consul, German Embassy Tel Aviv Noel is an amazing language teacher and Israeli life & culture
guide in one. He has a deep understanding of languages and draws from his own
multi-language skills to compare and contrast Ivrit with English/French or
German to make language structure understandable. While Noel will be able to
give you all historic background on how modern Ivrit developed, he can just as
easily focus on daily-life use of Ivrit for beginners and expats that only want
a good working knowledge to get started. His materials were clear and
structured, his pace of teaching adapting to my changing learning speeds and
the vocabulary transmitted wonderfully tuned to my needs (from daily life and
conversation to some business/diplo-oriented intros and terms). Noel is just a
great teacher, good-humored and patient. You can´t ask for more. Luise Hahn
| Deutschland, October 2014
During my
5-month voluntary national service in Israel, my organization has agreed to
finance Hebrew lessons for the German volunteers. My initial motivation for
learning Hebrew, though, went down once I noticed how everybody can get by with
English. However, Noel Dunsky has managed to reawaken my interest in Hebrew by
using many playful methods and a with lot of patience.
He has met my
Hebrew needs for my daily work as a volunteer so I was able to make rather
quick progress in the language needed at work as well as in daily life. This
has given me a sense of achievement. Even though I only intended to take a
short term course, I feel learning with Noel has contributed to me and it was also
a lot of fun. This quick taste into Hebrew has proven to be worthwhile after
all! Marc Berthold | Germany 2012
Director, Heinrich Böll Foundation Israel, Tel Aviv2011-2014
www.il.boell.org
I have been taking Hebrew lessons with Noel Dunsky for about a year, and I can highly recommend him as a Hebrew teacher.
A year and a half ago, I transferred to Tel Aviv from Berlin to head the Israel office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the political foundation affiliated with the German Green party. While most of my work is in English, I wanted to learn Hebrew both for work and for private conversations, to follow the Hebrew news on TV and radio, and to tap into real Israeli life. I knew that my position is demanding, also in evening hours, and that I thus could not take Ulpan classes due to my irregular schedule.
I am glad that Noel Dunsky was recommended to me by another student. Noel Dunsky teaches the kind of Hebrew that is actually being used in everyday life and always points out what is formal and what is casual in order to address Hebrew speakers appropriately on every occasion.
He easily adjusts to the language needs of the particular student and introduces themes and vocabulary, alongside the grammar, so that everything learned can be applied instantly; even for beginners, be it in the streets, on the market, in restaurants or in the office. He successfully encourages his students to speak freely even with limited beginners knowledge. Lessons are generally held in Hebrew from day one.
His lessons are refreshing, diverse and involve current and relevant topics for each particular student. He uses various means from speaking, writing, to songs, games and others, to make each lesson interesting and meaningful. While the lessons are based on one teaching book, he integrates elements of others when he thinks they are better for the student.
Noel Dunsky is especially recommended for students in work life and in demanding positions, as he presents himself as very flexible with timing, patient and understanding with scheduling changes.
Deciding for Noel Dunsky as your Hebrew teacher is an excellent choice.
Marc Berthold |