“The teachers at the CLCT have been
training INF (International Nepal Fellowship)
expatriate workers for many years. Short-term
workers, long-term workers, young and old have
benefited enormously from the experience and
professionalism of the teachers. The staff are
trained in understanding the impact of different
learning styles and will apply appropriate
methodologies to help the student learn in a way
that's right for them.
All of the teachers are experienced in working with
expatriates and understand some of the stresses that
the students go through as they adjust to living in
a new culture. In addition to language tuition, the
teachers offer a wonderful insight into Nepali
customs and practices, all of which is vital for
student integration. I would recommend anyone to
take a course at CLCT.”
“We had a great experience with
CLCT. They took good care of us in our transition to
Nepal, helping with logistics and much helpful
advice. The teaching was professional and very
helpful. The strength of the program was having
teachers that had a good sense for our level and
helped us to learn and practice new things at our
level. You can’t create this on the outside. Their
materials were well laid out and easy to understand.
The book is also well done, and invaluable to the
learning process. It served as both a guide and
reference for the learning process. The classes
struck a good balance between learning grammar forms
and speaking practice. Most of our Nepali friends
are really surprised at how far we progressed in
only four months there. We’re definitely planning on
coming back for an intermediate course to improve
our skills.”
Paul and Rebecca Graf
USA (Currently working is Siliguri, India)
Email:
grafs99@gmail.com
“Studying Nepali language was one
of the most enjoyable things I did whilst in Nepal.
Knowing some language enriched my experiences with
Nepali people. I attended individual classes which
were easy to follow, logical and tailored to my
aims. I would recommend learning Nepali and
attending CLCT to anyone planning to stay in Nepal
for a short term or long term.”
I have found the combination of
both language and culture learning to be of great
benefit to me in my volunteer work in Nepal. I even
enjoyed it too!
Sandra Boone
Ireland (Currently working as a Hospital
Superintendent in Pokhara, Nepal)
Email:
aboone@freenet.co.uk
I enjoyed the language and cultural
orientation classes. The materials are good and the
general standard of the teachers is excellent. They
were able to respond to my needs and learning
styles, and I feel it has been a very worthwhile
course.
“The time I spent in Nepal was
wonderful and I have CLCT to thank for making it
happen. From the time I touched down in Kathmandu I
felt secure knowing that I had a friend in the
country and that arrangements had been made on my
behalf, especially while I was first getting
oriented. With my medical and public health
background I wanted to understand more about health
care delivery and disease in Nepal. CLCT arranged
for me to visit clinics, hospitals, the medical
school, NGO directors, and a home for orphans, where
I could ask candid questions. The experience brought
what I had learned in school into reality and
shattered many of my preconceptions. We managed to
find time for a trek for a taste of the beautiful
countryside and feel closer to the majestic
mountains that reign over Pokhara's horizon. I felt
safe and protected with hosts and guides I could
trust, but I was also able to maintain a healthy
amount of independence and explore on my own. Thanks
to CLCT, I was privileged to board with a Nepali
family in Pokhara. Their insight and friendship
enriched my stay and I was treated as one of the
family. I miss them terribly! The center's language
and cultural orientation was a wonderful
introduction. Knowing Nepali phrases and sensitivity
to norms and customs goes a long way towards making
real connections and conversations with the people
you meet. It's amazing how quickly you can learn
with a good teacher! I wish I could have someone
like Dinesh (the director of the center) advocating
on my behalf everywhere I go, but especially in a
place as foreign as Nepal his help was
indispensable. I would not have had half the
experience without him and his staff.”
Judith Flom
MD, MPH candidate
Johns Hopkins University, USA jflom@jhsph.edu
“I loved my language classes with
CLCT. Spending three hours per morning practicing
Nepali before heading out into Nepal and trying to
apply the lessons I'd learned was a wonderful way to
develop my language skills, and very enjoyable. The
course that the CLCT has put together is fantastic,
and perfectly anticipates the vocabulary and
sentence structure you'll need to develop with each
succeeding day spent in Nepal. In addition, my
experience very much benefited from their guidance
on cultural cues, including everything from help
learning to negotiate a taxi ride, to learning to
cook momo, to buying clothing for my field research.
As part of my CLCT program I participated in a
homestay, from which I had the opportunity to both
continue to practice the language after returning
home each night, and also to develop a relationship
with one of the families with whom CLCT coordinates
homestays. It was a wonderful experience all around,
and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone seeking to
have a more authentic experience in Nepal and
acquire language proficiency at the same time. I
can't wait to go back."
Meredith Trainer
Master’s Candidate
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Yale University, USA
Meredith.Trainor@yale.edu
"I learned some Nepali while I
lived in Nepal for 4 1/2 years. After my return to
Canada, Rekha Rajbhanari from CLCT has assisted me,
via the web, with developing my Nepali language
skills. I have found her system and approach to be
quite helpful and effective."
Gerry Kent
Canada
gnklc@cyberlink.bc.ca
