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This article was written by Nurit, a recent Level Up! Graduate. She asked her fellow classmates to reflect on their experiences in our 8-week Speaking Program. Read their responses below!
(Level Up! is our signature Speaking Program, designed to help women fast-track their fluency and feel confident, comfortable and in control when they speak English. Click here to find out more!)
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How do you sum up such an inspiring experience; an experience that brings out the best version of yourself?
How do you explain the power of a group and how much it empowers the individual?
What does Level Up! mean to me?
To answer all these questions, I invited all the amazing ladies in my Level Up! group and asked them the same questions I asked myself after 8 weeks… And I’m excited to share our answers with you!
But first… Try to enter the situation for a moment:
- 10 different countries 🌍
- 9 ladies who are strangers to each other 👩🦰🧑🦰🙍♀️
- 8 coaching sessions on Tuesday mornings 📆
- 1 coach with a magic wand 🧚♀️✨ who conducts this orchestra called Level Up! and turns all this into a beautiful harmony in which we experienced personal and group successes, overcoming challenges and leaving our comfort zone, and yet… It somehow felt the most comfortable!
So, raise a glass and join us in “A toast to Level Up!"🥂
Fannie, France - High School Teacher
"These 8 weeks were amazing. Each week was different from the other. Each week the bond between us tightened. These weeks were not just about improving skills and knowledge. They were an adventure through cultures, women's stories, and toward sisterhood. The secret weapon of this Level Up! program is the way the platform is managed and run.
If you pass through the door, you will be forever changed, learning about yourself more than expected, more empowered and confident than anticipated, and more supported than expected.
The secret weapon of this program is the mix of wonderful ladies that come to learn with a wonderful coach who knows how to make the magic happen!"
Mahshad, Iran/Melbourne - Hairdresser
"When I think about the Level Up! program, I think about how it helped me move one step further toward my speaking goal; it was such a unique time for me.
When I started to "break the ice," I felt that I was not good enough, but after I "melted," I felt relieved and amazed to hear that the other women in my group had the same feelings and goals as me."
Angela, Slovakia - Primary School Teacher
"The most challenging part for me was recording myself in the beginning for the first video. That was when the ice started to melt between all of us! 😀 It was inspiring to see each other's videos unfold and gradually reveal more details about ourselves. After the next video from our wonderful Coach Dani, I found it fun and recorded two more videos just for fun. This is a great way to improve our pronunciation and practice. I never thought I would enjoy it!"
Glennica, Philippines - Medical Laboratory Scientist
"I didn't believe in the existence of magic. I just thought magic was a bunch of party tricks to fool people with. But they said there's magic here in Hey Lady! Joining the Level Up! program was a game-changing experience for me. It sped up my English learning journey and taught me more about myself. The unwavering support of our coach and Level Up! partners helped me stay motivated and focused on moving forward.
The lessons I've learned from the program…Being surrounded by amazing ladies who have now become my friends…A very skilled and talented English (and life!) Coach…And the Hey Lady! Platform…
Without all of these factors, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
If anyone doubts how their journey will turn out here, give Level Up! a chance, and you might surprise yourself, too!🤩
I want to thank the Hey Lady! Community, the Level Up! program, and my friends for helping me achieve the scores I needed in my IELTS exam. And especially to Coach Dani for believing in and supporting me until the end.
I wouldn't have scored 7.5 in my IELTS speaking and listening exams without all of you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my English learning journey memorable, fun, and life-changing."
Ania, Poland - Data Analyst
"In the beginning, signing up for Hey Lady! was just a way to improve and develop my English; because nowadays, without English, it is tough to find an excellent job with a fair salary!
I joined many conversations and talked to many ladies and then I came across the Level Up! Speaking Program and decided to get it for myself as a present for Christmas.
One of the first between-class tasks was the video recording; I saw the video of each group member. The stories of each lady touched me, and I started getting to know them closer every Tuesday.
And I realised that Hey Lady! is not only a tool to help ladies improve their English; the platform and this program brings lots of light into our lives. It allows us to set personal goals, develop ourselves, overcome our fears, step out of our comfort zone, and make meaningful friendships."
Hasna, Indonesia - Lecturer
"I was amazed when I joined the Level Up! program. It has helped me to Level Up my speaking skills! In addition, this course helped me know more about handling different circumstances or conditions when I speak English. For example, it taught me how to disagree with someone and how to interrupt a conversation politely. Besides that, I have met many supportive friends who help me speak fluently.
This program is one of the best ways to learn to speak English in enjoyable circumstances.😘"
Lili, Germany - Psychologist
"One of my favorite quotes from Franz Kafka comes to mind when I think about Level Up! It says: "Paths are made by walking. Step by step."
Our experience at the top level was like a journey through wonderful stages, where we learned a lot about ourselves and all of us ladies. Every week we grew - it was an excellent process.
Together we developed an uplifting workflow. It gave us closeness, trust, and something important: supporting each other. Together. We were on the same track!
Our Tuesday morning was an exciting 8 weeks, and the time between classes was full of creative work and emotional experiences.
Each week another layer was built like one brick on top of the other, and things happened that we did not expect - there was always exciting motivation; we worked so intensively together as a group or in pairs.
This is what helped us jump over our shadows and challenge ourselves or overcome fears.
Dani is an excellent coach. The way she conveys knowledge and ideas is far from being "another class lesson" or a classic, traditional lecture. Instead, she supported each of us in our personal development in a natural training process - after all, each of us has our own goal for our English journey.
At the same time, we shared the goal of improving our confidence and ability in speaking skills and doing our best together. The group carried itself like a foundation, and Dani gave us inspiration, motivation, progress, and challenge, constantly encouraging us to move forward, not stand still.
This is such a magical space for learning together and progressing together. So "dive deep and move forward" is my motto for the experience of my plan to increase in levels - I felt such excellent conditions to grow in many levels.
I developed so many skills and social structures to do and create more. I'm so impressed with how we became a cohesive group so quickly and became so close, just like old friends 🙂
I am so happy and grateful. For me, I would start this journey again. It was the best English course I've ever had!"
Sara, Italy - English Language Tutor
"Although I had a long and intense journey in Hey Lady! I felt that a piece of the puzzle was missing. It was the Level Up! program! Learning a language is a never-ending journey, and I wanted to improve my advanced speaking and hosting skills. Sometimes I have to expose myself more than usual during my conversations, and there have been difficult situations where I needed advice.
Now, after this 8-week Level Up! adventure, I realise it was the perfect moment to join Level Up!
I joined this program with excitement and, at the same time, with doubts and questions. But I ended up learning much more than I expected. Level Up! dug deep into my heart. And it may be hard to believe, but it helped me get the most out of my experience as a community member! ✨
It was mainly thanks to our outstanding coach Dani and my 8 friends in the wonderful Level Up group. 💞🙏🏼
So ladies, no matter what stage you are in on your Hey Lady! journey, the Level Up! program will always lift you higher! 💖😍🎉👭"
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So many success stories, so much emotion! Level Up! brings together so many different ladies for the most enriching and meaningful experience.
We could just keep talking about the beautiful connection created here with Coach Dani, who led us with her incredible sensitivity and gave us all personal feedback, causing individual and group successes💫🤩.
So before we say “it's a wrap”, my last question is to Coach Dani herself.
Dani, South Africa - Hey Lady! Coach
What is your favourite part (or week) of this program?
"Without spoiling any surprises for those who haven't been through Level Up! yet, I must say that lesson 1 and lesson 8 are always fascinating for me. Seeing and hearing the growth.
It's wonderful to see it with my own eyes over the weeks but it is particularly special to see our Level Up! participants RECOGNISE the different shifts and changes, the upgrades they feel over time.
I love the nervous excitement of that first lesson and how it dissipates once the ice is broken. I love knowing and not knowing what the next 7 weeks holds for my students. And I love all the steps in between 1 and 8 😉”
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WHAT A GIFT!💚🧡
This experience allowed me to express myself not only in English, but also to express my creativity through this article. It is an exciting souvenir of our shared journey together!
Thanks to all the amazing ladies who are an integral part of this article, who gave me a hand to create, edit, write and rewrite their thoughts and feelings.
As Dani says...lots of love❤️😘😍🥰.
Yours,
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