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By júlia verdaguer, on maig 8th, 2012 Joseph is a Conversation Assistant at FEDAC Sagrat Cor in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. He and his tutor, Veronica, have sent us a lot of great photos. We have posted some here, but don’t forget to visit our flickr to see the rest of them. Thanks a lot, Joseph & Veronica!
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Says Joseph:
I will begin by saying that as a person, I feel compelled to ask a good friend in his house if I can get a glass of water in case I somehow violate a primary and immutable law. That is the level of awkwardness I possess. However before even my basic pheromones were through the door to my host family’s house, the school’s too, that all disappeared. The host families have all been terrific and have given me an incredible amount of support. Before I came here in October I had no knowledge of Spanish or Catalan but this didn’t stop the families from encouraging or helping me with learning. I am now in my 3rd household and by the end of the first day I was actually made to feel like the house I was in was my own.
The school is no different and appears to be filled with people who rank ‘Helping others’ somewhere between breathing and basic motor functions. This attribute seems prevalent throughout Catalonia and doesn’t stop at the school gates. From the first day, my tutor was unyielding in her commitment to make me feel as comfortable as possible. She doesn’t just treat me as another student to take care of however, but with the same respect as other faculty members and had no problems in helping me outside of school with various other problems. The other teachers were the same; all of them try their English with me or help with my Spanish. One of the teachers came with me and waited for half an hour just to create my bank account. Another came to the Police Station for my work papers which began with a 20 minute queue and she was out smiling me by quite a bit.
In the school I teach children from the ages of 6 to 16 which for me offers the perfect balance of enriching and interesting days of work. We play games, help each other with issues we find difficult (this applies to my Spanish too) and sometimes it is talking that I find to be the best form of teaching as you feel the gulf between student and teacher isn’t really there and both parties can learn.
To be honest, at its most concentrated, joining the CAPS programme has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in 23 years. Given that I’m 23, I’d resolutely recommend the pursuit of this course to those not just interested in teaching or travelling, but to those who want to look at life from a different point of view for a few months.
By júlia verdaguer, on abril 27th, 2012 Andy is a Conversation Assistant in Escola Sagrada Família, in Lleida. He arrived in December and has since been enjoying his time here. So have the students and teachers at the school, and his two host families. Everyone’s English has improved!
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Hello my name is Andy. I am a conversation assistant in Sagrada Familia School, Lleida. I studied Philosophy at university, and after decided that I wanted to travel to another country to work. Through this I began a TEFL course, and at the beginning of November I applied to be a conversation assistant with CAPS and Home to Home. Three weeks later I was flying out to Spain.
I teach in classes from first of primary to second BATX, so I am getting the most out of my experience. My first week was spent observing classes, and after that I began to get more responsibility in them. Both of my tutors for primary and secondary are so helpful when it comes to lessons, and they made me feel very comfortable in the classroom environment.
With the younger primary classes, I play games to help improve their vocabulary, and practice speaking with them. They are always very keen to ask me lots of questions, which can only be a good thing, as they are encouraged to speak English. With the older primary classes, we divide the class into two groups, and I take one half to do an activity and the next week we switch the groups around.
In ESO classes and BATX things are very different, but I enjoy it all the same. My tutor Ana gives me many opportunities to not only help the students practice speaking, but also take control of classes on a weekly basis, where I take the class through different activities and work with them like their own teacher. I also get the opportunity to try out ideas for lessons with Ana in the class which I really enjoy, especially when I know that the students enjoy it.
In my time here in Lleida I am living with two families. The first family I was living with until the end of March. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met, and were so welcoming to me when I first arrived. The parents didn´t speak English but there was no awkwardness between us at all. They are all so nice. In the family there is a son who is roughly the same age as me which was good, as we have similar interests. The two daughters have an excellent level of English, and we were always laughing and joking every day. I felt like part of the family, even with the Gran who also lived in the house. It has been an incredible experience living with them and I was sad to leave. The new family I’m living with has given me a different but equally incredible experience. Rather than living in the city I’m staying in a village 5 minutes from the city. I’m enjoying having a different life.
So far my experience here has been incredible and literally don’t have a bad word to say about it. Some weeks ago, I was visited by Raquel, one of the girls from Home to Home, and Júlia from FECC to see how I was getting on. I thought was a good thing, as it shows both of them are doing their jobs correctly. I am having an amazing time here in Spain and don’t plan on leaving the country.
By júlia verdaguer, on abril 13th, 2012 Estem preparant l’arribada de la quarta promoció d’auxiliars de conversa a les escoles que participen al Programa Auxiliars de Conversa (PAC) i a les cases de les famílies que, generosament, s’han ofert a acollir-los.
Des de l’organtizació del PAC hem convocat tres sessions informatives obertes a tothom: famílies acollidores, famílies interessades, direccions i mestres d’escola, etc. En aquestes reunions parlarem de què suposa acollir un auxiliar de conversa a casa, com podem facilitar la seva integració a la família i al nostre país i, és clar, donarem resposta a totes les preguntes que pugueu plantejar-nos.
Demarcació de Lleida – Dimarts, 8 de maig, 18:00h
Lloc: Escola Lestonnac L’Ensenyança. Av. Prat de la Riba, 38. Lleida
Demarcació de Girona – Dimecres, 9 de maig, 18:00h
Lloc: Escola Maristes Girona. Av Josep Tarradellas, 5-7. Girona
Demarcació de Barcelona – Dijous, 10 de maig, 18:00h
Lloc: Escola Pia Balmes. Carrer Balmes, 208. Barcelona
Podeu descarregar-vos un model de circular i un cartell per a promocionar les sessions en els següents enllaços:
> Model circular PDF
> Model circular word
> Cartell PDF
> Cartell word
Si us plau, en cas que vingueu a alguna de les sessions, confirmeu la vostra assistència al correu pac@escolacristiana.org, indicant a quina de les tres sessions assistireu, i quantes persones vindreu.
By júlia verdaguer, on abril 2nd, 2012 Happy Easter holidays, everyone!
We leave you with a great idea for a board game that Wendy, Conversation Assistant at Col·legi Claver, has sent us. It’s a great way to get students speaking and it is adaptable to all schools.
Thanks a lot, Wendy!
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I have to prepare many different activities for the children of Claver, including songs, games and quizzes, to rouse their interest in the English language and get them to practice their pronunciation (which is the main reason they learn with me!)
Recently, with sixth year, the students have been playing a board game, called
‘A Day at School’, which I adapted from a website, specifically made for learners of English as a foreign language. The game includes a board which features pictures of different areas of a school, including classrooms, playground, swimming pool and cafeteria and before starting the game I test the students understanding of each area.
Students roll the dice and move their counters around the board. If they land on a red spot, they have to take an action card and read it aloud to the other players. The action card tells them that a specific teacher has asked them to go to a specific area of the school so they must move their counter to the corresponding picture. I adapted the game so that the action cards feature actual teachers of Claver, making the game more personal to the students and when the first student reads an action card aloud, it usually produces a laugh and encourages them to speak further about the instruction.
 If a student lands on an area of the school without being asked to go there by a teacher, the student to the right of the current player must ask them why they are in that area, for example, if a student lands on the library, the player to their right would ask, “Why are you in the library?” and the student whose counter is in the library has to reply. There are no rules as to what the student can, or cannot say, as long as they speak English and their answer makes sense, so they could say, “I am in the library because I want to read a book”, for example.
To win the game, players must have at least three action cards before making their way to ‘Goal’ on the board.
By júlia verdaguer, on març 19th, 2012 Alex is a Conversation Assistant in Escola Pare Coll in Vic. He arrived in January and has quickly adapted to his new school, new home and new way of life, with an open mind and with the help of the school and his host family. We hope he enjoys the next months as much as possible too!
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I moved to Vic, Catalonia in january of this year. The first few days I spent with my adopted family who, it must be said, are brilliant. They were extremely welcoming and have continued to be conscientious, warm and generous ever since, especially in allowing me to be part of their family and including me in their daily activities. I have had fun trying to get their three sons to speak English (mostly while playing basketball and/or football), and they are coming along very well. I’m lucky that they speak some english and they have introduced me to different aspects of Catalan culture and to various people of different ages so i have never felt isolated in this new place.
My experience at school has been very fun too. I have been lucky, once again, that my tutor and the rest of the teaching staff have been incredibly helpful and welcoming and continue to be so each and every day. The school is large, with students from 5 to 16 years, but we have found that games and dialogues have been very successful in encouraging the children to speak english. Interestingly, a large number of ESO students are going to London in the near future so I have been trying to give them an idea of what to expect and certain tips insider tips on the city. I also regularly help with pronunciation, grammar and any other linguistic questions they may have. We have a strict ‘only English’ rule in class wherever possible.
Overall, my experience of Catalonia has been very special. I have felt comfortable from the start and this is down to the warmth and support of the people around me. I’m very confident that I am not the only conversation assistant to feel this way! I would wholeheartedly recommend this experience to others.
Gracies i Adeu.
By júlia verdaguer, on març 12th, 2012 Jonathan is a Conversation Assistant in Escola Pia Sitges who works with students in Primary, Secondary and Batxillerat. He’s having a great time in Catalonia and everyone in his school is having a great experience too. Thanks for writing and sending photos!
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 Since moving to Catalonia in October I have been involved in a variety of interesting, enjoyable and challenging situations. After applying for the CAPS program, I was told I would be placed in a small beach town that I had not previously heard of – Sitges. Sitges is a well-known tourist destination, popular for the many beautiful beaches and nightlife both in the town and in neighbouring Barcelona.
 On arrival at Barcelona airport (El Prat), the new assistants were greeted by members of the CAPS administration. We were then taken to a hotel and provided with some valuable training and information regarding our work placements. I found this training very reassuring, as all members of staff seemed happy and eager to answer questions or any doubts that we had. The following day, the excitement began to build as our host families began to arrive and whisk us off to our new Catalan homes.
I am extremely happy and have a great relationship with my family, they are extremely generous and have made me feel very welcome in their home. It will be sad day when the time comes to leave! We improve each others language skills by speaking Castilian, Catalan and English on alternating days.
 My working life here in the school continues to be interesting, enjoyable and provides me with new challenges on a daily basis. I work with primary, secondary (or ESO as it is known as here) and 6th form (Batxillerat) students providing English conversation games, role plays, listening exercises and often team-teaching in conjunction with the local teacher. I have also been able to start some small musical workshops which is a nice break for both the students and I!
To conclude, I am thoroughly enjoying my experience in Catalonia and would especially recommend the program to anyone who would consider teaching as a future career path.
By júlia verdaguer, on març 7th, 2012 We have received another submission, this time from Escola Mare de Déu de la Mercè, FEDAC-Sant Andreu in Barcelona. We thank them for taking the time to write!
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Hola, sóc l’Helena, tutora del nostre assistent de conversa, el Kai Collins.
Quan em van encomanar aquesta tasca em costava fer-me a la idea d’una persona de parla anglesa voltant per la nostra escola. En pocs dies, no només em vaig acostumar a aquest fet, sinó que de seguida li vaig trobar els avantatges. És un luxe poder comunicar-nos a l’escola en anglès en el dia a dia. Les nostres sales de profes han fet un canvi, s’han enriquit. Igualment s’han enriquit les classes, els passadissos, el menjador i els patis… A l’Escola Mare de Déu dela Mercè, FEDAC Sant Andreu l’anglès ja no és només competència dels professors d’aquesta llengua, ara l’anglès és més viu gràcies a la presència del Kai.
Helena Giménez i Medina
Being a conversation assistant in Barcelona is the best thing I´ve ever done, especially in terms of work!
Since arriving here at the start of October I have settled into Spanish life even though before moving here I had never spoken a word of Spanish or Catalan. When first arriving I felt so excited by what the next year or more had in store for me and the excitement hasn´t dwindled. I am now living with my second host family and both have been amazing at helping me to become part of their family whilst still recognising that I am an adult and treating me like one.
Having never considered teaching before moving to another country and becoming one was a big step, and one that I´m glad I made, teaching children from the age of 3 to 16 is great as every lesson is different and I never get bored of the same old class all day. The teachers at the school have been amazing at helping me teach in class and feel welcome. My tutor has been especially good to me helping me with anything that I need, such as taking me to the hospital for appointments as I am diabetic and introducing me to her niece who teaches me Spanish. Moving to Barcelona was the best decision I’ve made in a long time and I would highly recommend it to anyone (and already have!).
Kai Collins
By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 21st, 2012 Paul Costello, Conversation Assistant at Sant Ignasi-Sarrià in Barcelona and his tutor Maria have submitted the following for the blog. Thanks a lot!
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Paul Costello is from Manchester and has a sports coaching degree. In October he arrived in Barcelona to work as a Conversation Assistant at Jesuïtes Sarrià. It is the first time he takes part in a PAC (Conversation Assistant Program). Working as a conversation assistant means
he has conversation classes with ESO and Batxillerat students and assists teachers who are doing CLIL ( Content and language integrated learning) subjects.
(Maria)
Hello! My name is Paul Costello and I am a conversation assistant here In Sant Ignasi School, Barcelona. I have been in Spain since the 12th of October and began in the school a week after I arrived. I was very nervous as I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish! But as soon as I met the staff and the family they helped me settle in perfectly.
I stay with three different families during my time in Barcelona. The first family I am living with have three boys, so that keeps the parents busy as you can imagine! As the mother (Marta) works at the school she helped me find my way around during the first few days. Sant Ignasi is very big and I got lost a few times in the first week!
I have been very lucky with my first term in Barcelona; the family I am staying with are big football fans and have season tickets at the Camp Nou. I have been to see six games! I saw twenty two goals scored and all of them scored for Barça! When the family and I finish school on Friday afternoon we travel to a village north of Barcelona called “Seva” and we spend the weekend there with two of the children taking part in football matches each week.
I work in the school Monday to Friday doing an average of four classes every day. I work with a wide range of age groups from 3 ESO to 2BAT which is a wide range of levels but all have a good enthusiasm to learn English and practice the language. I have been really surprised by how happy the students have been to learn and try new things; they all seem to enjoy having a new face around the school. In some lessons I take four or five students and we will go to do an activity in a different classroom, the activities will be based on what the students are doing in class, or in some classes I assist the teacher who is teaching a subject in English. I think it is good to have a conversation assistant in these lessons to help with the more complex language and pronunciation. It also allows the students to help me learn some Spanish!
I have also been doing some extra classes with students who want to gain experience of speaking with an English person. During these lessons I give tips regarding pronunciation and assistance with useful words and phrases. I believe these one-on-one classes are good because it allows me to give more attention to an individual.
I have joined the Sant Ignasi football team as I played football in Manchester and I was keen to get involved in as many sports as possible during my time here. The football team have all made me feel very welcome and I can’t wait to start the training again next year.
The thing I like most about Barcelona is the people. Everyone is so friendly and helpful, the family and the school have been very good to me. I am looking forward to coming back after Christmas to continue with the classes and to meet new people in Sant Cugat.
By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 1st, 2012 We have received this e-mail from Cassidy, a Conversation Assistant staying at Escola Vedruna in Berga. Thank you!
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Hello, my name is Cassidy and I’m working in Escola Vedruna Berga. The town of Berga is a lovely place about an hour and a half out of Barcelona. Situated in the mountains, I’m surrounded by picturesque views and a brilliant atmosphere.
 My role as Conversation Assistant in the school means I take groups of students from their usual English classes and practice speaking and pronunciation with them. In order to do this I get them involved in a number of different activities aimed at getting them speaking as much English as possible. I find this job to be very rewarding, seeing the proud look on the student’s faces when they say something correctly. Learning a third language (as they are also taught both Catalan and Spanish) is not always an exciting prospect for children, especially of primary school age, however I have found that they all enjoy having the opportunity of speaking to a native English speaker.
 As the ‘English girl’ I have gained popularity both inside and outside of the school. I am constantly greeted by smiling children with shouts of ‘Hello Cassidy!’ whether walking through the school or just walking down the street. I have been made to feel very welcome at the school by all the teachers, students and staff. I have also really enjoyed being involved in school celebrations, especially at Christmas when the whole school put together a nativity scene which takes place throughout the school and involves all the students dressing up and delivering short performances for their section of the scene.
During the first three months out here I have met some of the friendliest and funniest people you could ever wish to meet. I am staying with the English teacher from the school and think this has helped me settle in a lot as she is always there to help me and answer any questions. I am very lucky as my host family have done everything possible to welcome me in to their family and all of their friends and family have welcomed me as well. I have become great friends with the couple and their daughter has soon become like a little sister to me. I have really enjoyed all the family activities I have been involved in including family celebrations, trips to the beach, the mountains and even a holiday in Seville where I was introduced to even more family members all just as friendly and welcoming.
 I have soon found myself adapting to the Catalan way of life. The two different languages can sometimes be confusing but I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve begun to pick up Catalan and understand a lot more of what people are saying (just by listening to everyday conversations) despite studying Spanish. I have really enjoyed my first months here and I am looking forward to the next six months ahead. It is a very rewarding experience and there is no better way to experience a culture than living with a native family.
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 24th, 2012 Wendy is a Conversation Assistant based in Col·legi Claver in Lleida. She’s really enthusiastic about her work and everyone in the school is delighted to have her around. Her tutor, Blanca, has sent a photo along with Wendy’s text. Thank you both!
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I came to work at Claver as a Conversation Assistant through a company called Home-to-Home. I knew that I wanted to teach English and I had a basic level of Spanish after studying the language at school for five years – followed by five years of not having had an opportunity to use my new-found skill – so I thought that by coming to Spain I would have the chance to improve my Spanish. I knew that I would be placed in a school, and with a family, in Catalonia, however I wasn’t aware, before coming here, that Catalan was the main spoken language and that I would be learning yet another new language (I wasn’t asked to learn Catalan but I felt that, being in Catalonia, it was important for me to at least try to learn their official language and, being half-Welsh, I understand the importance of the language to its people and, besides all this, I enjoy learning new languages  ).
Home-to-Home is a very well-organised company and I had received the details of Claver and of my new family prior to leaving the UK (which was so important to me, having worked in Egypt last year with a company which basically left me alone!) I had the opportunity to look at the school’s website, to exchange e-mails with the mother of the family and to virtually explore the area where I would be spending the next nine months of my life.
On the 1st October, 2011, my new family came to Barcelona to meet me for the first time and I was so excited and nervous and scared but mostly…very, very happy! This was the day that it all became very real and my journey really began. In the car, on our way to Alpicat, we went through our lists of questions for each other and I realised that the parents didn’t really speak English and it was only the children who I would be able to have a conversation with. Now, however, after living with them for just over one month, I forget that English isn’t the children’s first language, the mother is actively learning English and speaks with me all the time and the father tries hard to speak to me, although he still relies on the children’s translation skills and makes very funny mistakes, such as “When I was a chicken”, rather than “When I was a child…” but at least he’s trying!!! It makes me feel very happy and proud and encourages me to learn their language even more so!
My first week at Claver I was told to take it easy: having only to observe the lessons, to meet new people; to make an attempt at learning everybody’s name (which I still haven’t managed to do) and to try to find my way around the school, which is very big! Being the person that I am, however, I wanted to get involved straight away. Each week, I work with Primary school children in subjects including Sport (with sixth year); Games & Songs (third year); Bits & Pieces (fifth year) and, of course, English (with both sixth and first year students). I also assist in Parvulari classes, working/playing with four and five-year-olds. If you were to ask me which my favourite subject, or year, is I really would not be able to give you an answer because they are all so different. Working with the really young children is completely different to working with the older students and the subjects, themselves, are very different so I really could not choose one over another. With the younger students I assist the teachers in the classroom but with fifth and sixth year, I take a group and we talk, or play games, which I really like because it gives me an opportunity to know more about them as people.
 La Wendy amb la classe de Els Picarols I also have conversation classes with the teachers of Claver four times a week – twice with Primary teachers and twice with Secondary teachers – which I enjoy very much because speaking with adults is a lot different to speaking with children, although I must not forget that they’re learning English, too, so I still have to speak slowly and choose my words carefully.
After being here for just over one month I have become a part of my family, rather than a guest in their house; I have made friends at Claver who I hope will always be in my life; my Spanish has improved and I am continuing to learn Catalan and, most importantly from a personal point of view, I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up and I have decided that I will stay in Lleida for one more year once my job at Claver finishes in June, 2012
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