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Escola Pia Terrassa

By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 23rd, 2015%

Escola Pia Terrassa has been hosting Conversation Assistants for five years now. This year they are hosting for English Conversation Assistants and one French Conversation Assistant. Kayla, who comes from the USA, is the Conversation Assistant that helps children in infant school get used to hearing and speaking the English language. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Kayla!

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kayla2I found this program while I was looking for a job where I could have more experience working with children.  I had already been working in a preschool in the U.S but I was looking for a position with a bit more responsibility.  The travel aspect was a plus as I had wanted to have an experience abroad for a while but it didn’t coordinate with my studies at my University.  As this program seemed to combine my two main interests, I decided I would give it a try.

On my first day I had a meeting with the infantile program director and the English teacher in my school.  I was assigned to the infantile program meaning I would work with children ranging in age from 3-6 years old.  They provided me with an outline of general expectations for the first few months of my program, showed me the materials from the previous conversation assistants and told me I would begin my activities the following week.

My activities include leading a portion of the morning circle, working with small groups in the classroom and working in a separate classroom with 8 children once a week.  After morning circle, I begin with my activity which is more or less whatever I think is appropriate to teach.  I teach my activity in the classroom with a small group of children while the others are playing with puzzles, tablets, and other materials available in the room.  If I ever have questions or need feedback from the other teachers regarding my activities, then I try to arrange a time to speak with them and get their input.  Overall, the conversation assistant position in my school is very relaxed and the activities I plan are completely up to me.

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kayla1Currently I am living with my second host family.  I live with a woman and her 12 year old daughter.  During the week I only see them for dinner time which is when I speak with the mother in English.  On the weekends the daughter is busy with various activities and the mother likes to do things with her friends.  I have joined the mother and her friends for some weekend activities but usually I find things to do with the other conversation assistants from my school.  With my first host family, I spent almost all of my time with and I felt very much like a part of their family.  I would go with them for big family lunches every weekend and I always felt like they were there for me for whatever I needed.  I am still in contact with them and I continue to meet up with them for dinners or sometimes even just to catch up.

The people I have met during this program are what keep me going while I’m living away from my friends, family and my home.  I feel very lucky to be apart of the team of teachers at the infantile school at Escola Pia Terrassa and they are like another family to me.  From my first week I felt comfortable and welcomed by everyone there.  I am so thankful that I get to work with and learn from them.  Luckily, at my school there are 4 other conversation assistants who I am happy to call my friends.  They all have proven to be a really important part of my life here.

I’m sure I won’t remember the details of my day to day life here after this program is over but I am sure I will look back on this time and remember the relationships I made with these people and for that reason I am thankful for this experience.

Leave a comment   Escola Pia de Terrassa, General

Salesians Sant Boi

By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 4th, 2015%

Salesians Sant Boi is a school located in Sant Boi de Llobregat. They joined the programme in 2013, so this is their second year with a conversation assistant at the school. This year they are hosting Amy, who comes from the UK and is helping create an English-speaking environment in the school. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us, Amy & Eva, her tutor.

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amy1Making the decision to move to Spain was one of the biggest decisions of my life.   To be perfectly honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that it was going to be an experience of a lifetime and one which, in my opinion, I couldn’t turn down. I am an English Language university student and I am working here as part of a placement year. Although I am still not sure what I want to do as a career, I knew this would be an experience of a lifetime.

As soon as I arrived at the airport in Barcelona and was greeted by Home to Home, amongst numerous other CAPS, I was made to feel so welcome. Subsequently, at the induction, I made some brilliant friends and we regularly meet up outside of school. We were all mesmerised by the beauty that exists in Barcelona.

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amyfamilyMy host family are absolutely brilliant and could not be more supportive if they tried! I already feel like part of the family and luckily, I am with them for the whole nine months! I’m always included in family activities and have experienced the celebration of the Three Kings, which is the main Christmas celebration here. It’s so interesting being immersed in another culture and learning how different everything is! I have a very good relationship with my family and often play games with the children/bond over similar tastes in music! Each weekend we explore Barcelona, whether it’s just going for a drink and something to eat, or exploring a new town/village, there’s always something to do! Even when I leave, they will always be my Spanish family.

amy6My school is located in Sant Boi, a small town which is a train ride away from where I live. My host Mum is a teacher at the school, which really helped in terms of integrating within the community and enables me to ask her anything I need to know. Both the staff and the students have made me feel like a celebrity at the school and many of them make an effort to speak to me in English, which is really comforting. The school is like one big family and everyone knows everyone, it’s amazing.

My tutor in particular is always there for me if I have any concerns and I always feel like I can talk to her. We have a regular meeting every week, which is reserved for anything that we need to discuss or prepare for the day to day lessons within the school. She’s not only there for me at the school, but she has become a huge part of my life and she often visits me outside of school for a drink and a catch up.

amy7My tasks at the school include working with pre-primary, primary, secondary students and the teachers at the school, therefore I am gaining a vast amount of experience; although, it makes it tricky remembering names!! The activities I do with each age group vary, but they are all focused on helping them with their oral English skills and learning new vocabulary and grammar. For example, activities with the pre-primary children involve teaching them very simple things such as ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘what’s your name?’ and I’ve learnt that flashcards are an invaluable resource when it comes to working with tiny children!

With the youngest group in secondary we are rehearsing the play ‘Robin Hood’ in English, ready for them to perform at the end of the year. In the older students’ lessons, we often revise English grammar using games/sections from the textbooks. Sometimes I take groups of the secondary students out of the classroom into another room, so I can help them on a more personal level with pronunciation and they can ask me any questions they may have.

This experience is most certainly the most challening, rewarding and exciting thing I’ve ever done. It’s definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, but one which I will never forget.

Leave a comment   2014-2015, Salesians Sant Boi

Escola Ramon Pont – Terrassa

By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 2nd, 2015%

Ramon Pont is an infant, primary and secondary school located in Terrassa. They have been in the Program for two years. Their conversation assistant for this school year is Rachel, who comes from the US. She is having a great time in Terrassa and in Ramon Pont, and her presence there benefits both teachers and students. Thanks for writing to us, Rachel 🙂

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My name is Rachel Lane and this is my first year as a conversation assistant with CAPS.  I’m currently in a school in Terrassa, about 40 minutes away from Barcelona, called Escola Ramon Pont.  Terrassa has been a great place to live so far; you are close enough to Barcelona to be able to hop on a train whenever you want, but you don’t always have to deal with tourists in Barcelona.

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At the school, I work with ages 3-16, which has been interesting in that there are obviously varying levels of English, and that I get to do things such as sing English songs with the young kids, and go into more in-depth conversations with the older kids.  My day-to-day work here consists of taking small groups from classes and doing various speaking activities.  I really enjoy doing this because I get to know the kids and their cultures, as well as discussing my culture and life in America.  Since the school I work in is small, I’ve gotten to know all of the teachers and students on a more personal level.

Another interesting aspect of the program is living with a host family.  I am currently with my second family, and I think that this is the main way that I have become more integrated with life and culture here in Spain.  Being so far from home, I am happy that I get a family atmosphere; we all have meals together, we go on outings in and around Terrassa, and I’ve even participated in family gatherings which have been great fun.

Overall, moving to Spain to be a conversation assistant has been one of the best experiences of my life.  My two pieces of advice to anyone considering is 1) Start saving your money!  The process can be expensive, and it’s good to have a cushion of money to fall back on in case you need it while in Spain. 2)  Even basic knowledge of Spanish is extremely helpful while living here.  I studied Spanish in college so I know a good bit, but I would imagine it would be much more difficult to do day-today things here without any knowledge of the language.

Leave a comment   General