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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Making 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.

My 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.

My 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.

My 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.