Col·legi El Carme is a school in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. Rebecca, from the UK, is their first conversation assistant. Pupils and teachers are enjoying her stay with them, and so is she.

We thank Rebecca and her tutor, Núria, for writing and sharing these wonderful photos!

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My name is Rebecca, I’m eighteen and I’m from Cambridgeshire. This year I am the first conversation assistant at El Carme in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.  In the last 5 months I have learnt that El Carme is more than just a school. It’s a family. Being such a small school with only one class of no more than 28 students per age, you are able to get to know your students very well.

I work with the children from second of primary to fourth of ESO. I work with two teachers, Meritxell in primary and Nuria in ESO. I think this good as both teachers have a different ideas about how I should work with the students.

The activities I do in the primary school vary from day to day, at the moment, the children are learning about two childrens books “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Elmer The Elephant”.

Rebecca reading ‘Elmer The Elephant’ to some pupils

Rebecca and her tutor Núria

In ESO, I work alongside Nuria, usually I assist during the main part of the lesson and then do speaking activities for the last 20 minutes of the lesson. I run a speaking class every wednesday afternoon. I do short activities of no more than ten minutes with groups of 4 where the children have to speak English. In ESO, We are teaching the students about culture in English speaking countries.

In my time I am living with three different familys which have varying levels of English. Two are teachers who have children who are students and the other family had two daughters at the school. In my current family, I am not allowed to eat unless if I ask for the food in Spanish and the same for the children but in English. This is encouraging us all to learn quickly which is very important for me as it is difficult to learn Spanish in a Catalan environment.

As well as my English classes, I have also participated in things outside the classroom. In November I spent four hours teaching dance to children of ESO for the schools cultural day. I also have been on 2 school trips to Barcelona with secondary school students, which is great as the children always translate the things that I don´t understand. Recently I took part in the carnival celebrations.

“Wear-your-pajamas” day during Carnival Week