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.