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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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 I 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.
 Click here to watch the video!
 Currently 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.
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.
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.
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 15th, 2015% Over the last few months I’ve been living near Barcelona, Spain, in the small town of Olesa de Montserrat, where I also work at the Escolapies School as the English speaking assistant through the CAPS Home to Home organization.
The experience so far has been great, I’ve lived in 2 homes already. The first was the home of 4 of my students. This immersed me in the culture and language of the country as well as the more mundane day to day living. The greatest aspect of this was being able to communicate with my students on their opinion of my classes and gain feedback. The second house, and my current home, is the house of another teacher whom I work with and her family. It’s been a rewarding experience, once again being immersed in the same culture from a different point of view, the most important aspect of this was to have another teacher to consult with regularly, someone who was in the same profession as I was, however someone who was more experienced and new the inner workings of the school.
The job itself has been so rewarding to improve on my teaching techniques and knowledge of the mechanics. The school is run perfectly. I notice it’s a very rigid studious school environment, however Escolapies also takes a very artistic liberalized approach to its teaching very similar to the Montessori schools and their teaching philosophy.
My only words of advice for a family who wishes to host a language assistant is that it helps to have at the very least a basic understanding of English as it can be trying when a language barrier exists. It’s also noteworthy that in northern Spain other languages exist alongside Spanish this includes Basque, Catalan, and Gallego and even though they’re relatively similar and all have Latin origin it can still confuse you if you come to northern Spain (Barcelona area) expecting a total Spanish environment like Madrid and its surrounding area.
In a couple of weeks I move to my new host family. Everything has been great so far and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants the experience of a lifetime.
By júlia verdaguer, on desembre 17th, 2014% Here is our third blog submission, coming from La Salle Comtal school in Barcelona. There, Joseph, who comes from the USA, helps pupils from Infant to Secondary school improve their English. Pupils, teachers, and Joseph are all making the most of this experience. We thank Joseph for sharing his thoughts with us!
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Joseph Jackson
December 9th, 2014
An American In Barcelona
When I first stepped foot onto a plane in Miami, Florida knowing that it would be the last time I’d be in the United States for a year, a cloud of uncertainty surrounded me. America was all I’ve ever known for my 23 years of life, and leaving home was equivalent to moving to Mars for me. Thankfully the staff, families, and students at La Salle Comtal have eased my concerns and I’m happy to say I feel at home in Barcelona and at La Salle Comtal.
 My name is Joseph Jackson, I’m 23 years old from Atlanta, Georgia and I’m serving as the conversation assistant at La Salle Comtal for the 2014-2015 school year. Atlanta is a city located in the peach state, Georgia, and is your stereotypical American metropolitan area. The home of Coca-Cola, the 1996 Olympic Games, the great Ray Charles, and myself, Georgia is a southern state with charm and the well-known hospitality of the southern portion of the United States. I study political science and Spanish at Georgia Southern University and was the vice-president of a political organization on our campus. In my free time I enjoy playing sports, playing the guitar, listening to music, and meeting new people from different walks of life.
My experience at La Salle Comtal has been all that I wanted and more. Jose Luis, my tutor, has been excellent at aiding me with withever I need and creating a schedule to implement me seamlessly into the classes here at school. All of the staff have been very accomodating, friendly, and patient in dealing with my horrendous Spanish accent and American English accent that differs from what they’re used to hearing. The students are full of life and do something new every day that brings a smile to my face. Whether it’s being attacked by a gang of 1st of primary students, or enjoying physical education in English with the 4th of ESO students, everyone has been friendly and happy to accept me as part of the family here at La Salle Comtal. In my apartment back home in Georgia I proudly hang an American flag on my wall. When I return I’ll have the flags of my two homes on my apartment wall, the American flag and the flag of Catalunya. I’d like to thank La Salle Comtal for having me here this year and am looking forward to enjoying 2015 here in Catalunya. Thank you all!
By júlia verdaguer, on octubre 1st, 2014% Divendres, 26 de setembre, 8:00 del matí, Aeroport del Prat. L’equip del Programa Auxiliars de Conversa de la FECC i l’equip de CAPS de Home to Home donem la benvinguda als primers auxiliars de conversa, que arriben de Canadà i Estats Units. A les 9:30 surt des de l’aeroport, amb un grup de 30 auxiliars, el primer autocar cap a la Residència Salesiana Martí Codolar. Hi ha auxiliars que no tornaran a casa fins al juny, així que l’autocar va ple de maletes -gegants!- a vessar.
A Martí Codolar, els auxiliars són rebuts per membres de l’organització, i poden anar a les habitacions a descansar una estona. Mentrestant, a l’Aeroport del Prat, segueixen arribant auxiliars…a totes les terminals alhora! A cada porta de sortida hi ha un membre de l’organització que els dóna la benvinguda i els va acompanyant al punt de trobada i, més tard, a l’autocar que els portarà cap a la residència. Cap al migdia ja han arribat auxiliars d’Anglaterra, Estats Units, Canadà, Irlanda, Nova Zelanda i Singapur.
Tots els auxiliars que han anat arribant al llarg del matí i migdia a Martí Codolar dinen plegats, i després passen la tarda i vespre fent dinàmiques de grup amb l’equip de Home to Home. Fan activitats per conèixer-se entre ells, per conèixer coses de Catalunya i jocs que després podran fer a classe amb els alumnes.
A les 22:00 arriba el darrer autocar des de l’aeroport. Els 156 auxiliars de conversa han arribat en un total de més de 90 vols, i finalment ja són tots a la Residència. Sopen plegats i passen l’estona de després de sopar als jardins de la residència, parlant i coneixent-se, i poc després de la mitjanit ja són tots a dormir, perquè l’endemà s’han de llevar ben d’hora!
Dissabte al matí a les 8:00 els auxiliars esmorzen plegats al menjador. Després, a l’aula magna, cadascun dels auxiliars és obsequiat amb un diccionari de Castellà – Anglès per gentilesa de Cambridge University Press. Juanjo Fernández de la FECC els explica el sistema educatiu català i els parla de les Escoles Cristianes. La professora de Padre Damián Sagrados Corazones, Carme Santiago, els parla de com ser uns bons auxiliars de conversa a les escoles, i Sonia Jalle, professora del Jesús Maria de Sant Andreu, sobre com ser el millor hoste a casa de les famílies acollidores.
Un cop acabada la sessió de formació, comencen a arribar les primeres famílies acollidores a buscar els auxiliars de conversa. En molts casos no cal ni que els anem a buscar, perquè ja es reconeixen uns als altres per haver-se comunicat per correu electrònic. Els auxiliars de conversa i famílies acollidores van marxant cap a casa, a les províncies de Lleida, Girona, Tarragona i Barcelona, i també cap a Andorra!
Esperem que tant per als alumnes d’aquestes més de 120 escoles cristianes, com per a les famílies acollidores, com per als auxiliars de conversa, aquesta sigui una experiència molt profitosa!
By júlia verdaguer, on setembre 9th, 2014% Com bé sabeu, ja falten pocs dies perquè arribin els primers auxiliars de conversa a les escoles i a les de les vostres famílies acollidores.
 Aquestes famílies que, generosament, acullen els auxiliars de conversa són un pilar fonamental per al programa. Potser les famílies interessades de la vostra escola no van tenir ocasió de venir a la reunió informativa que vam realitzar abans de l’estiu, o encara no s’havien plantejat ser família acollidora. Per això, sabent l’esforç que feu des de l’escola per poder trobar aquestes famílies, des de l’organització del Programa Auxiliars de Conversa hem convocat una altra sessió informativa adreçada a les famílies acollidores, el proper dijous 18 de setembre a les 18:30 a l’Escola Pia Balmes de Barcelona (c. Balmes 208, Barcelona)
En aquesta reunió, tan propera a la data d’arribada dels auxiliars, 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. Pot ser molt útil tant per a les famílies de la vostra escola que ja s’han compromès a acollir l’auxiliar i volen resoldre algun dubte que els pugui quedar, com per aquelles que potser volen acollir l’auxiliar durant el segon o tercer trimestre.
Aquelles escoles que encara no hagueu trobat famílies acollidores, podeu animar a les famílies indecises del vostre centre a venir, pot ser una molt bona oportunitat perquè acabin de decidir-se!
Si us plau, us demanem que ens confirmeu l’assistència per correu electrònic a l’adreça pac@escolacristiana.org, indicant quantes persones vindreu.
By júlia verdaguer, on abril 25th, 2014%  Què cal per acollir un Auxiliar? Com ens hi entendrem? Com serà la vida de cada dia (menjar, roba, dormir, transport…)? I els caps de setmana? L’hem d’acompanyar a tot arreu? I a l’escola, què ha de fer el tutor de l’Auxiliar? Què pot fer un auxiliar? Com hem d’organitzar la seva estada? Com podem facilitar la seva integració? Quin suport tenim de l’organització?
Aquestes són algunes de les preguntes més freqüents que es fan les escoles i les famílies acollidores sobre el Programa Auxiliars de Conversa. Per tal de resoldre aquests i altres dubtes, des de l’organització del PAC hem convocat, e dilluns 12 de maig, una sessió informativa oberta a tothom: famílies acollidores, famílies interessades, direccions i mestres d’escola, etc. En aquesta reunió 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 donarem algunes pautes i recursos sobre com facilitar l’adaptació de l’Auxiliar de Conversa a l’escola i a les seves tasques i treure el màxim profit de la seva estada. També donarem, és clar, resposta a totes les preguntes que pugueu plantejar-nos.
Dilluns 12 de maig | 18:00h
Escola Pia Balmes – Barcelona
c. Balmes, 208
Podeu descarregar-vos un model de circular i un cartell per a promocionar la sessió en els següents enllaços:
Us animem a fer-ne difusió entre les famílies de les vostres escoles, i també us animem a venir a la sessió informativa, tant les escoles que voleu participar per primera vegada al PAC com les que ja heu tingut Auxiliars de Conversa els darrers anys.
Les sessions tenen caràcter informatiu. Per tant, l’assistència no implica cap compromís d’acollida posterior d’un Auxiliar de Conversa. Per facilitar la nostra organització, us preguem que confirmeu la vostra assistència al correu pac@escolacristiana.org, indicant quantes persones vindreu.
By júlia verdaguer, on març 11th, 2014% Escola Pia Igualada has been in the Programa Auxiliars de Conversa for four years. This year they are hosting David, who comes from the United Kingdom. Here are his thoughts on the program. Thank you for writing to us!
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 My name is David Bosanquet, I’m 23 and come from England. I am the youngest in my family and, like the rest of them, love to travel to different countries. I enjoy teaching and have previously taught in Buenos Aries, Argentina where I did my TEFL course and Manresa, Spain. Now I am living in Igualada – a town to the west of Barcelona. I have found the people in Catalonia to be very friendly and helpful with there own traditions and unique festivals.
I am currently working at Escola Pia Iguadala, teaching 1st ESO to 2nd Baxt. The school is very big having 3 classes of around 30 for every year. This means I get to teach a lot of different personalities and level giving me quite a challenge. There are also two other CAs from different programs so I started the year with two new friends with soon expanded as we met more CAs and Au Pairs from different parts of Igualada.
I have lived with two different host families while in Igualada and am very happy here now. My host family are great as we have lots of common interests and they tell me all the best things to do and see introducing me to local customs and cuisine.
The advantages of the CAPS program are that you start the year with a large pool of other CAs, if you find yourself in Barcelona then meeting people is easy. The first weekend in Spain we all met up with the program and tried to make as many new friends as possible many of whom I still keep in touch with even living further away. Furthermore, as I have very few expenses any money I make is mine to spend or save as I choose.
By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 24th, 2014%  El Programa d’Auxiliars de Conversa és una proposta del Projecte Escola Multilingüe de la Fundació Escola Cristiana de Catalunya pensat perquè les escoles adscrites que així ho sol·licitin puguin disposar d’un o més joves estudiants, seleccionats per Home To Home, per a qui l’anglès o el francès és llengua materna i que, en el marc d’un conveni de cooperació educativa, i com a formació pràctica en el camp de la pedagogia, el magisteri i l’ensenyament-aprenentatge de la llengua anglesa o francesa, duguin a terme tasques d’assistència que donin suport a les activitats previstes en el projecte multilingüe del centre, 25 hores a la setmana, durant pràcticament tot el curs escolar (d’octubre a juny).
 Un auxiliar de conversa pot col·laborar en les vostres activitats AICLE essent present a l’aula amb el professor, pot donar un cop de mà en treballs de grup, per parelles, preparació d’exposicions orals; pot augmentar la incidència en la llengua oral a través de petits diàlegs, jocs de taula, petites lectures; pot col·laborar en l’elaboració de materials, pot enregistrar textos, pot participar en les activitats musicals, teatrals, esportives… i pot estimular la competència comunicativa només amb la seva presència activa.
El vostre compromís consisteix en proporcionar a l’Auxiliar de Conversa allotjament i manutenció gratuïts en l’àmbit de famílies acollidores ( fins a un màxim de tres) vinculades amb l’escola, designar un tutor responsable de l’Auxiliar en el vostre centre, i satisfer una quantitat mensual per Auxiliar de Conversa.
Podeu conèixer més a fons tot el que suposa participar al Programa Auxiliars de Conversa a la Guia d’Escoles que volen participar al PAC.
Per sol·licitar un o més auxiliars de conversa, heu d’emplenar el full de sol·licitud, que podeu descarregar aquí. Les assignacions es faran per ordre de recepció de les sol·licituds, donant preferència a les escoles que repeteixen.
Consulteu l’apartat Informació per a escoles per consultar la resta de guies del programa (per a famílies acollidores, tutors…)
Per qualsevol dubte o consulta, també podeu adreçar-vos a pac@escolacristiana.org
Animeu-vos a sol·licitar-ho, i feu-ho abans del 30 de maig de 2014, que és la data límit!
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 16th, 2014% It is the 2nd year that Escola Pia Vilanova is hosting a Conversation Assistant. Adam decided to leave London enroll in the Conversation Assistant program, to live new experiences after taking a TEFL course. He is enjoying his time in Vilanova, with the school and his host family. Everyone is really happy to have him in the school too! Thank you for writing!
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After living and working in London for 6 years as a restaurant manager in a very busy, fast paced environment, I was ready for a more relaxed, slower pace of life, but one with new experiences and challenges. During my time in London I made many good friends from Spain, many of which are from Catalonia and I have always remembered with great fondness my childhood holidays to the Spanish islands. So, a year ago I decided to give up my life in London and head for sunny Spain. I didn’t want to just go and work in a bar for the summer surrounded by English people, but immerse myself into Spanish life and become part of a community. I decided to take a TEFL course and look into teaching English. I came across the CAPS programme shortly after receiving my certificate and thought it looked like a fantastic experience. I wasn’t wrong.
I have been at Escola Pia in Vilanova I la Geltrú for 3 months now and each day has been different, challenging and rewarding. I work with 4 different English teachers and with students from 1st of Primary (age 6) all the way through to 2nd Batxillerat (age 17/18). All the students and staff; teachers, secretaries and kitchen staff alike have been more than welcoming. Not a single one passes on the corridor or on the street (it’s a small town) without saying hello, and the younger students are just as excited to see me three months in as they were during the first week.
Each class is different depending on the age group, but in general I can have as much or as little input as I like. I really enjoy my days in the school and everyday passes very quickly, just like the last three months. I can’t quite believe my time with my first host family is coming to an end.
I decided to stay here in Spain for Christmas and I’m glad I did. My host family was more than happy to have me and show me all the Catalan traditions. I soon move to my next host family and start the next term, which, I’m sure will fly by as quickly as the first.
All in all, so far, it’s been a very positive experience and it’s been a great way to introduce myself into life here. I have already made friends here in the town and have decided that I’m going to stay after the year has finished and find work in Vilanova.
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