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By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 15th, 2013 Amy is a Conversation Assistant at La Salle in La Seu d’Urgell. She takes part in lessons with all age groups and adapts the activities to each level. She is having a good time in La Salle and the students, teachers and school staff are really happy to have her in the school. We thank Amy and her tutor Anna for sharing Amy’s experience with us!
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My experience as an English Language assistant in La Salle school has been amazing, so much so, that I want to stay! When I arrived I was welcomed immediately and all the teachers made me feel at home (even the ones that can’t speak English). I enjoy mostly working with Primary level but throughout all the levels there is lots of fun. The teachers are very open to new ideas and I didn’t feel shy to make suggestions or interact with the students. The students love asking questions and always take the opportunity to speak to me as a native English person.
In infant classes the lessons are mainly speaking exercises; practising numbers, colours and other vocabulary. The teachers are very willing to get me involved and now I often do the starters which I enjoy so much and also enables me to correct pronunciation.
At primary level on special occasions such as Halloween or Christmas I take the lesson and explain and do activities about traditions from Britain. I enjoy doing this because I can use my own ideas and activities as well as letting the students learn different vocabulary. However, in a normal lesson I help with new vocabulary and pronunciation, I help the students with reading activities and listening. I often explain tasks in order for the pupils to get used to hearing the English language naturally, I then check their understanding with comprehension questions.
In Secondary lessons I am mostly a conversation assistant. I take small groups of 4 or 5 students and prepare my own topics of conversation; this gives the students the opportunity to talk to me and ask questions, as well as making their own pronunciation corrections. When I am not taking groups, I join the class and help with grammar activities and reading. Similarly to primary level, when there is a special occasion I offer to take classes to explain traditions as even older students find it just as interesting.
I am also involved with the AFI section of the school. I help in mechanics and electronics classes as well as administration and business classes. I find these interesting as the English the students learn is very specific, also as they are older I can do different activities with them. I mainly do speaking lessons with these students because their general lessons are grammar based. I like thinking of ideas for the classes and different topics away from the curriculum; it’s just as interesting for me as it is for them.
Overall, my experience at La Salle has been such an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge at the same time as teaching. From the students to the teachers and the lessons to the playground, everything has been fantastic and is the best decision I have made.
By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 11th, 2013 Jessica has been a conversation assistant at Escola Verge de la Salut for almost 5 months, working in Infant school and Primary alongside her tutor, Olga. She has worked hard to “get the children excited about learning English”, in her own words, which is the true aim of this program.
Thank you for writing!
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I have really enjoyed my time at the school and on the program and have meet a lot of exciting new people and learned much.
At the school I have been working with the infantile and primary and this has involved working in a variety of different ways across ages 3 – 13. With the infantile I have been assiting in getting the children engaged in games, stories and songs to help with simple English vocabulary. With the lower primary levels I have again been mainly working with English teacher using songs, games and stories but also composing worksheets and thinking of other interactive excercises to get the children involved and excited about learning English.
 Telling a story to a group of P5
Whilst working with leves 3 and 4, I have taken half the class (groups of 12-13 children) to practice using conversation in a more fluid and confident manner, using slightly more complex vocabulary and basic introducing grammar. I have used many ideas to run these classes such as photographic stimulation for conversation topics etc. In higher primary I´m working again mainly with the teacher (but also taking small groups out, and controlling the whole class), we have developed pronounciation skills as well as created listening excercises which have improved student confidence in using the language greatly.
This experience has been fantastic, and open up many opportunities for me in the future!
Jessica and Olga.
By júlia verdaguer, on febrer 8th, 2013 Escola Pia Vilanova has joined the PAC this year for the first time. They have a conversation assitant from the United Kingdom, Miguel. He has written to explain what he does at school, and what his general feeligs were at the beginning of the program and how they have evolved. Thank you for emailing us!
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Arriving in Spain was the start of another travelling experience that would prove more challenging and beneficial than I could have imagined. I have been travelling and working now for the past couple of years, Australia and South East Asia, I assumed this time round travelling Spain would be more difficult because of the language barrier but I was confident that it wouldn’t be a problem.
My first impressions of the Escolia Pia my school, made me feel very comfortable. I had lots of help before hand from my host family and the teachers were very friendly and helpful, the students all seemed very excited to see me. Instantly people started calling me Michael as they assumed the name I was using ‘Miguel’ was for their benefit, they soon realized that my actual name was ‘Miguel Gonzalez – Clayton’ a very strong Spanish name. I was already used to this however because I have met lots of Spanish before and I always get the same reaction, the interesting part comes when I give the explanation that I cannot speak any Spanish.
During my first couple of weeks at the school everything was fine, I had lots of help and the students were very friendly, however because I was the only native Englishman in my town these were the hardest weeks for me outside of school hours. At times it was lonely and very difficult to find the motivation to go out and meet new people because of the language barrier. I had noticed by now that most of the other assistants in other parts of Catalan had either, another Native English assistant at their school, living in the same village or even close by at another village. This for me was not the case, there were no English assistant’s at my school, in my town or even close by and heading into Barcelona all the time to meet up with other assistants is quite a hassle and costs money, something we don’t receive much of during our experience here. Because of this I knew I had to learn Spanish as quickly as possible, and as I write this now I can say that doing exactly that, my situation has changed and its much better.
Apart from that the whole experience with the school has been fantastic, I cannot complain about anything. The English teachers I work with are very flexible and allow me to have as much input into the lesson as I want. I really enjoy the classroom work as I feel important because the teachers always refer to me and encourage me to give my opinion. The students are also very enthusiastic to learn English even if the English teachers don’t think so, at times it is very difficult for them I can understand as I am learning Spanish at this moment in time. The students realize that the English language is important, and the way the world is at this moment I think the parents also realize that having this extra skill is an important advantage for their children when they are older.
 Miguel preparing a Halloween activitiy with one of the English teachers
On the whole as I said the school has given me so far a very pleasant experience and introduced me to a Spanish/Catalan culture that I really enjoy. My Spanish now has improved much more in than the first couple of months, I study everyday and I talk as much Spanish as possible outside of the English classroom. For me now this experience can only get better, with summer approaching and my Spanish improving, my experience with Escolia Pia will only be a positive one. As each day passes I am able to give more help to the students and they seem to be able to understand me more.
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 31st, 2013 We have received a new submission from Adam, the conversation assistant at Sagrada Família school in Lleida, and his tutor Ana. Thank you guys!
Ana has also created a booklet with 25 activities that they do with the help of the Conversation Assistant in the ESO and Batxillerat classes, which will be avaliable here very soon!
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After finishing University I decided that I wanted to travel and teach English; participating in CAPS has given me the opportunity to do both whilst obtaining some essential skills for the future. Not only has CAPs provided me with the first step towards achieving my career goals but it has also really helped me grow as an individual. Each day presents you with a new and interesting challenge; making the whole experience such a stimulating and rewarding process.
 Adam and some of his ESO students
I came to Catalonia without any knowledge of the culture, lifestyle or the language! But with an open-mind, a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, I adapted to life here very quickly. I also have to thank the Catalan family that I have been living with for that as they could not have made me feel more at home here. This is a truly unforgettable experience with memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Adam McDanielson
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 10th, 2013 Maria comes from the United States and is a Conversation Assistant in Col·legi Dr. Masmitjà, a primary school in Girona. Col·legi Dr. Masmitjà was one of the first schools to join the program, 4 years ago! Their conversation assistants have always enjoyed their time there, and so is Maria.
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Hola!
I’m Maria, and I´m the conversation assistant at Col.legi Dr Masmitja, which is a primary school in Girona. I have been here since the end of September, and will stay with the school until June 2013. I work at the school 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. My schedule changes from day to day, but I come in most days at 9 in the morning, when classes start, and work until 4 or 5 in the afternoon, depending on the day. I teach each section in the school, including P3, P4 and P5, once a week (meaning I have 1A once a week, 1B once a week, etc). My current goal is to learn the names of all of my students! So far, I have learned quite a few names, and I try to practice them by using the student’s name whenever I ask them to participate, and listen whenever the teacher uses their name. In most of my classes, I work hand in hand with the English teacher for that class to complete the activities from the English book, explaining the grammar and introducing new vocabulary. I also try to put together a fun and interactive activity for all of the classes at least once every 2 weeks. With the younger children, we play many English games and sing many songs to help the children with improving their pronunciation.
 Maria explaining Halloween to her students Before I arrived in Catalunya, the school set me up with two host families for the school year. I am currently still living with my first family, which consists of a mom and her three children; Maria and Lluc, who are 11 year twins, and Ariadna, who is 16. I teach the two younger children once a week at the school, but the older girl is already in high school. The family has been very welcoming, and includes me on all of the family activities. My weekends are usually filled with soccer games, basketball games, track meets, and, my favorite, trips to the family farm in Olot! There, the extended family has many horses, cows, dogs and cats, and I spent hours with the girls visiting all of the animals. All of the activities that we do together allows the family to practice their English and improve their vocabulary. Outside of these casual English practices, I assist all of the children with their homework when they have questions, and help them study for any exams. I also hold study sessions with all of them individually to review topics that they learned in school, and to give them extra exercises. I will be moving to my second family in January, and am very excited to see the culture from a different aspect!
Outside of the classes I give in school, I hold private conversation classes with the children of some of my coworkers, as well as two private grammar intensive classes. Since Girona does not attract as many native speakers as a city as big as Barcelona would, people here are always like to take advantage of having a native speaker in the area, and always look forward to the new CAPS showing up.
In my free time, I like to meet up with the other CAPS in the area, either for a meal or for some walking around the city. I like to take advantage of any extended weekends to see more of the country, as well as other parts of Catalunya and other European countries.
Everyone that I have met during my time here so far, especially the staff at the school and my host family, have made me feel like I belong, and have done everything to help me adapt to the new culture/job. Being thrown into a new culture has definitely been worth it, and I can’t see myself wanting to leave any time soon.
By júlia verdaguer, on gener 2nd, 2013 We hope you have had a merry Christmas and a good start of 2013!
The first submission after the holidays has arrived, and it comes from Escola Pia in Moià. It’s their second year in the Conversation Assistants Program, and this year they are hosting Hannah, from the UK.
Thanks for writing and sending so many photos!
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My name is Hannah and I have been working in Escola Pia Moià for the last three months. At the school I work with children between the ages of 2 and 11. With the youngest children I assist Isabel with the lessons and read stories.
In the primary school I also help with the lessons and then take out small groups of children for speaking activities.
Overall I love the school and feel honoured to work here as should anyone else in my postition
By júlia verdaguer, on desembre 10th, 2012 The first submission for this year’s blog has finally arrived. And again, the first school to write to us is Sant Lluís Gonçaga in La Garriga. This year, they are hosting Samuel, a conversation assistant from England.
Thanks a lot for e-mailing us!
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Hola!
I’m Sam – or better known as Samuel in Catalunya – and I’m the conversation assistant at Escola Sant Lluis Gonçaga in La Garriga. I have been here since the end of September and will stay here till June 2013. Although I speak a high level of Spanish already, I was in for a culture shock from day one: my village is very Catalan! There is almost no Castilian around for miles! But for me, this was an exciting challenge that I am relishing. I was welcomed by some of the nicest people on the planet and I already almost feel Catalan, allbeit with very little knowledge of the language.
I live with a family in La Garriga who welcomed me with the words “nuestra casa es tu casa” (our house is your house). The son, Oriol, is in 5th Primary, and the daughter, Maria is in 2nd Primary. On different days we speak different languages so we all benefit – my Catalan and Castilian have improved dramatically in my first two months here. We play games and read books in English, and have a points system, where a point is gained for saying something correctly, and lost for saying something incorrectly, or for speaking the wrong language. Needless to say I am winning! Everyone at home has improved their English tenfold too. I am due to change family in mid February and I hope my time with them will be as great as it has been with my first family.
I work five days a week at school, nine till five, Monday to Friday (although I am blessed with only working half a day on Friday and there is a two hour lunch break from one till three). The school is tiny – about four hundred students – so it is easy learning the names of the students. I work with all ages, from 3-16 years old (P3 to 4th ESO). With Infantil and Primary students I work alongside the teacher, helping out in class and taking small groups to practise speaking activities, as well as playing games and entertaining them with my guitar. On the other hand, I take ESO students in groups of five or six, grouped according to their level of English and do a range of activities, to improve their spoken English, and sometimes to work on grammar issues. Once a week I work with my tutor, Marta, to prepare classes for the ESO students.
 Samuel practicing conversation with two students Twice a week I do private tuition; English is such an important subject here that every academy around for miles is full to the brim, so parents take advantage of a native speaker being in the village. It also gives me the chance to use everything I learned in my TEFL course. Similarly, I teach Oriol guitar on Friday nights.
In my free time I tend to go to Barcelona; the city is beautiful, and only a forty minute train ride from La Garriga. However I also spend time with the family; recently we went to the woods to look for the “Tio,” a Catalan Christmas tradition, as well as spending time in their mountain home a few weeks ago. I have some wonderful memories already, and it’s only been two months!
The Catalan people are among the nicest, most welcoming people on the planet. Everyone from Home to Home, to the staff at the school, to my host family have made me feel like I am a part of Catalunya, and I feel like this is home. Being thrown into a new culture has definitely been worth it, and I can’t see myself wanting to leave any time soon.
Adéu
Samuel.
By júlia verdaguer, on octubre 3rd, 2012 Ahir dilluns, 1 d’octubre de 2012, i després de passar el cap de setmana amb les seves noves famílies acollidores, gairebé 150 auxiliars de conversa van començar la seva tasca a 120 escoles de tot Catalunya i, per primera vegada, a una escola d’Andorra!
Els Auxiliars de Conversa, però, van arribar a Catalunya el divendres 28 de setembre. Ja des de primera hora l’equip del Programa Auxiliars de Conversa -de la Fundació Escola Cristiana de Catalunya i de Home to Home- era a l’aeroport per rebre els nois i noies que van anar arribant durant tot el dia.
 A les 8 del matí ja havien arribat els primers auxiliars, amb vols des del Canadà, Estats Units i Singapur! Aquest any, al programa hi participen nois i noies del Regne Unit, Irlanda, els Estats Units, Canadà i Nova Zelanda!
 Els Auxiliars de Conversa van anar arribant durant tot el dia
Els 150 auxiliars van passar la nit a la Residència Salesiana Martí Codolar i l’endemà al matí, després d’esmorzar, van assistir a tres xerrades de formació.
 Els auxiliars preparats per al matí de formació
La primera xerrada va ser a càrrec de Juanjo Fernández, que els va parlar del sistema educatiu català, els tipus d’escoles que hi ha a Catalunya, de la Fundació Escola Cristiana i del Projecte Escola Multilingüe, del qual els Auxiliars de Conversa són part important.
 Juanjo Fernández
Després, Sonia Jalle, professora i Cap del Dept. Multilingüe de l’escola Jesús Maria Sant Andreu, va parlar als auxiliars de com ser els millors hostes per a les seves famílies acollidores i els va donar alguns consells pràctics per a aquests nou mesos que passaran a Catalunya.
 Sonia Jalle parla sobre les famílies acollidores Finalment, Carme Santiago, professora de l’escola Padre Damián Sagrados Corazones, els va parlar de com ser els millors auxiliars de conversa a les escoles.
 Carme Santiago parla sobre la tasca dels Auxiliars a les escoles
Els auxiliars de conversa estaven visiblement nerviosos i il·lusionats per fer una molt bona tasca a les escoles on s’estaran els propers 9 mesos.
A cadascun dels auxiliars se’ls va lliurar un kit de benvinguda amb documentació legal, informació turística, els materials del curs a distància de llengua castellana que seguiran aquests mesos i uns magnífics diccionaris de castellà-anglès per gentilesa de Cambridge University Press i Oxford University Press, que contribueixen així a l’adaptació i formació dels Auxiliars de Conversa.
 Kit de benvinguda per als auxiliars de conversa.
Finalment, i aquest any sota una pluja de tardor, van anar arribant les famílies acollidores a buscar els Auxiliars de Conversa i emportar-se’ls a les seves noves cases, on s’hi estaran fins a final del curs 2012-2013.
Tot plegat, doncs, va concloure molt satisfactòriament, gràcies a la tasca conjunta de Home to Home i Fundació Escola Cristiana de Catalunya, que tornen a tirar endavant aquesta iniciativa pionera a tot l’Estat, i que segueix el seu procés de consolidació i creixement, esperant poder arribar a aconseguir que els 250.000 alumnes de les escoles cristianes puguin viure i conviure l’anglès a les escoles.
Moltes gràcies a Oxford University Press i Cambridge University Press per la seva col·laboració!
El Progama Auxiliars de Conversa és una iniciativa de:
By júlia verdaguer, on setembre 17th, 2012 Els Auxiliars de Conversa són a punt d’arribar a Catalunya, a les vostres escoles i les vostres cases. La data oficial de la trobada amb les famílies d’acollida és el dissabte, 29 de setembre, a partir de les 12:30h.
Per correu electrònic us farem arribar la franja horària exacta en què heu de venir a recollir l’auxiliar.
QUAN? Dissabte, 29 de setembre. A partir de les 12:30. Si us plau, consulteu l’horari exacte amb la persona de contacte de la vostra escola.
QUI? Ha de venir a recollir l’auxiliar la família acollidora (no cal que sigui sencera!) i algun representant de l’escola.
ON? Residència Salesiana Martí Codolar. Av. Cardenal Vidal i Barraquer, 15. Barcelona.
Cliqueu aquí per accedir al mapa de Google Maps i cerqueu el recorregut des de casa vostra.
By júlia verdaguer, on agost 23rd, 2012 We are getting everything ready to welcome the new Conversation Assistants. They will arrive on September 28th from around the world: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the US and Canada! On September 29th, after attending two talks about the Catalan School System, how to be great Conversation Assistants at their schools and how to be the best hosts at their new homes, they will be picked up by their host families and a representative of each school. And then they will leave, to start the adventure of living in a new place and being a Conversation Assistant for nine months somewhere in Catalonia (and one of them in Andorra!)
So that you get an idea of where they are all heading, we have created this map. Click on it to see the list of schools and where each one is located.
Ja estem preparant l’arribada de la quarta promoció d’Auxiliars de Conversa. Arribaran el 28 de setembre des de llocs com Anglaterra, Irlanda del Nord, Escòcia, Gal·les, Irlanda, els Estats Units i el Canadà. El 29 de setembre, després d’assistir a xerrades sobre el sistema educatiu català, com ser un Auxiliar de Conversa fantàstic a les escoles i el millor hoste a les seves noves llars, els recolliran les famílies acollidores i un representant de cada escola. Llavors marxaran i començarà la seva aventura vivint en un lloc nou i sent Auxiliar de Conversa durant nou mesos en algun lloc de Catalunya (i un d’ells a Andorra!)
Perquè us feu una idea dels llocs cap a on aniran a passar aquests nou mesos, hem creat aquest mapa. Cliqueu damunt de la imatge per veure la llista d’escoles i poblacions i on està situada cadascuna.
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