I decided to do a placement as I wanted to do something exciting with my summer that would be fun but challenging, and allow me to see an area of the world which I have never visited, whilst also getting experience for a potential future teaching career.
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I had to fill in an online application and then got invited to an individual interview.
My responsibilities included, planning and delivering English lessons, designing placement tests to place students into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, marking and grading the tests, and also helping plan and taking part in cultural workshops.
English lessons began at 8am and finished at 12pm, in which I would introduce new topics, encourage independent study as well as group study in order to facilitate listening, speaking and reading skills. Following this, I would discuss with a facilitator and plan the lesson for the following day. After a lunch break, the cultural activities began, including workshops in music, theatre, poetry, muralism, piñata making and dance. These workshops would finish at 5pm. Following this was free time, when I had the opportunity to explore and enjoy the city.
I really enjoyed the teaching involved in my placement as it gave me a sense of achievement to see the students making progress throughout my time there. I really enjoyed meeting so many new and interesting people and trying so many new activities, like volcano boarding!
Although I do have some Spanish skills, I sometimes found the language barrier demanding, and sometimes hindered communication. However, I also had a facilitator in the classroom to help in these situations.
I used many of the grammar and language skills I have learned on my course in first and second year, as some of these skills I was communicating to the students.
My time on my placement has definitely influenced my future career choice as before I was still unsure about teaching. Having this experience has pushed me to want to pursue teaching as a career and will hopefully help me apply for a PGCE following the completion of my degree.
Make the most of the opportunities you are presented with along the way, enjoy!
Form completed: 31 Aug 2017