Ginger's ExperienceI asked my friends a few weeks ago if they'd answer a few questions I had about their experience this year as English teaching assistants so that they could offer up their perspective and advice to anyone interested in joining this program in Spain. I'll be sharing their answers on my blog because I frequently get contacted by people who are interested in teaching English in Spain and I thought it would be great to offer up the experiences of different people!
In this post you'll read about the experience of my friend Ginger from Georgia, USA. 1. What program did you come with? How did you find out about this program? North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain. I found out about this program through my university’s Office of Fellowships and Scholarships. 2. Did you choose to be in region you are in? Were you hoping to be in a different region/city? Yes I chose to be in the region of Castilla y León. 3. Did you come to Spain speaking Spanish? Yes, Spanish was my minor at university. 4. What about your time abroad was different from what you had originally expected? I had not expected to find the time to take part in so many different activities. Besides working at my school, I lived with a wonderful host family, took Spanish classes at the Official Language School in Valladolid, did soccer training at a local athletic club, refereed soccer matches, attended a language exchange, found a close-knit auxiliar friend group, and travelled throughout Spain (also to the Netherlands). I also have to mention that the coronavirus pandemic was definitely not expected by anyone taking part in the program. I was originally planning to travel more, for example to Portugal and Barcelona, but I couldn’t make those trips in the end. 5. Was finding housing tough? How much did you end up paying for your place (rent, wifi and gastos etc.) It was not tough for me to find housing. I reached out to my school early on and arrived early in the village of Cuéllar in mid-September. The head of my school’s bilingual program let me stay in her apartment for those first two weeks before I found a host family and moved to Valladolid, which was really kind for her to do. She helped me get in the touch with the director of my school, and they both reached out to rest of the teachers to see if anyone knew host families. I was really lucky that a music teacher at my school had a friend and former co-worker (also a teacher) whose family had hosted auxiliars and other exchange students before, so she connected me with him. I paid 320€ for staying with the family, which included everything: rent, WiFi, utilities, and meals. I felt very much like part of the family, and I did my best to help around the house whenever I could. 6. Did you think your monthly stipend was enough to live on? I think it was enough to live on with a tight budget. Many of my auxiliar friends taught private English lessons to make extra money, while I worked on the weekends as a soccer referee. 7. What school did you work at and what was your schedule like? I worked at IES Marqués de Lozoya in Cuéllar, Segovia. I worked 12 hours a week: three classes on Monday, three classes on Tuesday, four classes on Wednesday, two classes on Thursday, and Friday off. I had a rotating biweekly schedule, meaning that I had Week One classes twice a month and Week 2 classes twice a month. Most of my classes were in the bilingual program (English, Physical Education, History, and Biology), and I had four non-bilingual English classes. I worked with every grade level except 2° Bachillerato: 1° ESO, 2° ESO, 3° ESO, 4° ESO, PMAR, and 1° Bachillerato. 8. Did you do anything on the side to earn extra money? I worked as a soccer referee on the weekends at different clubs throughout the city of Valladolid for La Federación de Castilla y León de Fútbol–Comité de Arbitros. Since I have worked as a soccer referee in the United States for the past 10 years, I am grateful that the federation gave me the opportunity to work in Spain as well after they approved my credentials. 9. Looking back is there anything you would have done differently? I wish I had gotten in touch with the auxiliar group in Valladolid sooner than I did. Since I worked in the province of Segovia, my orientation was held in Segovia even though I lived in Valladolid. And since I don’t have a Facebook or social media, it took me awhile to get in touch with and meet other auxiliars in the city. 10. What was the biggest challenge you faced while abroad? The biggest challenge I faced was getting my Spanish TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero/Foreigner Identity Card), bank account, and telephone. I still remember how frustrated I felt when after I went to the bank (where they told me I needed a Spanish phone number to open an account), I then went to the phone store and got told the exact opposite information (where they told me I needed a Spanish bank account number to buy a phone). 11. What was the best experience you had? It’s too difficult to pick one, so I have four! I would say visiting Andalucía (Sevilla, Málaga, and Granada) with one of my auxiliar friends, travelling throughout Castilla y León and La Rioja with my family when they flew to Spain for the Christmas holidays, going to the Netherlands to see one of my best friends, and spending time with my host family in their pueblo (village) of Vallelado. 12. Were you homesick during your time abroad? I would get homesick every so often, but far less often than I thought I would. The feelings of homesickness were strongest during the coronavirus lockdown. 13. How did you overcome or work with those feelings? I overcame those feelings by keeping in touch with family and friends through WhatsApp messages and video calls. I also emailed anyone who didn’t have a WhatsApp. 14. What will you miss the most about Valladolid? I have decided to repeat the program in Valladolid next year, so luckily I won’t have much time to miss the city. I will miss my friends the most as well as how easy it is to walk everywhere. 15. What will you miss the least about Valladolid? How crowded the city bus was every time I went to the Official Language School in Delicias from my neighborhood of Girón. 16. What advice do you have for someone who is planning on joining the auxiliary program? I would just say to get started on planning sooner rather than later, starting with essential documents like obtaining your visa in your home country and then applying for your TIE when you arrive in Spain. Get in touch with the school you are working at early on, so the director and other teachers have the opportunity to help you with any questions you may have. Also, arriving a week or two before the program orientation will give you more time to get to know your city, find a place to live, choose a bank, and pick a phone plan. 17. Please choose your favorite photo from your time abroad and explain what makes it so special to you (doesn’t have to be in Valladolid) I took this photo from the walls of the Castillo de los Duques de Alburquerque (Castle of the Dukes of Alburquerque) in Cuéllar, the town where I worked. It’s special to me because I will always have a connection to Cuéllar and IES Marqués de Lozoya. The photo also reminds me of the natural beauty, historical importance, and modern legacy of the thousands of pueblos (villages) located throughout the Spanish countryside.
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