I have been in Spain for about three weeks altogether, two of those with my host family, and I feel as though I am finally establishing a routine of sorts. I am not jet lagged any more (that lasted for almost a whole week), I’m getting used to not being able to understand half of what is said around me, and I am overall just becoming more and more comfortable with where I am. I just finished my first week and a half at my school and while I low key have no idea what I am doing, overall it is becoming easier every day, or so I tell myself.

I’m so excited to be doing what I have come to Spain for, and that is to teach English. Let’s rewind back to the first day of school!

The school that I am the language assistant at is an all- girls Catholic school in Aljaraque, Huelva, literally 15 minutes from the city and a half mile away from my host families house, which is super convenient. I am still unsure if I can say the name of the school on here, so I am not going to for now. But anyway. On my first day, I walked to school with my two host sisters a little bit before 9 am. Compared to the US, or at least where I went to school, school starts a lot later in the morning than what I grew up with, which is totally fine by me. When I got to the school I checked in with the headmistress (principal) who did not speak any English, so she brought me directly to my “tutor” in the school, who is my main point of contact in the school and my direct supervisor. She is an English teacher in the secondary part of the school. Up until that point I knew some basic things about the school, but I didn’t have a lot of specific details. At this school, and I believe most Spanish schools, during the months of September and June, the students are only in school from 9 am until 1 pm, and then the rest of the year they are in school from 9-5, Monday through Friday. They do this in September to introduce the routine of school, and I believe they do this in June because of exams. So, the teachers and students during this month go home for lunch every day and have the afternoons off, which has been nice. I also found that while the school goes from infantile (infants and preschool) to Bachillerato (the equivalent of 11^th and 12^th grade in the US) I will be primarily teaching Primaria and ESO (grades 1-10). And a big part of my job as this school’s language assistant will be helping the students prepare for the speaking portion of their Cambridge Exams, which is a big international English exam that almost every grade level participates in. As a native English speaker, I have honestly never even heard of the Cambridge exam until I applied to work in this program, so I am still learning about the exam. It has been kind of daunting trying to plan my lessons based specifically on the exam, since I am worried I will forget to cover something, but it is becoming easier to manage the more I research and go over the materials.

On my first day of school, I didn’t end up teaching any classes (which was kind of a relief) and I was just brought from class to class and was introduced to the students. I also got to check out my class room and had a general meeting with my tutor and some of the other English teachers in the school. I also had the chance to go through some of the materials in my room that could help me plan lessons and go over my schedule for the month of September. A huge shout out to the language assistant from last year, Elizabeth for making the room so well organized and writing me a nice letter! I don’t know how it is for other language assistants in other schools, but I am fortunate to have my own class room. It is very cute and much larger than I expected. Which is good because with the specific program I am in within Meddeas, I can teach up to 14 students at a time by myself. I look forward to decorating my classroom more and making it more of a fun learning environment.

The first week or so of classes passed by very quickly. In the month of September, I only teach four, fifty-minute classes a day. That’ll change in October, and also in October I wont work on Monday’s (three-day weekend am I right?) During my day, it usually works out in my schedule that I teach two Primaria (EPO) classes and two ESO classes. Some classes, such as 1^st and 2^nd of Primary (1^st and 2^nd grade) and 4^th of ESO (10^th grade) , I only see them once a week. Then there are classes, such as 3^rd and 5^th of Primary and 1^st of ESO (3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th grades) that I see three times a week. It all depends on what type of exam they will be taking at the end of the year; how large the class is and what they are learning in English class. For most classes, I show up to their main class room and then their primary teacher has me take them out to my class room in groups of 5-12, depending on the class size. For the younger students I prefer to take them in smaller groups and for the older ones it is usually easier to do larger groups based on their previous test scores. Most of the primary classes these past two weeks have not fully started their English units because a lot of them do not have the text books yet, so with them I have been playing general speaking games such as Pictionary, Taboo and different types improv/ get to know you games. While they don’t focus on a specific topic, it has really helped me get a sense on their English-speaking level, what they like, and how comfortable they are with me and speaking in English in different scenarios. With the older students, their English curriculum at this point is a bit more structured and more testing based, so it has been a bit easier planning specific activities with them. For example, with both 1^st and 3^rd of ESO, they have been going over different types of conditional sentences. Online, I found some game boards about making conditional sentences (Sorry/ Parcheesi style). Simple enough to follow yet encourages speaking practice. I have quickly found at that age, while they know what to say and can understand a lot, many of them are shy at speaking English, especially in a game format. Hopefully that changes a bit once they get a bit more comfortable. I really want to keep things enjoyable and engaging, especially at that age, not just for the little ones.

Before coming to Spain, I have never experienced a language barrier, having never been out of the country before. I knew I was going to face it at some point, but I didn’t really realize what that would feel like. With my youngest students (1^st– 3^rd grade), many of them can only speak very basic English (hello, how are you, colors, ect). At my school, even if I knew a lot of Spanish, I am not allowed to speak in Spanish with my students. So, it has been kind of difficult explaining games and activities to the children of that age. I have had to work on how fast I speak and how I enunciate words and how to explain directions in a way that they understand. While this can be challenging, so far, I have really enjoyed those age groups so far.

Thanks for reading, y’all. Stay tuned for more!

-Jordan 😊

Very early Friday morning, I said “Adios” to my hostel (goodbye bunk bed and my 9 other roommates) and began my journey to Seville, where I would be meeting my host family at the airport. I use the word journey quite literally, because as far as airport and airplane experiences go, it felt like quite the trip. I have flown by myself several times before (i.e, a few days ago) but I had never entered and departed from an international airport alone. I was somewhat (not really) familiar with Barcelona’s El Prat airport, so I thought it was going to be an easy experience, but I was kind of wrong. It might’ve been the fact that it was 5 am and I was running on maybe 10 hours of sleep combined in the past 4 days, but it was just a very disorienting experience. I had trouble checking into my flight and got a lot of disapproving looks from the airline employees for the fact that I had two suitcases and didn’t prepay them. I didn’t know I was supposed to. And then going through security was kind of stressful because I don’t speak that much Spanish yet. Several people at points were speaking to me directly and I had no clue what they were saying. In retrospect it was fine but still felt stressful at the time. After finally getting through security I had about 2 hours to kill before my flight. One thing I did not like at the airport was how they do not display which gate your flight is at until 20 minutes before the flight boards. I knew which terminal I was supposed to go to, but I had no idea where in the terminal to be until last minute. I don’t know if that is a normal airport thing, but I had never seen that in the few airports I have been in previously. And then when the gate was announced, everyone in that flight would wait in a wicked long line that would snake through the terminal to board, rather than in America where they usually call you by boarding group. Also, the flight was crowded, I had the middle seat and there was an (adorable) crying baby behind me. All these things I admit are very small, not important issues but together, plus me being anxious about meeting my host family just felt monumental at the time.

After that was over (thank goodness) I gathered my luggage at the Seville airport and went out to meet my host family in the terminal. There to greet me was my host mother, Marta and my two host sisters, Cristina (11) and Elena (8). I had been under the impression that we would be going straight to their house (my home too, I guess for the year) in Aljaraque, Huelva but found out that instead we would be going to my host father’s parent’s house in Fuenteheridos, Huelva until Sunday. They had been staying there since earlier in the week, in preparation for a regional religious/ cultural festival that would be happening this weekend. It was called: “Romeria de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles”, which can be described as a religious pilgrimage. We would be going to that all day on Saturday, but on Friday, they just showed me the spot that it was going to take place at. After that, we headed my host father’s parent’s house (going to call them Abuelo and Abuela in this) for lunch. Fuenteheridos is a very small village with all white old stone building and narrow cobble stone streets. It is so quiet and beautiful.  Their house was beautiful too. It is a very traditional Spanish home with stone floors and a patioed garden. The view from the house looks over the entire town and surrounding mountains. I would love to live here. Even though it is a huge house, it was packed full of people. Many members of their extended family are also staying here for the festival, about 12 of us all together. So, my host parents kindly booked me a hotel room in this cute old fashioned hotel next door so I wouldn’t have to share a room with the many kids that are here. After spending 3 nights in a crowded hostel, I am so grateful for the single room.

If I could summarize my experience so far with this family, it would be how hospitable they are. Every single one of them has made me so welcome and included. Some of them speak some English, but a lot of them only speak Spanish (the grandparents don’t speak any English at all). They all seem very interested in who I am and why exactly I am here, and they have been so helpful with assisting my Spanish. I must’ve asked how to say the same words over and over again, but they don’t seem to mind (I hope). The kids especially have been very helpful in translating some things for me, and I have been helping them already with their English (I mean, in a few days I am technically going to be one of their teachers at school). They all have been so nice so far and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. I now have “familia” not just in Aljaraque but in Huelva, Seville and Fuenteheridos!

On to the festival!

Annually, Fuenteheridos and the surrounding villages celebrate “Romeria de Nuestra Se ora de los Ángeles” (Pe a de Arias Montano). Everyone dresses up in traditional Spanish outfits (traje de flamenco), and meets in the village square with their horses and carriages. Then, everyone in the villages in a parade like fashion either ride or walk the 5km up the mountain to the sanctuary. Everyone packs food and drinks and they make frequent stops along the way (expect a blog post in the future about my new love for Spanish food). There is music playing, people singing and the energy in the air is contagious. Most of my host family were dressed up in the traditional clothes, but they gave me some flowers to wear in my hair and the village pendant to wear around my neck (every village in the festival has their own unique color and pendant. Ours was red and white). The walk to the sanctuary took about two hours, but it wasn’t too tiring since we were going very slow and this morning was unseasonably cool, which I was totally fine with. I mainly walked with Cristina, Elena and their cousin Paloma, and all 3 girls gave me quite the Spanish lesson. I have honestly learned more Spanish in past 24 hours than I have in the past few months studying the language. Once we got to the place where the festival was at, it made a lot more sense what we were going to be doing. Each village had their own area in this picnic ground area on the side of the mountain, looking out to all the surrounding villages. That is where they would set up their tables, chairs and blankets and have a huge potluck meal. There were vendors selling food and souvenirs, and music playing. It kind of felt like a fair but without the rides and shows. In the center of it all was this old historical looking chapel/ sanctuary. Outside it, each village had a decorated alter of sorts that was presented in a procession.  My host family tried to explain it and its meaning and religious connotation, but I only understood a little bit. It was very cool though to watch. As each alter would come by, carried by several men, parents with young children and babies would try to put their baby on it, which I found out was some sort of blessing for the baby and it was a tradition to do so for every babies first time at this festival.

After a long day of eating, walking around and trying to understand the Spanish around me, I ended up leaving the festival a bit early with Abuelo and Abuela, who were heading back to the house because they were tired. My favorite Spanish phrase the past few days has been, “estoy muy cansada”, which means, “I am very tired”. My host family has been very kind in understanding that this is all somewhat overwhelming for me and that I am still getting use to Spanish time. While I didn’t expect to experience a traditional Spanish festival/holiday right away, I am so glad I was able to. It was an awesome and truly enjoyable experience.

Hey friends! I have officially been in Spain for a few days and I feel as though I have been here for way longer than that. I flew out of Boston yesterday afternoon and arrive in Barcelona around 9 am on Tuesday. After saying goodbye to my family at security, I moseyed on in for my first ever international flight experience. The first flight I had was from Boston to Philadelphia. What a flight that was. About 20 minutes into the flight, the man across from me (we both had aisle seats) suddenly has a heart attack! I kid you not. Luckily there were many medical personnel on board (including the lady next to me). They really knew what they were doing. It was very scary to watch him be layed down in the aisle of the plane and get defibulated (is that the word?) Somehow, the flight didn’t do an emergency landing and just continued on to Philadelphia. Luckily, the man was conscious when EMS took him off the plane, and the doctor next to me said that he should be okay. Wild.

My next leg of the journey was from Philadelphia to Barcelona, where I had an 8 hour flight scheduled. I had been periodically tracking throughout the week to see if anyone had been assigned to the seat next to me and for most of the week, it was empty. But sure enough, I had a seat buddy. I never caught his name, as he didn’t speak English, but shout out to him for always letting me through when I had to get up to use the restroom (don’t ask how many times). The flight was kind of a struggle bus (plane) half way through because my headphones broke so I had to sit there in silence. You can bet I was quite happy to get off that plane. I am not a good flyer. I was so happy to land in Barcelona but it didn’t feel like I was in a different country; the airport was a bit anticlimactic. I didn’t even have to go through customs, so at least it was really quick. While at the airport, I got to cross one thing off my super long to-do list and that was get a Spanish sim card and phone number. The original plan was to unlock my iphone so I could use it abroad but because it wasn’t paid off yet, I was unable to do so and had to get a whole septate phone to use in Spain. So I got this cheap Nokia from Best Buy (they still make them! It has Snake on it). It feels kind of silly to be carrying around two phones but at least I can call my host mom now.

Today held a lot of first for me. In order to get to the Hostel I am staying at, I had to take a taxi from the airport. Doesn’t sound like a big deal but those who know me know I have issues with public transportation (more like inexperience) so I was pretty proud of myself. I tried to talk to my driver in Spanish with a simple “como esta usted?” and he just repeated the question back at me, which was really weird. I think he was making fun of me, not sure though. After getting to the Hostel and taking a power nap, I decided to make my way to downtown Barcelona myself. At the Hostel, there are a lot of other Meddeas students staying here, but at the time I checked in I couldn’t find any of them. So a solo mission it was. That was my second first of the day; I took a foreign subway by myself. I honestly didn’t know where I was going, I just jumped on the first train (after struggling to buy a ticket in Spanish) and stayed on till the last stop, which happened to be Catalunya Square. What a place. It was as busy as New York City but 100x more beautiful, with all the old buildings and streets. After a quick lunch in which I ordered food in Spanish (more on my struggles with Spanish later) I met up with another girl from the program named Sadie and we explored the city. We had tapas (essentially appetizers) and walked several miles around the city. It was very low key but a lot of fun.

The next day, myself and 6 other language assistants from the same Hostel spent the entire day in Barcelona. The first thing we did was get our “Certificado de delitos de naturaleza sexual”, which is a background check that allows us to work with children. Thankfully, several of the girls I was with were fluent in Spanish, so it was a big help to have them along. After that was over (waiting in the long line at the police/ government building) we went to some of the big tourist attractions in the city. We went to Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.   Sagrada Familia was beautiful, but unfortunately we did not go inside, but took a bunch of photos from the outside, along with the hundreds of people doing the same thing. At Park Guell, we explored the park and took advantage of the scenery to take some artsy photos (girls get it). In our little group of 7, none of us were placed to teach in Barcelona, so we were trying to take in as much of all of the touristy stuff as possible, myself especially since I will be working and living on the opposite end of the country. One of the highlights for me that day was visiting the Gothic quarter and the beach. I was so excited to dip my feet in the Mediterranean Sea. A huge wave though knocked me over and I fell in clothes and all, so that kind of put a damper to it. Oh well.  Our day in Barcelona concluded with some tapas, which is easily becoming my favorite thing here. I am someone who loves trying a bunch of different food at once, so it is perfect for me. I noticed a lot of things here have potatoes in them. I am okay with that.

 

 

After getting only 3 hours of sleep, the next morning bright and early, we all headed to the Universitat interanationale de Catalynya for our Meddeas orientation. This was actually really informative and helpful. We had general information meetings, workshops for our age groups ( I went to work shops for primary and secondary age students) as well as information about our housing arrangements. I went to the meeting about staying with a host family. I was really surprised to see that there were only around 12 of us in this orientation group that chose to stay with families. Everyone else elected to find their own apartments. After orientation, I ended up having to walk back to the metro station by myself because my meeting ran late. Something that has proven difficult is the phone situation for me. Since I have a separate phone for calls and texts in country, I don’t have a data plan here for my iphone. So I have to connect to WiFi every time I need to use my phone, which is difficult here in the city and especially in the small town that I will be headed to. I’ll manage though.

I am somewhat sad to be leaving Barcelona. It is such a beautiful city, and is so different from RI or any other cities I have gone to. But I am so excited to get to my town and meet my host family.

Adios!

Hello, friends! Hola, amigos y amigas! Welcome to my first ever attempt at blogging. In T-minus 19 days I leave for what will soon be the most exciting adventure of my 23 year old life thus far. Back in January, for poops and giggles, I applied to be an English Language Assistant through the Meddeas Program in Spain for the 2018-2019 school year, not thinking I would get in. I’m no teacher, I don’t speak any Spanish what so ever and the farthest I have ever been away from good ol’ Rhode Island was Florida. But I applied anyway, because you know, why not?  So you can imagine my surprise when I found out in mid May (two days before my college graduation) that I had been accepted and placed at a school in Aljaraque (Huelva), Spain. Since finding out my placement, these past three months have been a whirlwind of collecting paperwork, research, and attempting to learn at least some Spanish. (Hablo un poco de espanol).

But what the heckity heck is an English Language assistant? I am still kind of figuring it out myself. But long story short, I will be helping students at my school with their English speaking and listening comprehension. The school I will be teaching at (I am not fully sure if I am allowed to give the name of my school yet online, but I’ll check on that) is an all girls Catholic school that goes from Primaria to Bachillerato (grades K-12). As far as I know now, I am the only language assistant in my school, so I am going to be bouncing around all the age groups. While in Spain, I myself will also be taking classes. I will be earning my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certification. Which I think is pretty cool. To make the whole experience even more awesome, I will be living with a host family for my year abroad. But more on that later..

Thank you for taking the time to read this little lame intro post, I promise there is more exciting stuff coming up. Thank you for everyone who has encouraged me these past few months about all of this, and I am super excited for where this journey will take me!

Thanks for reading!