This is going to be my first of three blog posts giving you an insider’s guide on what it’s really like being either a language assistant, studying abroad, or working in an internship in a foreign country. As helpful as the year abroad co-ordinators can be, getting down to the nitty-gritty of things is often overlooked!
1. The teaching:
- One day of training before you’re put in front of a class of not-so-quiet-and-well-behaved 16 year olds is daunting, I’m not going to lie!
- If you are offered the option, ask to spend your first few days observing your allocated classes during their English lessons. This will give you a chance to know what you’re letting yourself into as well as to see what kind of level you should be aiming your lessons at.
- All teachers will want you to work with their classes in different ways. I spend some lessons doing whatever subject I want with pupils whilst others give me an exact lesson plan to do with them.
- If you are required to plan lessons, try to make it as fun as possible. This is equally as important for you as well as your pupils, unless you want that hour to really drag by!
- Incorporate games (I have never – clean version of course – is always a winner for the last 10 minutes of class) as well as lots of speaking practice on interesting subjects. Good lesson plans can be found on the British council website as well as the life-saving www.tes.co.uk.
- My top tip to encourage students to do their work is to say it’s being marked by their teacher. It may be a little white lie but hey, whatever works!
2. The pupils:
I work in a college-type establishment teaching English to 16-23 year olds. The groups range from 23 year old accounting students to 16 year old mechanics students. Many of my friends here in Nice work in primary schools or very academic secondary schools which are completely different. Some assistants are required to know and teach the ins and outs of 19th century English literature whilst others find themselves concentrating on teaching their pupils the difference between ‘I like cats’ and ‘I do not like cats’! Although you may find yourself thinking about shouting every English expletive at pupils who are quite honestly horrendously behaved (think play fighting/shouting/throwing pens/walking around the class/not listening etc) the majority of pupils are actually well behaved. If you are a girl, teaching secondary level students, don’t be surprised to come across some heavy flirting and requests on your Facebook from the 16 year old class jokers (always makes me laugh!) It’s important to remember that you are not yet a ‘proper’ teacher and so it’s always best to keep on the right side of your pupils by making fun and interesting lessons for them, on topics that may not be touched on by their teachers. A few strict words will be needed from time to time, however shouting just encourages the majority of pupils to laugh and test you even further!
3. The benefits:
Lots of free time. As a language assistant you are contracted for 12 hours a week, although with frequent cancelled lessons you usually end up working less but having loads more free time. You usually get at least one day off mid-week too, plus all of the school holidays. Not bad eh!
Money: you get a great salary for the amount of hours (around 790 euros a month) gives you freedom to explore and make the most of your year abroad.
You can make friends easily. You will meet all of your fellow language assistants within your first week as a result of your training day plus area Facebook group, so you will be making friends in no time!
4. The not-so positive aspects:
- Don’t let yourself get treated as a babysitter. Some assistants have found their teacher dumping a whole class of 30, when you are only meant to have groups of around 10, whilst they go for an hour-long coffee (seriously, this has happened!) You must stand your ground in situations like this and not get taken advantage of.
- I teach some pupils who simply do not want to learn English, and pupils who are actually older than me. In both cases class atmosphere is not great due to certain pupils trying anything and everything to get out of working, and some pupils believing that as you are of a similar age, you cannot have the authority of a teacher (as stupid as it sounds, it happens.) So you must be confident and think of yourself as someone they should respect academically.
- Early lessons. Even though you will work few hours, you will sometimes be required to be at school for 8am, and if you live an hours bus journey away, you will not be feeling too fresh getting up at 6am if you have the same student body clock as me.
Any job’s going to have its downfalls but a teaching job is well paid, challenging and great experience for future employment!
Photo credit: guardian.co.uk