Freya from England. I didn’t think the students would enjoy having me at the school as much as they have. They all seem eager to learn and practice their English, which was a really nice surprise.

Freya

British

Tordera, Barcelona

In the nursery, I am involved with Silvia and Pilar with babies aged 1-2, playing with the babies as they arrive at nursery, speaking to them in English and talking about the weather. In the older baby school (3-6) I tend to take small groups out of the classroom and use flashcards to go over language and play memory games. I’m now also staying in the class sometimes and doing an activity with the children, covering language such as colours, numbers, animals – whatever they are working on in class.

In primary, I am involved with Laura and Sara. Laura has been very welcoming and even taken me on a day out during my stay here. In class, I tend to take groups of 2-6 (depending on the activity) and teach whatever vocabulary or grammar they are currently working on. The teacher for the class will tell me before what we are doing, and I’ll prepare something that I think is relevant. This was hard at the beginning as I had no resources or ideas, but now it’s a little easier. I have also completed all of the speaking tests with the primary students.

In secondary, I am with Maggie. Maggie has been great, having me round for dinner a few times and helping me get a train ticket for Barcelona. In class, I tend to be given a speaking activity by Maggie and take groups of 1-4 students for each activity. Mainly, I am just helping them practice conversation.

The students have all been lovely, many are very excited every time they see me. When you walk around this small town, you can almost feel like a celebrity with how many students say hello to you!

They have been very welcoming. It was a bit strange when I first arrived as I didn’t know how to act, but now I feel completely comfortable in their home. Nadia (host mum) has even said a few times I’m like family, which is absolutely lovely. I couldn’t have been placed in a better family, the Educados did a really amazing job matching us up.

My relationship with everyone in the family is great, Jaume speaks the most English but me and Nadia have gone on days out just the two of us and had a great time. The family days out have been great fun too, they’ve really tried to give me the full Catalan experience and I really appreciate them making the time to show me around and take me to some traditional holidays. Both of the children and I have gotten on from the beginning, but Tomeu has definitely warmed up to me more from the second month. He’s only five, and didn’t speak any English when I arrived. His favourite sayings he’s learned so far are ‘Oh my god!’, ‘What?’ (followed by pointing at something so I can tell him what it’s called) and ‘Freya, can you help me, please?’ It’s very cute, and it’s really nice to see the growth in language. Cesca is a great kid, very well behaved and tries really hard to communicate. We walk to school together every day and talk about the weather, how we slept and what we have coming up on the weekends. I hope to stay in touch with my new Catalan family and I’ll definitely be coming out to visit in the future.

I didn’t think the students would enjoy having me at the school as much as they have. They all seem eager to learn and practice their English, which was a really nice surprise.

I would say I’m much more confident in my ability to up and change my lifestyle and routine, and to travel around. I’m also more confident in my ability to pick up a language, having learnt a lot of Spanish whilst living here. I’m hoping to take up classes once I go home and eventually move here I’ve enjoyed it so much.

Professionally, I feel much more confident in my ability to teach to people, children and adults alike (I’ve helped the family with their English too). I always felt a bit scared to teach, but now I think it’s something I can do without too much imposter syndrome.

There are fire festivals all throughout the year, so regardless of when you come, ask what is happening tradition wise and see if you can attend! If you come to Catalonia in the winter (Jan-April) you might be able to go to a Calçotada which is an awesome BBQ specific to this area that only happens in the winter months. You have to try the food as it’s delicious! Obviously, you have to go to Barcelona whilst you are here, the architecture is stunning and the Gaudi buildings are worth the money if you’re into that kind of thing. Girona is a stunning old town with loads of places to eat. I really enjoyed Tossa De Mar too, the beach is beautiful and the castle has some great photo ops.

You can get the train to Blanes in 10 minutes, using a recurrent ticket. You pay €10 and you can use it on the trains down to Barcelona as many times as you like over a 3-month period. There’s a really good restaurant in Blanes, right opposite the rock on the beach. If you face the row of restaurant there, it’s the one furthest on the left. They make an amazing Margarita and the best steak I’ve ever had.

In Tordera, there’s a walk by the river which is quite nice on a warm day. I usually listen to a podcast and walk in my free afternoons. The host family will likely take you to the theatre for drinks on Thursdays, Jaume (host dad) meets up with some friends after picking up Cesca (host daughter) from drama. It’s nice to meet some other people in the area, but be aware they won’t speak the best English. Jaume will translate though!

The school is great, but don’t expect to be taught how to lesson plan. You are there doing activities and helping the children practice speaking. You most likely won’t run a class. The food at the school is good, but as I said I don’t like seafood, so let the school know of any dietary requirements because they can adapt the food for you.

Many of the teachers don’t speak English, and a few speak only a little. Don’t feel discouraged if no one is talking to you, they most likely want to but don’t know how!

Be prepared to feel like a celebrity in Tordera. All the children are excited for you to be there and will say hello any chance they get. I learned quickly I couldn’t just pop to the shops in my joggers without seeing someone I knew.

Spanish families are quite forward, they aren’t being rude, they are just telling you how they do things! Don’t be put off by abrupt tone, I’ve noticed everyone who speaks Spanish tends to sound a little angry most of the time. There’s no tiptoeing around an issue like us English do.

My host family in particular love board games, so try and get involved and play some games with them! They are super fun and they can teach you the rules easily. If you don’t like a certain food, they will make accommodations (I don’t like seafood so there was always an option on the table that I could eat).

I have got to experience some Catalan traditions, such as Correfoc (my personal favourite – I loved it so much I’m getting a tattoo of it!) and Calçotada. It’s been amazing to experience these things with the family as it really allowed me to feel like a local and imagine what life would be like in Spain. We have gone on many days out together too, once going up to Carcassonne in France for the day which was absolutely beautiful! I had my birthday here in Catalonia, and my partner flew out to spend the weekend and we went to Girona, Blanes and Barcelona, checking out Casa Mila and Casa Battlo. It is the best birthday I’ve ever had, and I’ll cherish the experiences I’ve had here in Catalonia.

I have no regrets joining this program. I would recommend it to anyone whose interested in teaching English abroad as it allows you to get a taster without completely uprooting your life. Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, it has proven I maybe don’t want to be a teacher, and I’m glad I figured that out in a three-month period before deciding to move. It would have been a lot harsher reality to accept if I had already moved here.

If someone I knew was thinking about doing this program, I would tell them to go for it. Worst case scenario, you realise teaching isn’t for you and you have a really nice time exploring another country. Best case, you love it and you’ll be able to travel the world doing something you enjoy. The hours are not intense either, really allowing you time to explore and figure out what you want to do after the course is finished. I would recommend Educados International too, since they’ve done such a good job picking my host family for me. They really couldn’t have done a better job and I’m very thankful I got to meet my host family.