Testimonials/Blog

More about the program, life in Spain, the schools, host families and a bit of everything in between :)

Our April – June 2024 Voluntary Speakers have arrived!

We're absolutely thrilled to kick off our April to June program with the arrival of our wonderful Voluntary English Speakers from England, Ireland, America, and Australia in Barcelona! Huge thanks to the Vedruna Schools and amazing Host Families for the incredibly warm welcome. Let the fantastic adventures of cultural and linguistic immersion begin😊

Shaun from Ireland. My experiences in school have been nothing short of brilliant and amazing, from the teachers to students everyone has been a delight to be around.

I have absolutely 0 regrets about joining this program for so many reasons. The first one being the experience you gain from a teaching perspective is huge and if you're looking to pursue a career in teaching and aren't sure what you want to do, this is a great way to find out if you enjoy the environment. Secondly you can meet some great people and make new friends. I think what I liked most about the program is that you're not alone and can talk to the other volunteers and relate to them.

Julie Gill from Australia. I built a strong relationship with both the parents and the children in my host family. My host mum always gives me great advice and I find her very inspiring.

One reason I chose to undertake this program was to develop my skills in teaching English as a second language to students. Over the years, I have had multiple students who are EOSL and felt I didn’t always know how to best support them. This program has enabled me to learn about pedagogies, curriculums and materials to support me in this program

Amy from South Africa. Spanish families are much like South African families, close knit and the parents are very involved in their children’s lives. When staying with a family you will become one of their children, so communication is key. Let the family know your schedule so that they can prepare they’re schedule according to yours and vice versa.

My experience has been so good, I didn’t have any expectations but the general experience has been fun. I’ve made many many friends. I absolutely love Spain, it’s safe and it’s beautiful! There’s not enough time to explore!

Paulina from Ireland. The time really does go by quickly. I have no regrets. I am glad I applied for this program as I am gaining teaching experience and I see what the day in the life of a teacher looks like.

In the school: One of the best moments for me is seeing a personality change within the group of teenagers that I teach. Some of them went from having no interest and not participating to making jokes and laughing and enjoying the class. It is nice to see that change happen, the students become more open, and they give me ideas on what they like to do.

Rebecca from Ireland. I would definitely recommend the program, as I’ve mentioned already, the work/life balance is great, you are gaining so much experience but also have free time to do whatever you want!

My expectations have definitely been met while on this program - maybe they have even been exceeded. Teaching is always something I was interested in doing and this experience has solidified that for me! You don't get opportunities like this in Ireland so I am very grateful that this program has given me the space to find out for myself if teaching is a career path I would like to explore further.