Overall, my experience so far has been positive, I’m happy I took the chance to do this programme. It is very rewarding in the sense that you learn a lot about yourself, develop new skills, meet new people, you develop an interest in a new culture and language and potential career path. My current experience has outweighed my prior expectations, although it hasn’t been perfect, it is still something I’d do again if I had the chance.
I believe that this experience has definitely made me more confident as a person. Also, it is making me think more and more about the possibility of becoming a teacher in the future.
I’ve really clicked with my host family, they've made me feel very welcome and look after me like one of their own.
We’ve been out together as a family nearly every weekend.
If you haven’t done any English teaching, as was the case with me, this is quite possibly the perfect way for you to gain confidence and skills in the classroom without a massive commitment.
My host family has become a part of my actual family. I am in love with my three host sisters. My host mom and dad treat me like I am their daughter. I have 0 complaints. I wish I could stay with them longer, as they have been nothing but kind to me throughout my stay.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
