Last year I had the fortune to be invited as a native
english speaker, to informally teach
english to
spanish (and other nationalities) at a summer camp in Marbella,
spain. I worked directly from the course books provided and literally ‘flew by the seat of my pants'. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I was extremely pleased to be asked back this year, and decided that some form of instruction in teaching methods would make the actual classroom time more beneficial to all parties. At this time and living in
spain, I experienced an unexpected change in personal circumstances, leading me to investigate the possibilities of teaching
english as a second language as a career. This in turn led me to this course….
I started just before the summer camp and had a few units under my belt. This combined with good feedback from my
tutor instilled me with new confidence on my first day at summer camp classes. I had the knowledge to plan lessons, to introduce authentic material with which to augment the course books and a renewed enthusiasm for
english grammar, which I had not really encountered in pure form, for 35 years.
Continuing on through the units, and completing the worksheets and lesson plans has been reflected in my ability to handle the expected and unexpected situations in the classroom.
I have come to realize, through the course and its content, that there is far more to teaching than chalk and blackboards and that it brings its own set of unique daily challenges. This course has been instrumental in giving me the confidence to have a complete career change in mid-life (not a crisis) and I have already applied for a full time teaching position locally.
If am fortunate enough to be offered this job, it will give me essential experience for the future and semi retirement. At this stage, I hope to travel, with extended stays in certain countries, where I would like to teach
english to offset the
cost of my travels.