You will be the English expert at your school and will be tasked with supporting classrooms as they teach subjects, such as science, social studies, English, and P.E. just to name a few, as well as leading groups both large and small in conversational English activities and exercises that promote language learning.
You will also be tasked with explaining and teaching your own personal US or Canadian culture and way of life to the students through presentations and classroom activities. For example, it is very common to give a presentation in November on Thanksgiving or to help decorate the school in October for Halloween to introduce the students to holidays that are not common in Spain.
In short, your role is to encourage students of all ages in Spain to broaden their knowledge of your language and culture. At your school, you will be preparing activities that focus on language and culture, such as listening and speaking activities. You may also be asked to lead class sessions with smaller groups of students. You will need to fulfill your tasks in a responsible manner. Please note that you may be removed from the position by the school or regional Spanish government due to disciplinary or performance issues. A strong performance will allow you to receive a positive reference letter for the future, in addition to making the most out of your experience. You are encouraged to be conscientious and aware of the standards and rules set forth by the program and your school. You must be open to forming healthy working relationships with teachers and other members of the school.
The main goal of the program is to bring native-like speakers of English into every classroom in Spain to enhance students’ language skills. The language assistant serves as a linguistic model for students. Your role is to encourage students to broaden their knowledge of your language and culture. Therefore, you are expected to plan and conduct activities that focus on language and culture, such as listening and speaking activities, role-play activities or games for your students. You will lead these activities in class, with either the teacher or a smaller group of students in a different classroom. The assistant and the classroom teacher or department chair may agree upon other tasks or responsibilities for the assistant to carry out, such as attending meetings and participating in extracurricular activities. They may also be asked to participate in a variety of events organized by the school.