On being an English Language Assistant

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a language assistant in a foreign school. Every year my family always went on holiday to the same island off the coast of France, where my mum had been an assistant when she was studying, and we would hear stories of her Year Abroad and stay with her old mentor teacher. I caught the bug, and it was a big deciding factor for me in chosing to do a languages degree over English Literature.

So what does it involve? That depends on the country, the school, and the individual! For me, in a selective German high school, it means working with pupils between the ages of 10 and 20. Sometimes I work one-on-one giving tutoring. Sometimes I take a small group out of a class and work more intensely with them. Sometimes I teach grammar, sometimes I follow a text book, and sometimes I plan my own lessons. Sometimes I have a full class of thirty. I love the independence of those lessons. Sometimes I give conversation classes to whoever is interested. Sometimes I mark homeworks, and sometimes I go on school trips. My life as an assistant is nothing if not varied!

And it is coming to an end. Just one day of teaching left to do, in a week and a half (my contract is timed in a very silly manner with the public holidays here!!) and then it will all be over. Most of my classes already are. My other conversation class today presented me with a school hoody. AWESOME!! I live in hoodies at home. It's a tad on the big side, but it's soooooo comfy. They're such nice girls!

I got home and marked nineteen essays on cultural assimilation this afternoon - the level of English taught is so high - it really puts us Brits to shame. In school today I oversaw a debate on the merits of advertising with a group of 14 year olds, and discussed the problems of "multiculturalism: a melting pot or a salad bowl" as well as Nick Griffin and the bonkers attitude of the BNP with a class of 18 year olds. It's leagues above the level that languages are taught at British schools.

Right now I'm waiting for my dinner to cook - roasted sweet potato wedges, and cream of spinach soup. I'm hungry!! And it smells so good!

(Edited to add a foodie photo! Look at those colours!)