Tell us about your job
I am currently working as an EFL teacher at a private language academy in Andorra la Vella, Andorra which is called Singular Academia D'Angles. I teach students who are kids, teenagers and adults so I have a variety of different ages and levels to teach. The classes are currently taught in person (groups of 4 students or private classes), online and hybrid so I have to be very good with technology and adapt to different situations especially considering the current Coronavirus rules and regulations.
Tell us how your degree in Geography and Spanish helped you get there
I was very lucky to be able to travel and learn languages from a young age throughout primary and secondary school in the UK and this led to a degree in Geography and Spanish at the University of Chester. I am fortunate to be able to pick up and learn different skills fairly quickly so in terms of language learning and teaching this is very useful. During my time at the University of Chester, I took part in the language department's trip to Costa Rica which was a fantastic time and helped my learning of the Spanish language and culture immensely.
Tell us about your plans for the future
In terms of the future, my plan is to get a couple more years of teaching experience and then do my DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification (I have my CELTA- Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages- qualification already) which will allow me to become an assistant Director of Studies in an International school or private academy and then I could move up to a Director of Studies position or even open my own language school in the future.
Tell us the best thing about studying at Chester
The best thing about studying at Chester is that it is a relatively small university which therefore means that you are able to receive a lot of support from your PAT tutor, Departmental staff and other people within the university during your time at Chester which in comparison to other bigger universities is not as accessible. My advice to anyone considering studying at Chester, is to take advantage of all of the opportunities which are available to you at the university.
Do you feel that your degree was relevant to your current role?
Teaching English allows me to develop student's vocabulary in different topic areas which therefore means I can use my knowledge of the environment and geographical landscapes and also Spanish language and culture, learned during my time at Chester, to use my Spanish and Geography degree effectively especially as I am living in a Spanish (Catalan is the main language in Andorra) speaking country.
Did you do a British Council teaching placement? If so how did this help your career planning?
I did a British Council teaching placement during my 3rd year at Chester due to being a modern languages student. The experience was fantastic because I was placed in an EOI (Escuela Oficial de idiomas) in the west of Spain, about two hours from Madrid. An EOI is an adult language school so this was a great experience as I was able to teach students and also socialise with them. The British Council teaching placement began my experience in the world of teaching as a profession and paved the way to my current role in being an EFL teacher in Andorra.