I decided to travel back to Madrid, Spain during my college's spring break in order to personally visit the TEFL and CELTA facilities that I had been researching over the past 4-plus months. I have heard, read, and now experienced that you can make a big impression if you physically show up at a company's doorstep as opposed to just touching base from an ocean and continent over via email. And doing so definitely worked in my favor!!
I have since applied and been accepted into a TEFL certification program that I will begin in early September. That's exciting, but the even crazier news is that I was in the right place at the right time and was offered a job *in Spain* for the summer!! The friend I have been doing a language exchange with for the past year (as well as the person I stayed with while visiting over the break) ---- his roommate is the director of a summer language camp. This is another bit of proof that physically being in the place you wish to work is the way to go! A few emails went back and forth, a request for my résumé, and I was hired!
Needless to say, I'm thrilled!!!!!!!!
I will continue to share as much information as I can as I venture back to Madrid in late June. All of these opportunities truly are "dreams-come-true" for my life after college!
:-)
miércoles, 19 de marzo de 2008
domingo, 17 de febrero de 2008
Getting Closer
Many people have commended me on the fact that I will be physically visiting the different TEFL/CELTA certification locations as opposed to the people who tend to only contact through email. I am rather excited about this seeing as I leave for Madrid in 10 days! I have been researching, contacting the program directors, emailing with former program students, and planning a visitation schedule along with still surviving my last semester of my senior year of college.
Not only did my study abroad experience in Madrid help me formulate this life/career goal, but also the internship that I acquired this semester. I am teaching English as a Second Language (which I may or may not have already mentioned in a previous post). I truly believe that the actual teaching experience that have been able to gain through this internship has set me apart from others looking to teach as well as just in general being ahead of game!
I'm sure I will have much more to discuss when I return from Madrid. Until then, I am trying to map out what my website (not just this novice of a blog) is going to look like for this class. I look forward to having my site accomplish certain goals that I believe will help people who are looking to follow in the footsteps of successfully finding a job abroad!
:-)
Not only did my study abroad experience in Madrid help me formulate this life/career goal, but also the internship that I acquired this semester. I am teaching English as a Second Language (which I may or may not have already mentioned in a previous post). I truly believe that the actual teaching experience that have been able to gain through this internship has set me apart from others looking to teach as well as just in general being ahead of game!
I'm sure I will have much more to discuss when I return from Madrid. Until then, I am trying to map out what my website (not just this novice of a blog) is going to look like for this class. I look forward to having my site accomplish certain goals that I believe will help people who are looking to follow in the footsteps of successfully finding a job abroad!
:-)
miércoles, 6 de febrero de 2008
Uncharted Waters
Every soon-to-be-college graduate has had the fear of the "real world" looming over them at one time or another. I am happy to annouce that I'm not afraid anymore. (haha, ok, let me refrase that). COME AND GET ME WORLD! (ok, maybe not that either).
You see, the thing is, an actual plan is coming together. I'm beginning to find the answer to the ever popular question: "so, what are you going to do with your life after graduation?" Let me first just back up a bit and tell you how I've reached this point of thought.
I've always been interested in any and every aspect of human interraction, conversation, and hispanic culture. The only problem with this when I first came to King's was that I was asked "what do you want to major in?" (another one of life's major questions)... and I could only respond with "Well, I like to talk to people... and I want to be fluent in Spanish!" Unfortunately that answer alone couldn't really point me in the direction of an actual/precise career choice. Nevertheless, here I am, a senior Spanish and English (Writing) double major... and my "fluency" well.... with only my studies at King's and a brief 4 months abroad... I'm not quite there yet!
So as I see it, I still owe it to myself to accomplish that goal of fluency. I really don't think any college (especially one maintaining a liberal arts atmosphere) should ask a recent high school graduate "what do you want to major in?" or even "what do you want to be when you grow up?" because it's misleading; it doesn't help the student the long run. Rather they should be asked "what are your interests? what do you want to learn more about? what 'floats your boat'?" so that the college can then help the student turn that desire/place of interest around in such a way that there's a more concrete career that the student will thrive for and ultimately be happy in!
While some might think that's a stretch.... all in all that's what I believe I have found. There's a statistic that states that something like 97% of recent college graduates loathe their first few jobs after college. But you know what? Either I plan on being included in the measely 3% that got lucky and are happy with their post-grad career... or I'll be a part of the miserable 97% but will still carry on with my innate optimism that I'm well on my way to where I want to be! No one said it was going to be easy; that we know for sure...
But here it is. My thoughts, hopes, dreams... all wrapped up in an acronym that has many forms: TEFL (or TESL or TESOL)....... Ultimately what it comes down to is, I'm going to move to abroad *Returning to Madrid, Spain!!* after I graduate to get my certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (or English as a Second Langage --or-- English to Speakers of Other Languages)!!!!!!! This (if all goes well) will allow me to continue my Spanish language studies as well as be immersed in the culture while helping others out and teaching English abroad!!
You see, the thing is, an actual plan is coming together. I'm beginning to find the answer to the ever popular question: "so, what are you going to do with your life after graduation?" Let me first just back up a bit and tell you how I've reached this point of thought.
I've always been interested in any and every aspect of human interraction, conversation, and hispanic culture. The only problem with this when I first came to King's was that I was asked "what do you want to major in?" (another one of life's major questions)... and I could only respond with "Well, I like to talk to people... and I want to be fluent in Spanish!" Unfortunately that answer alone couldn't really point me in the direction of an actual/precise career choice. Nevertheless, here I am, a senior Spanish and English (Writing) double major... and my "fluency" well.... with only my studies at King's and a brief 4 months abroad... I'm not quite there yet!
So as I see it, I still owe it to myself to accomplish that goal of fluency. I really don't think any college (especially one maintaining a liberal arts atmosphere) should ask a recent high school graduate "what do you want to major in?" or even "what do you want to be when you grow up?" because it's misleading; it doesn't help the student the long run. Rather they should be asked "what are your interests? what do you want to learn more about? what 'floats your boat'?" so that the college can then help the student turn that desire/place of interest around in such a way that there's a more concrete career that the student will thrive for and ultimately be happy in!
While some might think that's a stretch.... all in all that's what I believe I have found. There's a statistic that states that something like 97% of recent college graduates loathe their first few jobs after college. But you know what? Either I plan on being included in the measely 3% that got lucky and are happy with their post-grad career... or I'll be a part of the miserable 97% but will still carry on with my innate optimism that I'm well on my way to where I want to be! No one said it was going to be easy; that we know for sure...
But here it is. My thoughts, hopes, dreams... all wrapped up in an acronym that has many forms: TEFL (or TESL or TESOL)....... Ultimately what it comes down to is, I'm going to move to abroad *Returning to Madrid, Spain!!* after I graduate to get my certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (or English as a Second Langage --or-- English to Speakers of Other Languages)!!!!!!! This (if all goes well) will allow me to continue my Spanish language studies as well as be immersed in the culture while helping others out and teaching English abroad!!
Now my main task is to sort out the different programs that offer certification to see what my exact options are!! Career Planning and Placement is helping me through this but I've been told that I'm a "special case" haha... because I'm sort of the first to actually want to tap into the job market overseas after graduation. So as I see it... it will be an adventure! And anyone who has been interested enough to read this whole post (or others of you who have read this in the name of procrastination)... thank you for joining me as I venture into the seemingly uncharted waters of an overseas job-search!
:-)viernes, 25 de enero de 2008
The start to one "el" of a column...
Ok, so I've just been messing around with the blog templates and figured out how to change the header border for my site... and I kinda swiped one from this site: http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,9405_3067147,00.html --- I think it's pretty funny...
Question though... for every online picture that I post, must I also provide the source so to not be accused of plagiarizing?
Fact. That site is a massive mess of people rambling with information with an overall topic of soccer (aka fúbol). It has a bunch of articles/areas for commentary/"news" etc. But I'm not that into sports... or what people think of it... so enough with that.
That's the weird thing about these "blogs" --- I search and read stuff online having to do with what I'm interested in. All too often I feel that blogs turn into a "who can outspeak who" sort of thing...
Eh, more later... I have to go to class...
Question though... for every online picture that I post, must I also provide the source so to not be accused of plagiarizing?
Fact. That site is a massive mess of people rambling with information with an overall topic of soccer (aka fúbol). It has a bunch of articles/areas for commentary/"news" etc. But I'm not that into sports... or what people think of it... so enough with that.
That's the weird thing about these "blogs" --- I search and read stuff online having to do with what I'm interested in. All too often I feel that blogs turn into a "who can outspeak who" sort of thing...
Eh, more later... I have to go to class...
miércoles, 23 de enero de 2008
Bienvenidos!
Hola! Me llamo Katie.
"Katie" is a rather difficult name to say if you have a Spanish accent. It sounds more like "Kah-tee"...
Throughout this blog I might write in English or I might write in Spanish. Let me know if you need a translation. Or if you're adventurous enough to figure it out yourself... a great tool might be http://www.wordreference.com/
Ya es todo. Pero me dejo con el mensaje: Language is life. Sin idiomas, no podemos hacer nada!
Hablamos ;-)
"Katie" is a rather difficult name to say if you have a Spanish accent. It sounds more like "Kah-tee"...
Throughout this blog I might write in English or I might write in Spanish. Let me know if you need a translation. Or if you're adventurous enough to figure it out yourself... a great tool might be http://www.wordreference.com/
Ya es todo. Pero me dejo con el mensaje: Language is life. Sin idiomas, no podemos hacer nada!
Hablamos ;-)
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