The Fact and the Fiction of Teaching English at IES Litoral

CIEE Staff: You will never be alone with the students. You are there to serve as an assistant, so you will always be in the same room as the teacher.

Reality: I have been alone with the students in nearly every single one of the 11 classes that I teach. IES Litoral's teaching staff favors dividing the students into two groups, with one group remaining with the teacher and the other being led by the auxiliar. This means that, in practice, I spend half of each class with half of the students, and then switch with the teacher to work with the other half. The teacher and I are never in the same room with each other.

CIEE Staff: You do not have to worry about disciplining the students. Since you are an assistant, the teacher is responsible for dealing with problematic students. This is not your responsibility. 

Reality: On my second day of teaching, the bilingual coordinator informed me that I should send any student who is misbehaving to the detention room. Not only have I been given the authority to deal with misbehaving students; it is part of my responsibilities as an auxiliar.

CIEE Staff: The teacher will design the lesson plans. All you will need to do is help implement the lesson with the students. 

Reality: IES Litoral views the auxiliar as an opportunity for students to speak with a native English speaker. As such, they do not care what I teach, as long as the students are speaking with me. In practice, this means that I am responsible for designing my own lessons, though they do not necessarily need to match those of the teacher.

In truth, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Welcome to Spain.

The Start of a Long Stay in Málaga

"¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,una sombra, una ficción,y el mayor bien es pequeño;que toda la vida es sueño, y los sueños, sueños son."

Pedro Calderon de la Barca

It is a sunny afternoon in the Spanish port city of Malaga. Locals and tourists walk up and down the main promenade of Larios, a pedestrian boulevard that runs due north from the Alameda Principal, Malaga's main road. After around one hundred meters from Alameda, Larios branches into three separate roads. The road that veers right leads to the Alcazaba, an old Moorish fortress that once protected the city. The road that leads straight will bring pedestrians to the Plaza de la Constitucion, an open plaza located in the heart of the zona historica, Malaga's old city. The third branch leads left, veering slightly to the west before curving again to the north. Along this road are many shops and cafes, offering everything from bookstores to cosmetics to footwear. At one point along this road is an unremarkable side street called Calderon de la Barca. On this street is located the apartment that I now call home. 

I have now been in Spain since the sixth of January. After arriving in Madrid, I took the Renfe, the Spanish high speed train, to Sevilla, where I met up with approximately thirty or so participants in the CIEE Teach English Abroad program. For the next five months we will serve as auxiliary teaching staff to high school students throughout Andalucia, the southernmost state of Spain. Having applied to start in January, we are coming to Spain midway through the academic year, and will be replacing individuals who left their schools at the conclusion of the first term. I was told that overall there are 999 auxiliaries serving the Junta de Andalucia. This number includes us, the auxiliaries already here, and more personnel serving as language assistants from other countries besides the United States. 

Of the thirty individuals in the Seville orientation, only one other individual will be based with me in Malaga. The rest will serve in such cities as Sevilla, Granada, Huelva, Marbella, Cordoba and Cadiz. Though it is reassuring to have a network of contacts in place in case I wish to travel throughout Andalucia, my own personal goal for this program is to master the Spanish language. Time that is spent traveling will reduce the amount of time that I can spend interacting with Spanish nationals in Malaga, something that I must do incessantly in order to become fluent. 

For the past two weeks, I have been serving as a classroom assistant at IES Litoral, a bilingual high school based in the outskirts of Malaga. The Spanish system of education differs from its US counterpart, most notably in its structure. Institute, or ESO, contains students as young as 12 through students at the age of 16. Following ESO, the Spanish have Bachillerato, a two year program for students aged 17 and 18 that prepares them for academic study at the university level. The other noteworthy difference is the disintegration of extracurricular activities from their academic institution, which leaves Spanish students without any strong identity to their school. During the first two weeks at Litoral, I prepared a presentation on the athletic and fine arts programs at my own high school in Downers Grove, Illinois. I believe that the fine arts video, produced by the Downers Grove North Fine Arts Department, made a very good impression on the students at IES Litoral. 

I am now at the point where I can refocus my energy on building a social circle and pursuing my hobbies. At first, it was difficult to find an apartment, as I was limited by my mediocre linguistic abilities. Fortunately, I have now found a nice apartment in an outstanding location. My roommates consist of Eva, a 26 year old Malaga native, Yannis, a 17 year old Moroccan architecture student from Casablanca, and Scott, a 25 year old American from South Dakota, who coincidentally happens to be another one of the auxiliaries assigned to Malaga. 

Beyond finding an apartment, I was also successful in obtaining a Spanish mobile SIM card (data plans are much cheaper than in the United States), opening a bank account, and joining a gym. Last Wednesday I went to a class called body combat, which seemed to be loosely based on a blend of boxing, footwork, karate and tai chi. 

Through such sites as Conversation Exchange and Pachange, I have also attended several language exchanges. These are a good way to practice another language with a native speaker. They are also excellent for meeting new people and making friends. Last week I established a few contacts, and after an evening of sending out messages I was pleasantly surprised to have 11 responses on Conversation Exchange. I have also found that many of the Irish Pubs in Malaga leverage their English speaking clientele and host language exchanges in the evenings. Combined with the fact that they serve my favorite drink (Magners Cider, the greatest ever), I believe that such exchanges, whether through the internet or through local bars, will provide me with the best opportunity to make connections during my time in Malaga. 

I am very excited to be in Spain. Though this is not my first time in this country, I hope that these months will provide me with an opportunity to re-evaluate my personal goals and take some time to appreciate freedom and youth in a part of the world that is renowned for its tranquility and grace. The Costa del Sol, or Sun Coast, in which Malaga is located, is renowned for its Mediterranean climate, with long, warm summers and short, mild winters. Being here is a reminder of what life can be, and how each day can be so rich and fulfilling. Today, like all days, is another great day to be in Malaga.