As an undergraduate, I participated in a study abroad program in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Through this program, I received my Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen hosts the International Summer Language School every July. During this three week language school, students from elementary age to young adults come to improve their language skills.
The first week I co-taught advanced, college-age students. The last two weeks I taught intermediate teenagers. These classes allowed me to practically apply what I was learning about teaching English. I created my own lesson plans for each class to meet the needs of my students. I learned to assess their knowledge in order to form practical lessons for the day. |
AdvanCEDA learning survey helped my co-teacher and me identify what would best meet the needs of my students. My advanced students were ready for idioms and practical applications. We created a lesson using business idioms since many of our students planned to be in the international business world. The students were broken into groups and responsible for creating a skit on the practical application of their idiom.
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INTERMEDIATeCreating a place for them to be comfortable speaking was the biggest challenge. I created lessons that emphasized conversation in order to build their verbal confidence. One of my best lessons focused on the song "Brave" by Sara Bareilles. I chose this song because the vocabulary is minimal, and it relates to being brave as an adolescent. My students enjoyed the music and American pop culture that I was able to bring into the classroom.
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ENGlish Camp
After teaching at the language school, I participated in an English camp in the town of Úvaly, Czech Republic. It is a town of approx. 5,000 people about a 30 minute train ride from Prague. I found this camp through a Google search before my initial study abroad trip. I contacted the leaders, and they openly welcomed me to not only their homes but the camp. This camp allowed me to work alongside people from Czech Republic, Ireland, and Israel as well as fellow Americans.
At the camp I assisted the students with English and practiced my Czech. I led a group of eleven 8 year olds along with another native English speaker and two translators. The girls went to various activities throughout the day such as English class, Bible story, art, and games. The camp day lasted from 8am-4pm. In the evenings, the camp staff met together for dinner and various activities. It was a fun, exhausting week. This camp taught me that you can still love and impact kids even when you do not speak the same first language. Learn more about the 2014 English Camp. |