Hi!
I´m Phoebe and I am working as a language assistant this year at Antonio de Mendoza High School. I am English. I am university student back in England but I am here, in Spain, for one year.
I come from a city in the north of England called Sheffield. Sheffield is a brilliant and unique place known as «Steel City» due to its history of steel production. In my opinion, Sheffield is one of the best cities in the UK. My favourite thing about my city is the music scene; Sheffield is home to many fantastic musicians and bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Pulp. In fact Sheffield, is a city rich in culture and full of museums, galleries and theatres.
The other special thing about Sheffield is that it is home to the Peak District. The Peak District is a beautiful national park where people go to hike, cycle and take in the stunning views. In fact, although Sheffield city centre is busy and vibrant, Sheffield is actually known as the greenest city in England and has more trees per person than any other city in the whole of Europe!
Although I love England, and especially Sheffield, it has been wonderful to be able to spend a year in the delightful town of Alcala la Real. Before I came here, I had never heard of Alcala or even the province of Jaen. However, I am so happy that I have been placed in such a beautiful and interesting region of Spain.
My favourite part of living here is the many cultural experiences and traditions that I´ve seen. For example, I´ve been able to experience the local fairs, festivals such as el Dia de los Reyes Magos and, most recently, Cadiz carnival. All these events are unlike anything we have in England! I can´t wait to be able to explore Spain further and experience more of the fascinating culture here.
The other thing that has made my time here so far so special is working at Antonio de Mendoza High School. I could not have asked to have been placed in a better school. Everybody has been so welcoming to me and I feel very lucky to be able to work in a school with such brilliant teachers and students.
My role as a language assistant is to assist in billingual lessons in order to help the students to improve their English language skills. Billingual lessons are often taught using fun, collaborative activities. For example, recently I was helping first year history students make comics about ancient Greek myths. I think that being taught in a billingual school is a fantastic opportunity for the students. I have experienced first hand how enriching it is to be able to learn another language and live in another country!
Unfortunately, my time here in Spain is going very quickly and I only have a few months left working at Antonio de Mendoza high school.