Bella May's introduction to her virtual internship--summer 2021
Program sponsor (study abroad program): API Abroad
Describe your position: English Skills Teaching Assistant
Employer name: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Facultad de Letras)
What made you want to complete a virtual international internship: I wanted to complete this internship for the experience and to gain skills for my future career. After college, I am planning on teaching English overseas so being able to communicate with people from different cultures and people who do not speak fluent English is obviously very important for my career choice. With COVID-19 still a thing barring students from going overseas, and being a busy adult, I chose a virtual internship which allows me to still be able to spend time with my family, work, and gain experience all at the same time. Now I can say that I have taught university students to speak English and have broadened my connections outside of the United States.
What is a typical day of work look like when you're grading: Tuesdays are my grading and planning days. The class I help with happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the way that it is structured is that Tuesdays are writing days (so I am not needed in class) and Thursdays are speaking days. Typically, at the beginning of the week, the professor I am working with emails me what she has planned for class on Thursday when I must Zoom in. So, on Tuesdays, I typically wake up at around 9am to have breakfast and check what I have to grade or work on for the day. I then head off to do my daily tasks of the day, which can include working, hanging out with friends or family, or completing the free courses that API offers for cultural communication. At about 5pm is when I begin to grade and plan out my discussion questions for the Thursday class, which involves me looking at essays, choosing questions from the unit, and organizing my grading rubrics for the order of the groups I am going to have. I feel this structure works very well to allow for time to enjoy my summer but also time to work.
On Thursdays I log onto the zoom call at 5:00pm when the class begins. Due to COVID-19, classes in Chile are still being conducted remotely, so all the students are at home when they log on as well. Thursdays are the days that the students are able to practice their speaking skills and gain feedback in order to prepare for their final exam. To deal with a group of about
14, the professor pairs them up for discussion and has them sign up for a time slot. While I'm meeting with a group in one break out group, the professor is also meeting with a group in another breakout room. We do the same thing in both rooms; it just makes handling students more manageable. In the breakout room, students in the group are given a question that either I have chosen, or the professor has chosen, from the Unit that we are focusing on that week (most likely we have chosen different questions for our rooms). They are then given 5 minutes to prepare their discussion, 5 minutes to speak, and then I evaluate them. For example, the discussion question could be something such as "How does change affect us? Compare something from your past to something from your present, such as schools or jobs," and the students would then prepare discussion with an intro, a body, and a conclusion as a group. What I specifically look for when evaluating is if they have a structured response that includes every member of their group by either having one person speak one part or asking each other questions. I also evaluate their pronunciation and talk with them through mistakes they may make or even things I loved/want to see more of in their future discussions. I do this with each group until class ends at 6:15pm, then I chat with the professor for a moment about the plan for next week and log off for the day.
14, the professor pairs them up for discussion and has them sign up for a time slot. While I'm meeting with a group in one break out group, the professor is also meeting with a group in another breakout room. We do the same thing in both rooms; it just makes handling students more manageable. In the breakout room, students in the group are given a question that either I have chosen, or the professor has chosen, from the Unit that we are focusing on that week (most likely we have chosen different questions for our rooms). They are then given 5 minutes to prepare their discussion, 5 minutes to speak, and then I evaluate them. For example, the discussion question could be something such as "How does change affect us? Compare something from your past to something from your present, such as schools or jobs," and the students would then prepare discussion with an intro, a body, and a conclusion as a group. What I specifically look for when evaluating is if they have a structured response that includes every member of their group by either having one person speak one part or asking each other questions. I also evaluate their pronunciation and talk with them through mistakes they may make or even things I loved/want to see more of in their future discussions. I do this with each group until class ends at 6:15pm, then I chat with the professor for a moment about the plan for next week and log off for the day.
What is it like to facilitate a class when the speakers aren't native English speakers?
Before the class, I assumed that it was going to be very hard for me to even communicate with them as I know no Spanish and they are learning English. I was afraid that my feedback and facilitation would be incomprehensible for them. Though, I was very wrong with this assumption. I teach a class with students around the same age as me, and some have been learning English for a while. Although they are on different levels of English proficiency, they can understand me by either listening or reading. Most of the time, I speak to them over Zoom and also type what I have said into the chat. This helps with students who are not so good at listening to English but are experts at reading English words. The students in that class amaze me with their ambition and drive every time I show up, and we all have gotten to know each other since the first class. Although there is a bit of a language barrier at times, they are always willing to speak with me and to learn from me, and I am always willing to hear them out and learn from them.
What challenges have you overcome since your first class with them?
The nervousness that we all had. I was very nervous on the first day of class, and they were also very nervous to even speak with me. But the first class was a time for them to ask me questions about my life, to get to know me better, and I was able to discuss similar interests and hobbies with them. I feel that first class helped us become closer, so then at the second class it was just a matter of me explaining to them that I was not going to judge them based on their skills but help them with their speaking. It is a trust that we have begun to form, and the students not only consider me as their friend now, but also trust me enough to ask questions on how to improve, how to be a better English speaker, all while accepting the feedback I give them. Plus, I have even learned a little Spanish from them, as sometimes I teach them words and they teach me the same word in Spanish.
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