Hello!!!! My name is Sara. I´m 25 years old and I come from Spain. I am a Physical Education teacher and outdoor activities and camps monitor.
Before I landed in England, I used to work in a surf shop diary, beside in summer I work in camps and kindergarten. Normally when I finish my work I go out to have a coffee in a veranda, go to the beach or walking with my friends and my dog.
In weekend, I used to go to different villages in my region to camp or visit friends in other region of Spain. When I stayed in my city I went out with my friends to a house or pub. Finally, I used to watch Spanish football match in a cafeteria with my family or friends.
- Are you Spanish? Ahhh Costa Brava??
- Noooo…. From Cantabria!
Spain is quite big and I want to show you where I live exactly:
I am from Cantabria. It´s a region in the north of Spain (the blue one)
I live in a village near the capital of my region: Santander.
Cantabria is coated by Cantábrico's Sea, it´s very wavy and rough for that there are many people in my region who practice surfing, windsurfing, paddle sup board, canoeing … Also Cantabria has important group of mountains which name is Picos de Europa, where people go to climbing, skiing, snowboarding and hiking.
Finally, my region has important prehistoric deposits in Altamira´s cave, a Gaudi´s building, different little villages which have beautiful things to show, above all their church´s and building´s architecture.
Why am I doing EVS?
I looked for EVS project to get new skills and experience in my job area, like new methodologies, teaching resources and different way to teach, at the same time I wanted to improve my English. Also I wanted to learn about another culture, meet new people and have experience in life.
When Everything is Possible called me, I was really amazing, because the project, they wanted I do, was my favorite because I will work in a school and it was in UK. It was a big opportunity to improve my professional skills as my language skills.
The call was very late; I only had a month to prepare all to left my country!
My life in England: at School
I started my project in my second week here. I work in a primary school in Low Moor, Bradford. The school has different courses from Reception to Year 6.
My mentor, Mrs. Hibbert, showed me all classrooms and gave me a plan for my first weeks at school: each week I will change the group, and when I will finish I will choose my timetable.
For that I started my work in Reception, next week in Year 1 and this last week I stayed with Year 2.
In all of classrooms I stay in a second place looking and listening to the teacher, and when children start their tasks I assist a group . Normally, they know what they have to do, but others I have to explain the activity.
In Reception, it was different, I played with them in the different areas and sometimes I teach numeracy for one or two pupils, because it is quite difficult to understand little kids.
At the morning I work in Breakfast Club for an hour, where I do different crafts and play at different games with children, because the school has a lot of material to have a funny time.
My feelings:
First of all, I feel really good in this school and I am learning too much in a different methodology I never saw before. Beside classrooms has many teaching resources for learn and the teacher´s behaviour is amazing…they are very calm. And the discipline is a big and important aspect in this school.
At my first weeks I was very quiet but now I try to talk with all teachers about Bradford, or their diary life. In the school there are many volunteers along the week, I meet someone and there are very kind.
With children, it is quite difficult because my understanding skills are not developing at all, but I try to say all I want, and they try to understand me or repeat what they say. Children are very patient with me and correct my pronunciation. It is a really funny situation.
Out of school: At home.
I live in Bradford in a building near the city centre. I live with another Spanish girl, and two Portuguese boys (they are only here for 1 month). We, normally, meet at afternoon, and watch TV together and talk about our day. In weekend we visit our city, have dinner together and go out in Bradford´s pub.
The two first weeks was very excited, because all was new. The third week we went to Great Malvern to do our Arrival training. For that, until our fourth week here, anything was normal. Now I am placed and i want to do many things, like practice sport, assistant English lesson, go to dance, visit different villages, etc.
I feel good with my flatmates, Virginia is like my family here, and she has become my best support here. But I have to recognise I miss my family and friends too much.
Culture & Bradford
English´s culture is different like mine, and I have to learn many things. Education is very important here and the different customs they have for all they do: no wash dishes with water later they clean with soap, say thank you for bus drivers, eating timetables… But I live in Bradford where you have a big opportunity to learn about other two cultures: Pakistani and Indian´s culture.
Bradford has a nice city centre, and a few shopping centres with many clothes shops. Beside it has a many pubs where you can have a beer and beautiful parks to have a walk.
Normally, when I come out of my work I have a walk in the city centre and visit some place which is new for me like a cathedral, museum, shops…. Or sometimes I go to the library to study English on my own.
My feelings:
My two weeks here, I was scared for all, because I thought I was going to live in a typical British city, but Bradford is an intercultural city where English people is not the most common people you will see in the street. But now I am good and I want to visit Muslim, Hindus and Sikh temples and learn about their culture.
I love Indian food!!!! And I am very lucky because Bradford is the curry´s city!!! It has a important curry festival and it makes lot of events in relation with Pakistanis and Indian people, with music, dances and many fireworks. It´s really nice!
In true it´s hard to become accustomed but it is necessary take time for your own and meet people who know to show you different way to live here.
Sara, long term EVS volunteer in Bradford.
Project part of With YOUth in Mind
and supported by the British Council
and the Youth in Action programme
of the European Commission
