Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: MLK in the ESL Classroom As Language & Culture Assistants in Spain (or wherever you may be teaching abroad), I think one of our most important duties is to share and encourage cultural diversity. Chances are, if you’ve been in Spain over the past few months you’ve seen some things…
Author: Erica
Getting lost and finding myself from sunny southern California to the sunny Spanish Canary Islands - via Central America, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Europe.
Follow me. Get lost!
8 Fun, No Prep Activities to Rock the New Year in the ESL Classroom
Coming back to school after the holidays is tough.
Realizing the day before that you haven’t planned anything is worse.
Lucky for you, I’ve stock piled a few simple no & low prep activities to get you through the first few days.
Getting Lost in 2017: A Year in Photos
The end of the year always leaves me with notes of nostalgia, and this morning as I lazily sipped my coffee I got to thinking about all the places I’ve gotten lost in 2017 (and some plans for the coming year!)
Teach English in Spain: BEDA Language Assistants
These days, learning English is all the rage in sunny Spain, and between the many English teaching programs out there, almost anyone can find a way in.
I’ve spent 4 years working as an English Language Assistant with BEDA (Bilingual English Development & Assessment).
‘Tis the Season! Celebrating Christmas in Spain
Glittering fairy lights, oversized Christmas trees and the smoky scent of chestnuts and honey almonds roasting on an open fire. Dulce Navidad is playing in the shopping centers and long lines loop through El Corte Inglés. It’s the end of November and beginning to look a lot like Christmas all over Spain.
Six Years in Spain: Reflections of a Life Abroad
Sometimes it still feels like yesterday, sailing over the Atlantic en route to Barajas International Airport, mentally preparing to touch down for “a year” in Madrid.
Thanksgiving Activities for the ESL Classroom
There are few holidays that leave this expat soul feeling as sentimental as Thanksgiving, which is kinda peculiar since it never used to be a holiday I cared much about. Of course I’d get down on some sweet potatoes and stuffing, but even as a child I didn’t buy into the whole pilgrims and “Indians” holding hands and singing kumbaya.
ESL Activities: Native American History Month
Native American Heritage Month ESL Activities & Lesson Plans It all began when the English teacher I team-taught with insisted that I plan a “fun” activity for Columbus Day. After all, what’s more fun than genocide 🙄? Nope. This guy was already not on my list of favorite humans, so I wasn’t completely surprised with…
Day of the Dead Lesson Plans & Activities
As much as the littles (and even not-so-littles) love Halloween, it can get pretty tedious making the same old skele-pumpki-spiders every year.
Coming from Los Angeles, I’ve always been mesmerized by the colorful Día de los Muertos celebrations that are held all around the city and throughout SoCal. Especially when teaching in countries with less diversity, I think it’s imperative that we make an effort to showcase our rich cultural diversity.
The Golden Ticket: Certificado de Viajes for North Americans in the Canary Islands
Are North Americans residing in the Canary Islands eligible for the resident discount? Maybe. Read on for details!
11 Ways to Overcome Homesickness Abroad
After the anticipation and farewells back home and the buzz and stress of getting started in your new ‘home’, it finally hits you. You’re here alone. Maybe you won the roommate jackpot or were blessed with a coworker that’s taken you under their wing, but if you’re like many brand new expats, this is probably the time that loneliness and homesickness are starting to set in.
Halloween Fun in the ESL Classroom
Kid’s love Halloween, and I love to get them excited about learning. There are literally thousands of ways to bring spooky Halloween fun into the ESL classroom, combining culture, relevant vocabulary and even grammar into haunted activities that naturally spark interest and curiosity.
Back to School: Easy, No Prep Activities for Your First Week
Even experienced teacher’s get first day of school jitters when starting a new gig. Not only do you have to meet a dozen or more new colleagues (in your second language), you also have to introduce yourself to anywhere from 300 – 1,000 (not exaggerating) new students who may or may not understand anything you’re saying.
La Fiesta de La Rama: Agaete’s Premiere Summer Party
We arrived around two and the fiesta was already in full force. Squeezing through the mobs of sweaty fiesteros and fishermen selling eucalyptus branches for 2 bucks a pop, we made our way through the crowded, narrow streets to Plaza de la Constitución, the heart of enchanting Agaete.
Packing Dos & Don’ts for a Year Abroad
My standard packing style usually starts the night before I leave, typically after my despedida (farewell) dinner, and almost always after one-too-many glasses of wine. It’s one thing to rock that laissez faire lifestyle when packing for a month or two, but a year of living abroad is definitely higher stakes, as I learned moving to Spain as an Auxiliar de Conversación.
The Shelter Games: 3 Commandments for Finding a Flat in Spain
Apartment hunting isn’t usually considered fun. Throw in a different language in a different country with different customs and it’s, well, different. Luckily, you’re not the first guiri to make the move to sunny Spain, so save yourself the stress of making all the mistakes yourself and learn from some of ours before you.
Quintessential Cuenca: ´Hanging´Out Amid the Hanging Houses
To describe Cuenca as dramatic would be an understatement. Originally founded by the Moors in the 8th century, the city was built on a peak protected by severe drops down to the gorges of the Huécar and Júcar rivers below. Everything surrounding the city is verdant green, and everything within the city is solid stone that has witnessed thousands of years of history.
La Ruta del Pincho: Thursday Tapas in Historical Vegueta
Every Thursday night in Vegueta, the scent of mojo and mariscos fills the air and hungry patrons – both locals and guiris alike – fill every bar, terrace and square inch of sidewalk. It’s the weekly Ruta del Pincho aka Tapas Thursday in the historic center, where friends gather together to share a bucket (or 10) of botellínes and sample the countless pinchos on offer.
Finding a Flat in Spain: The Basics
Finding a flat is essential.
Finding a flat you love (or at least like, hopefully a lot) will make a huge impact on your overall Spain experience.
No One Says Apartamento: A Piso Glossary for Spain
No One Says Apartamento: A Piso Glossary for Spain When I first moved to Madrid, I absolutely thought my Spanish was on point… until I started looking for apartments and had my potential compañeros de piso rambling on a mile a minute about fianzas, ascensores and gastos aparte. ¿Say what? For starters, you’re not looking…
Get Up. Get Out. Get Lost. 