ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSISTANTS EVALUATION PROJECT: SUMMER 2005 - Get as DOC

							English Language Assistant Testimonials

Name:               Emily Edwards
Country:            Chile (Concepción)
Host Institution:   Universidad Catolica de la Santisima Concepción
University in UK:   Leeds University


      For my year abroad, I decided that I didn’t want to go to Spain as I
       considered it too close to home and not enough of an adventure! I
       chose not to study so that I could do something different for the year.
       Also, the idea of earning some money was very attractive.
      The majority of my good friends were students at the university, who
       were similar ages to me. Through having Chilean friends I’ve been
       able to see things that I wouldn’t as a tourist, such as family life and
       traditional food!
      I got a second job teaching English with a small business, as well as
       volunteering to speak English to raise money for the poor Chilean
       sailors.
      My comprehension has improved tenfold, and I now feel confident I
       can tackle Spanish in any other country! I find it easier to speak and
       have learnt an extensive amount of slang!
      This is a huge opportunity to really know a foreign country and its
       community. The depth and breadth of knowledge you gain by living
       and working in a country for a whole year is incomparable to that of
       a tourist.
      Bring 2 credit cards because one will undoubtedly get lost, stolen or
       not work. Save as much money as you can before coming, because
       having a pint in England is not worth the same as having a night out
       with some Chileans. And finally, be prepared to forget everything
       you ever thought you knew about Spanish, but come out feeling like
       you’ve really achieved something at the end of the year.