**A few pictures to come**
Okay, so maybe not the real reason, but a great one while I am at it. I originally wanted to live in a foreign country so that I could master my Spanish. The languages you learn in schools are practically useless in the real world until you have actually submersed your brain and body in to everyday speech. So I figured while trying to get acclimated, why not get certified to teach English as a Second Language and have a ticket to go teach anywhere in the world, Spanish speaking countries included!
Either way, I found TEFL, International and enrolled in their month long course. Joanie and I traveled down to Costa Rica about 2 weeks before classes started to do some sight seeing and allow me to get comfortable with the surroundings before she had to go home. If I had only known the different pace that I was about to be thrown into. Yikes.
As I mentioned before, it is a four week long class. It is actually broken up into 2 weeks of nothing but class (at times for 11 hours a day!) The second two weeks are devoted to teaching lessons and observing others. Both 2 weeks are demanding but I am finding that the second two weeks with only lessons and observing are easier as the schedule and work are up to you. I prefer to work on my own pace, so I have enjoyed the freedom in my schedule… if I could just perfect my time management. The concepts themselves are not very hard, but teaching the grammar has proven to be quite challenging. I distinctly remember my first “F” in school, and it just happened to be in Ms. Perdue’s 3rd grade English class. I am sad to admit that before being reminded of most of the grammar rules upon coming here, I was part of the large percentage of Americans (specific to the United States) that took for granted the rules, simply by saying “because it sounds right.” This class has at least helped me with clearing up a few of the grammatical mysteries as well as reinforce that some “just sound right”.
Classes are proving to be time consuming, but that comes as no shock. I do feel like I am learning something and getting a greater appreciation for so many more things. The people we have in our classes are mostly adults with the occasional teenager. Some of these adults have to learn English for a job and some just simply want to learn. Tourism is a large industry here and speaking English is a serious resume builder. It is so nice to see a country where people are enthusiastic and willing to learn a new language. However, this has been no easy feat, so I look forward to the end of this class and the start to something else.
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