N. American Lang & Cultural Asst 2007-08

[SRedw]

Charisma,

I just read your blog on the visa and saw the scanned copy and noticed that your visa length (dates) is much shorter than mine.  Mine goes from August 1, 2007 - February 1, 2008.  It seems a little odd.  I wonder if it has to do with my applying through the embassy rather than a consulate.  Who knows?

Shawn

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[Nina.Jedina]

Shawn, my visa goes until December 7th, so 3 months (90 days more or less) from the date I received mine (yes I finally got it!!!). So I'm assuming that's just yours that got a longer date-the student visa generally always expires after 90 days, unless you change it which we all will once we've had orientation I imagine.

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[charisma]

Nina: Congratulations!!

Shawn: That is odd, and I think you might be right about it having to do with the embassy. However, I vaguely remember sending the consulate a mock itinerary that said I would be catching a flight on the 19th of September, so that's probably why the validity of my visa starts on that date, and ends three months later.

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[SRedw]

Charisma,

I wrote on my application that I would be leaving on August 10th, so I just assumed that I would be getting the 3 month thing too, but apparently that isn't the case.  Who knows why, but I just thought it was strange.  Chalk it up to experience, I guess.   :rolleyes:

I am looking forward to meeting all of the Madrid auxiliares this year at our meeting on October 2nd.

Suerte,

Shawn

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[mfrench1]

im also in madrid, that's why im a bit confused...i guess itd be best if i send an email to the guy who emailed us upon our being accepted (whose name/email i seem to have lost)

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[SRedw]

mfrench1,

Please go to Charisma's blog, as she has information from day one about the program and every single email sent to us about the program.

Shawn

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[mfrench1]

thanks for the help...i sent an email to someone with the program, and he let me know that they had my email addressed written down incorrectly, so i'm in good standing now...that is, of course, until i leave and have to find a place to live and a bank and a cell phone and friends (only kidding on that one.....i hope....) and and and...

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[Nina.Jedina]

I booked a flight a moment ago, and, if all goes well, should be arriving on Sunday, September 30th at 9:35 a.m.

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[charisma]

Another EOI query: I'm debating as to whether or not I should go ahead and take the placement test offered to auxiliares for Spanish classes. I feel that I've a firm enough grip on grammar and that I can learn much more doing formal intercambios and just communicating with folks on a day-to-day basis.

If the EOI offers cultural classes, then I'd be definitely interested in those. Otherwise, I'd plan my time for other sorts of activities, like maybe volunteering at La Casa Encendida, or something.

Thoughts?

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[charisma]

Shawn: I just remembered that you used to work for Fulbright, right? Perhaps that's why you're in cahoots (sp?) with the embassy!  

Nina: Did you figure out your accommodation? I have no idea what I'm doing after the 30th.

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[amandinha]

If the EOI offers cultural classes, then I'd be definitely interested in those. Otherwise, I'd plan my time for other sorts of activities, like maybe volunteering at La Casa Encendida, or something.

Thoughts?

I always think volunteering is an admirable option for something to do with your extra time.  I didn't see much of it going on while I was in Spain last year, but I was also in a lot smaller town.  

I was an auxiliar last year, and in the pueblo where I lived there was no EOI to take classes at (bummer!), but the ayutamiento, or town government offered classes during the year.  One set ran from September to December, and another from February to May.  There were all sorts of different things ranging from sevillanas and folkloric dance classes, to painting, and plumbing, and lace-making.  They were really affordable; I took a cooking class and it was only 12 Euro a month.  I had a great teacher, and I was the youngest one in the class, which was pretty funny.  

I don't know if where you'll be teaching will offer anything like that, but it's worth looking in to.  I feel like the town halls usually have a lot of information/flyers about goings-on in the community.  

Good luck with your search!

 

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[stacylimones]

About the EOI in Sevilla, I stopped by the other day to ask about German classes, and they told me that everything was booked solid for all languages. They said that if I returned on October 1, that there was a chance someone may give up their spot and they would be available that day. I asked about auditing (oyente), but that was not possible, either. The one thing I forgot to ask (oops!) is if there were any spaces reserved for auxiliares, but I kind of doubt it... Too bad, but it's my own fault because I could have gone much sooner. In fact, they told me that if had stopped by last week that there probably would have still been openings. :-( Oh well, more time for particulares, I suppose...

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[UnrulyJulie]

Stacy,
That's discouraging, but I would take heart in what Mari said and keep at it, by which I mean following up late Sept/early Oct. Perhaps then they will be able to squeeze you in.

Officially, I don't think the EOIs want to encourage either latecomers or auditers, but I hope it still works out for you.

 

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[maritraveler]

Stacy,
I also know from being in the classes in the EOI that half of students never show up.  Or maybe they go the first day or something and never come back.  I would just go a week after they start and they should let you in.  That is how I did it.  

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[charisma]

I was an auxiliar last year, and in the pueblo where I lived there was no EOI to take classes at (bummer!), but the ayutamiento, or town government offered classes during the year.  One set ran from September to December, and another from February to May.  There were all sorts of different things ranging from sevillanas and folkloric dance classes, to painting, and plumbing, and lace-making.  They were really affordable; I took a cooking class and it was only 12 Euro a month.  I had a great teacher, and I was the youngest one in the class, which was pretty funny.

Thanks for the tip! I'm sure the Madrid ayuntamiento must have something to offer...  

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[mfrench1]

my apologies for throwing out all sorts of questions without much comradely banter, but i've yet another one!!!!

will it be problematic if i arrive on the 20th and my visa date starts the 22nd?

my living room is currently a disaster area with all my junk strewn about waiting to be put (hopefully) neatly into my bags...yikes....

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[Nina.Jedina]

By now you have probably arrived and can tell us yourself, but I would think that it would constitute a pretty big problem. I've heard of stories of people not being allowed to leave the airports during their lay-overs. Granted, this was generally for people from poorer countries, where I guess there might have been a fear that they would attempt to stay in the country illegally.

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[SRedw]

I got a reply from the director of my school in Alcobendas telling me which courses I am going to be doing.  I ended up with the highest level in the school.

Hola Shawn!!
 
¿Qué tal va todo? ¿Preparado ya para empezar el nuevo curso? Aquí en el colegio todo va por buen camino y sin complicaciones. Como te dije en el último mail que te envié, te escribo para decirte en qué curso vas a estar. Por tu experiencia e intereses he creido conveniente que estuvieras en el nivel más alto del bilingüismo (4º). Tienen 9 años y en el 2008 la mayoría cumplirá los 10. Este es su cuarto año estudiando inglés. Ya sabes que hay cuatro clases en cada nivel, pero tú solo estarás en dos de ellos: 4ºC y 4ºD. La tutora del grupo C soy yo y la del grupo D se llama María José. Así que estarás todo el tiempo conmigo, porque María José solo da español.
 
Espero que te gusten los grupos y podamos trabajar a gusto.
 
¡Nos vemos el día 1 de Octubre!
 
Saludos,
 
Nerea.

I can't wait to finally get started and have fun working with the kids.  I wish each new auxiliar luck this year.

Saludos,

Shawn

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[SRedw]

I know my schedule.

Tu horario es de 9:30 am a 13:00 pm, excepto dos días que sales a las 14:00 pm. Ya sabes que los viernes no trabajas. Dependiendo de dónde sean las clases particulares te dará tiempo o no, pero estoy casi segura que no tendrás ningún problema en llegar a tiempo. De todas formas, ya verás que algunos padres pedirán si puedes dar clases particulares a sus hijos. Trabajo no te va a faltar...
 
Entonces nos vemos el día 1 a las 9:00.
 
C u!

Cheers,

Shawn

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[SRedw]

So, I am heading out to my school on October 1st to meet the director and the other teachers.  She will also show me around the school and I will be able to observe the classes that I will be helping to teach.  I am so glad that I have a good relationship with the director.  

Shawn

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[SRedw]

So, October 2nd is right around the corner and I am looking forward to meeting all of you.  Just look for the Black man and that's me, hehehe.  :wub:

Shawn

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[charisma]

Shawn,

It sounds like you've been assigned to very awesome school, at the very least, in terms of communication.

I, too, am planning to visit my school next Monday, although I've yet to receive word about that. Probably just call them and arrange something.

Well, I'm off today! We'll all see each other on Tuesday!
Buen viaje, todos!

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[SRedw]

Charisma,

I know that I am going to have a great time in my school.  I am staying positive and just letting the good vibes flow.  

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday and meeting many of the people who post here in person.

Shawn

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[Nina.Jedina]

Arrived this morning (not even an hour ago, really).
 

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[SRedw]

Glad to know that you arrived safely.  Hope that jet lag doesn't hit you too hard.

Shawn

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[SRedw]

Well, I went to my school today and it was great.  The kids have a lot of energy and the teacher's English rocks.  I will be doing dictations and spelling on Mondays and will be giving conversation classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as helping to prepare lessons.

I will be giving a lesson on Wednesday about where I am from and I will have the students interview me.  That should be fun.  i wonder what type of questions a 9 year old can come up with.  We shall see.

Also, I did see teacher's in jeans, but very nice looking.  They were all friendly and I am looking forward to working with Nerea.

Shawn

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[SRedw]

The meeting was very informative and it didn't last that long.  I am looking forward to my first official day tomorrow and working with the little kiddies.

Good luck to everyone,

Shawn

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[charisma]

Charisma,

I know that I am going to have a great time in my school.  I am staying positive and just letting the good vibes flow.  

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday and meeting many of the people who post here in person.

Shawn

Shawn! I think I sat behind you at the orientation, before we were separated into smaller groups.

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[SRedw]

Charisma,

I wish you would've said something, but then again, there were two Black men there, so you could've sat behind the \"other\" one.  :lol:

Hope that everything is going well.

Shawn

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[UnrulyJulie]

Calling all would-be auxiliares (English speakers already living here legally); now's your chance!

\"Hemos tenido algunas bajas de última hora que necesitamos cubrir. Si conocéis alguna persona, hablante nativo de inglés, que cumpla los requisitos de la convocatoria (estudios universitarios, etc.) y que sea europeo o con residencia legal en España y pueda incorporarse inmediatamente, por favor decidles que se pongan en contacto conmigo urgentemente por teléfono o correo electrónico.\" -email received today from Aurelio

Sounds urgent, but I bet they'll have a hard time finding candidates this late in the game, especially ones who are Spanish citizens or already legally residing here...perhaps some students will pop out of the woodworks? Interesting isn't it, that there are all of a sudden several positions to fill? I wonder if it was due to people backing out once they got here or not showing up at all in the first place, and it's not clear if this is for Madrid or all of Spain. You'd think the wait list reserves would be enough to cover these contingencies.

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[Beckett]

Julie,
What happens is that many people accept the auxiliar position in the spring and then during the summer they find other jobs in their home countries that pay more money or they fall in love with someone or some family situation pops up that prevents them from coming, etc. There can be as much as a six-month gap between when people get accepted to the program and when they have to report for duty. In that time, a lot can change in somebody's life.  I know someone who accepted the position for the 2007-2008 school year and then decided over the summer she needed to stay in the U.S. and get a higher paying job so she could start paying off her student loans. Also, last year I heard of someone who was pregnant and found out she was with child AFTER she started the program last October, and then quit in January after deciding she didn't want to be living in Madrid, pregnant and showing, having to worry about prenatal care, away from her friends and family. Hay de todo.  

Aurelio's email didn't say how many positions they need to fill. Considering that there are hundreds of auxiliares in the program just in Madrid alone, it's not unusual that there would be dropouts. If more Spanish adults spoke passable English, it wouldn't be difficult to get replacements....just imagine all the amas de casa or abuelos that would make great language assistants in the classroom! Unfortunately, not many do.

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[Beckett]

Julie,
One more thing, regarding the wait list....if an American or Canadian is on the wait list, it can still take a couple of months for them to get their visa. And any North American on the wait list probably gave up hoping to get off that list if they didn't hear anything by August. Life goes on. Most people can't afford to sit around waiting.

What the Consejería should do is accept more people than needed, knowing that a certain percentage is guaranteed to drop out before the school year even begins. With the program now in its fourth year, the administrators of the program should have a good idea of approximately how many people drop out or don't show up and adjust their acceptance rate accordingly.  

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[UnrulyJulie]

Beckett,
Those are some great insights. Thanks for shedding some light on the subject based on your experience. I certainly hope that the program can fill all the places and that for some people this will work out fortuitously.

You're right that 6 months is a long time and I myself wasn't sure it would end up working out for me because of different things that came up...but that's neither here nor there.    

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[SRedw]

My experience so far is wonderful in the school.  I talk to all of the teachers and many of the kids try to speak to me in English.  That's a major plus.  

I am actually teaching some of the classes while Nerea, the person with whom I work, is planning other things.  It's fun to se the kids faces when I pronounce or spell a word differently.  I just laugh to myself.

The other teachers who don't speak English also treat me very well.  I feel welcomed at the school and wouldn't change it for the world.

Other people's experiences?

Shawn

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[charisma]

Other people's experiences?

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply, but here goes:

There are five of us at the elementary school, meaning that we're switching teachers at least two more times before the end of term. Until December, I'm working with the school's bilingual program coordinator, who is very communicative and has a great sense of humor. We are working with 2A and 2B, in Social Sciences, Art, and English.

As far as the kids go...well, they're kids, and I mean that both positively and negatively. Because they know that I can speak Spanish, they usually speak in Spanish to me. I just pretend that I can't understand (a lot of times I don't!), and try to speak with them in English, asking them what they brought for snacks, or what they did this weekend. Most of the time I'm assisting the teacher by correcting homework, or pronunciation, or (in the morning) checking the weather and the day of the week.

In the afternoons, we review vocabulary and reading skills in small groups, and this is where I have the most trouble. Most of the kids know that I'm not the *real* teacher. Because I haven't really been punishing or yelling at them, they think they can mess around during small group time. However, I think I'm getting much better at asserting authority; I rarely yell, but the teacher has let me know that I can do so, or send trouble-makers back to class with her. This is very rare, though. Usually, I just have to explain that we're not at recess, etc., and most of the kids go back to work--sometimes not too quietly, but at least they get back to work. Other than that, the kids--even the *trouble-makers*--are quite friendly with me, and a few venture to say random things in English to me, whether it's about their favorite subjects or favorite cartoon characters.

The staff--English-speaking and not--are also quite welcoming, although there is sometimes the tendency, especially during meals, to stay with the group of people who speak the same language. I'm quite a shy person so this is something I have to overcome. When I'm running errands for the teacher, I try to engage in chitchat with whomever is around, even for five seconds.

So far, a sometimes challenging, but overall enjoyable experience. This is just a summary of my first month, so we'll see how the rest of the school year goes!

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[stacylimones]

Thanks, Shawn and Charisma for your posts about the experience thus far. Glad to know things are going well. This seems to be the time of year when the board gets quiet as everyone is immersed in his or her own life, but it is good to know, after all the anticipation, how folks are faring. As for me, this is my second year in the same school and things are going well. The best part of repeating is that I feel like a real member of the faculty. The downside is that I am not quite as coddled as last year. It's okay with me, though, as I like the feeling that I have an actual job here and am not just doing something to bide time before finding a "real" job. I haven't been posting a lot lately because life apart from the Auxiliar gig has been busy with private lessons and visits from family. I hope everyone is doing well and that we'll hear more about people's experiences as the year progresses. Remember, if this site helped you in the application process, it would be kind of you to help others who may be applying for next year.
Take care, everyone, and happy Thanksgiving!
Abrazos desde Sevilla,
Stacy

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[stacylimones]

Hi everyone,
I just noticed that the website has been updated to include some new information for 2008-2009. Specifically, it looks like language assistants will be getting a big raise: the 08-09 salary is going to be 700 euros a month! I don't know about you guys, but I could definitely use an extra 70 euros each month. The on-line application is not available yet, so we'll have to keep an eye out for it.
I hope everyone is doing well and that you have happy holidays whether here in Spain or visiting family and friends in the States!
Besos,
Stacy

PS Here's the link: http://www.mec.es/exterior/usa/es/programas/auxiliares_us/aux_us.shtml

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[texmix]

 Hey all,
 I am new to the site but I am living in Spain right now and heard about the program. I am trying to apply and I am running into a few problems. I am getting my police record from Alabama. They have never heard of The Apostille of Hague. I looked it up online and found that New York does it for $200. This sounded ridiculous to me. Does anyone know about Alabama and where I can get the Apostille of Hague? I don´t have much time left and I would appreciate a rapid responce. Thanks so much..

Also, does anyone know if you have to be in the States to get a Visa...or if I could get it from being here already. It would be costly to go home and then come back two months later....you know?

Let me know...thanks....Tracy

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