Frida S.

After I graduate from Elizabethtown College, I will earn my English as a Second Language Graduate Certificate in a graduate program at Temple University. This graduate program in Philadelphia involves fieldwork to gain experience teaching English language learners. These courses also count toward earning Temple University’s MSEd in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). With my Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Program Specialist: ESL Certificate, I will be prepared for my career teaching Spanish, ESL, and TSEOL in the Philadelphia Public School District, specifically at the high school level.

As a future educator, and since I am myself an English learner, I want to teach students my first language and support Spanish-speaking newcomers and English learners, demonstrate how Latinx culture is diverse and fascinating, and develop the ability to communicate proficiently in both languages. I will create a culturally inclusive classroom since teaching about the importance of diversity and differences between one another is crucial to the learning process because studying a language contributes to a student’s cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills, which are essential to success in our global economy. I will encourage students to feel part of the community, thrive, and advocate for underrepresented populations. I will explore with my students the linguistic diversity of the Spanish language worldwide. I have friends from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru; sometimes, we need help understanding each other as specific vocabulary differs significantly.

1. While studying at the University of Seville, I will improve my language skills in European Spanish and experience the beautiful host city’s rich, traditional Spanish culture. As well as meet new people and create meaningful connections where I can learn about Spain and my new friends can learn about America and Latin America.

2. I will live with a host family, explore the Andalucía region, understand the history and culture, and relate different experiences connecting me to the world, seeking a new perspective. I will share with my future students, teaching them the different variations of Spanish and the appreciation of other cultures.

3. I will take a course on teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in a local school. The pedagogy skills I acquired during the semester in the classroom at Elizabethtown College will be implemented at a local school in Seville, collaborating with my colleagues through lesson planning, designing unique learning resources, classroom observations, and accomplishing objectives—a great benefit to my future goals as an educator. My previous experiences as a tutor, and a student-teacher, leading our college’s Children’s Spanish Program’s community-based service-learning project, have all prepared me for student teaching, tutoring, and community outreach in Seville.