Applying for PGCE (UCAS)
Foreign languages have been an essential part of my life ever since I was a child, and I have been exposed to other nations. I admire other cultures, and I enjoy learning and feeling them through travel. As I grew up, I knew that I wanted to keep languages as long as I could in my life. Besides, when I was 15 and 16 years old, I traveled freely to indulge in summer homestay immersion in Bristol and Geneva.
The passion for languages has driven me to work hard and develop my skills as much as possible. Besides, this shows my determination and keenness to explore foreign cultures and communicate in a different language; I then decided to apply for a Degree in Tourism at the University of Salamanca. The degree recognizes the international nature of tourism management and the benefits of developing language skills. I then studied French for three years because it was a compulsory subject in that degree. I also received a second degree in Publicity and Public Relations at the University of Pontificia Salamanca to pursue an area of study that was not covered by another degree; the art of communication. After many years of being in tourism and marketing, my educational qualifications have enabled me to acquire many communication skills, organization skills, and problem-solving skills. I also learned how to be more resilient to cope with pressure when things go wrong. Astonishingly, I worked and studied simultaneously, which made me gain time-management skills crucial to future jobs.
Volunteering has also been a big part of my life. Through volunteering as a Spanish teacher at Spanish Red Cross, I acquired new skills through collaborating with families on children’s needs and progress. The program was designed to support children from other nations to gain confidence as new beginners of the Spanish language. It was challenging as the course was offered remotely via Skype, but I managed to get students engaged with the content by creating classroom books with words that the children have read, understood, and illustrated.
Moreover, this helped the students to create information skills and improve their terminology. At the end of the program, the students come to see me and tell me how much of an impact I have made on their lives. Also, this made me realize that nothing excites me more than teaching. As a result, my passion for teaching my mother tongue began after this experience, when I worked on another career. Because of this beautiful experience, I realized that teaching was a very enriching career in which I will have a chance to express my love and passion for languages. So I decided to embark on a new journey to develop my English knowledge in the United Kingdom.
Going abroad was an essential step in life. I visited England five years ago to improve my English, and it was a big learning curve. I began working as a waitress while in the United Kingdom; however, it did not require relevant experience, but I took the opportunity. As my English improved, I climbed the ladder, and I was promoted to Restaurant Supervisor and Event Coordinator. Working in this final position, I received the award for an employee of the year. The job has helped me improve my communication skills and deal with people from all backgrounds and personalities. It also showed exceptional communication, creative organization, bags of patience, and planning skills.
During that time in the United Kingdom, I began tutoring colleague’s kids by giving them extra support in Spanish conversation, and they were able to learn and understand Spanish. I have also exchanged languages on various platforms with American and English speakers willing to practice their speaking. Through direct communication, both of them had the opportunity to learn our target language from a native speaker. After a month, I saw the difference I have made in their lives, and I decided to lead a group to learn Spanish free of charge through conversation and improve the ability to speak and understand. I am interested in reading, and I recommended a book called ManolitoGafotas (Manolito Four-Eyes) by Elvira Lindo, which was an excellent way to increase their vocabulary.
The feeling I knew I was the reason they developed their Spanish-speaking skills reassured me that I did not want to be anything but a teacher. I also realized that I loved this experience more than my current work, so I realized how I desired to teach my mother’s language as a second language.
Then I tried to develop my skills and get an insight into teaching. I combined my job with a volunteering job as a teaching assistant in Spanish conversation at The Commonweal School in Swindon for one month. I was supporting learners in preparing for the GCSE and A-levels. I have been leading discussions in Spanish, concentrating on new vocabulary, better pronunciation, and grammar. I used visual or graphic organizers to help kids see the connection between ideas and text. Besides, I got a chance to participate in a European Day of Languages Event, a great opportunity. It made me have connections with other teachers and get to know the students better.
As a result, it was an imaginary experience. I discovered my desire to give children a deeper understanding of exploring new languages and skills that come from the joy of making a difference in a youngster’s life. As a native speaker, I am well-positioned to communicate the critical cultural and contextual aspects of my language, contributing to their learning experience. That is why I understand that the secondary level will be more appropriate for me. Working in marketing and events was not my passion, and I thought I was working in the wrong field. It was evident that teaching was my desire. I realized I found my way since I found myself making something that I love. I considered a career change to teaching since teaching in the United Kingdom can be a significant learning experience, so I am very interested in taking the PGCE.
I had planned to volunteer this year again as a Teaching Assistant in Spanish, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had a terrible impact on the opportunity. On the bright side, I discovered “Oak National Academy,” where I found online classrooms made by teachers, and I had free access to high-quality Spanish lessons and online resources. If I make it at the PGCE, I will need to apply some of what l acquired during my work experiences, such as organizational, resilient, excellent time manager, and planning skills. These are transferable skills that I can put to fair use when teaching a class of full students working with a range of people and becoming a great teacher. Although I know it will not be an easy year because it is an intensive course, it will be incredibly rewarding. It will also take on the challenges and allow me to learn new skills and knowledge to have a career that I enjoy. This course will offer me constructive criticism in a useful way that will allow me to learn from my mistakes. I will use the opportunity to refresh my French skills by taking an SKE in French, enabling me to teach French at the secondary level.
I desire to pursue one of my long-term ambitions and choose to make the switch to teaching. I am sure that this potent combination gives me an exceptional ability to discover the art of language education.