"Thank you to Spain Internship for giving me this amazing opportunity!"
 | My name is Randeep and I am from Birmingham, England. I am currently on a teaching internship in A Coruña, Spain with the company Activa, which was organized with the help of Spain Internship.I was very nervous before starting this internship, as it was to be my first time living abroad by myself. However, I realise now that there was no need to worry; I received a lot of help with finding accommodation and settling into Spanish life. All the people that I have met have been really welcoming and accommodating and I am really grateful for that!I was originally placed in Soria, a small city outside of Madrid, but got moved to Coruña.This has worked out wonderfully for me as Coruña is a bigger, more modern city that is right next to the sea.Being in Galicia, right next to Portugal, I have the opportunity to study both Spanish and Portuguese which is fantastic. Coruña is a great city to live in as it is big enough to have everything you would ever need whilst also small enough that it is easy to get around by bus or on foot. I have a great flat that I share with two Spanish students and I have made some great friends, both other “auxiliares” as well as Spanish natives. Galician culture is very unique and the food is incredible: raxo, zorza, pulpo - the list goes on! There is always something going on here so you’re never bored, and there are plenty of social events run by people from Erasmus and other English language assistants. You definitely don ́t need to worry about being alone: you will find your crowd and make friends here very easily. There are also plenty of opportunities for travel as although Coruña is tucked away in the north-west of Spain, it has an airport and excellent rail links to the rest of Spain.Regarding the internship itself, there is a nice balance between lesson planning and office work in the mornings and teaching in the afternoons. It is quite hard work but it is also very rewarding. I teach in four different schools that are located all around Coruña and I teach both primary and secondary students. It can get quite hectic travelling between schools but in every school I am treated with respect and there will always be a friendly face to greet me! Finally, most importantly to me, my Spanish has improved immensely and while I still have a long way to go with it, things are looking promising. I have also gained some incredibly valuable life experience. For those who are unsure about whether to take the leap or not,I say go for it! I get a genuine pleasure from knowing that the children I teach have learnt something new after every lesson and I myself have learnt a lot from undertaking this internship.I will be sad to leave in June! Thank you to Spain Internship for giving me this amazing opportunity! |
