Although I was not worried about filling my time in retirement, it was important to me to have meaningful opportunities. I had very few criteria; I wanted to nourish my love of teaching, I wanted to incorporate as much travel as I could, and I wanted to find ways to give back through volunteer work. To my surprise I found it all in one spot!
A friend told me about a program in Spain that needs English speaking volunteers for immersive language programs. Pueblo Ingles (https://www.volunteerspuebloingles.com/) offers a variety of programs designed to improve speaking in English for teens and adults. These immersive programs run for about one week and are located in various towns and cities throughout Spain.
There is an application process which is required for your first time as a volunteer. Once accepted, and as long as you work out, you can apply for more placements going forward. I completed one placement this summer to be sure that it was right for me, and I for it.
Since my career was as a teacher I applied for the program specifically designed for Spanish teachers who want to improve their language skills in order to teach in English. Although not necessary, being a teacher helped me to offer specific advice and direction on developments in curriculum and classroom management and other teaching related topics that came up for discussion. For those who are not teachers all you need is a love of talking and meeting new people.
My placement was in a small resort in the mountains in the province of Jaen. We travelled there by bus out of Valencia, a city on the east coast of Spain. I was able to spend a couple of days touring Valencia beforehand and found it to be a beautiful city with rich culture, amazing architecture, and very friendly people.
The program covers your room and board and the bus to and from the resort. You are responsible to pay for your transportation to Spain and the cost of any hotels before and after your placement. Incorporating the cost of the trip into your other travel adventures is the most economical way to do it, but since our time away was already booked this year I did this as a one off trip.
While there I was placed along with 9 other volunteers with a group of thirteen Spanish speaking teachers predominately from professional and vocational programs. There were also two Pueblo Ingles staff, the program director and a teacher. This small group worked very well together and formed strong bonds despite the short time.
For the Spanish being able to teach in English allowed them access to promotions and additional teaching hours. Personal growth and development was as important as professional. Although they all had some language skill before attending they were required to speak only English the entire time. Despite struggling to find the right word sometimes communication was not a problem. We also got really good at charades! These folks were motivated and dedicated to the program and I saw significant improvement by the end of the week.
The English volunteers came from all corners of the globe, brought together as a like minded community interested in sharing their time and experience. There were volunteers with different backgrounds and interests but all had the same sense of adventure and fun. Many of the volunteers incorporate immersion programs as well as house sitting and pet sitting opportunities to extend their time travelling in Europe.
The program itself incorporates pronunciation and English language workshops with one-on-one discussions and small group discussions between the Spanish students and the English volunteers. There were also a number of games, activity and theatre presentations to make it as much fun as possible.
My time with Pueblo Ingles was one of my most rewarding adventures. I will hold my first La Hortizuela family in my heart forever!
I will definitely look at going back again next year and taking Ken with me. If you are interested in more information about English Immersion programs in Europe check back next week for a list of programs and my tips for making the most of these opportunities.