Shana Miles

I am a native English speaker, taking part in a Cultural Ambassador program. As an Auxiliar of conversation I will not only have the opportunity to travel, but also the chance to work with language. In the future I hope to attain a Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology. I am confident that this experience will broaden my horizons, and nourish my yearning for knowledge and worldly experience. I am very open minded, outgoing and willing to try new things. I am also comfortable working and living independently, and capable of balancing a social life with work and study.
In college I worked as a teaching assistant for the Linguistics department. The job required that I make myself available to students seeking extra help in the course. The support I provided ranged from going over homework and test scores, to clarifying core concepts for students who were falling behind. One of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had was working with children, as a dance teacher’s assistant for 4 years throughout high school and the beginning of college. The end of the year recital was always one of the most rewarding experiences, as it was remarkable to see the children develop confidence in what they were doing as the year progressed. I cherished the fact that they enjoyed my instruction and accompaniment throughout the year as much as I enjoyed their effort and charisma. From that experience I learned that patience, support and compassion are very important when working with adolescents.
One of the most memorable locations that I visited on a previous trip to Spain was a middle school. I remember the students being interested in learning about us, and us about them. They practiced speaking English with us, and we were captivated by the completely different dialect of Spanish than what we practiced back home. I realize that this mutual fascination is not always typical. I think it is important to make learning fun, as well as interactive in order to motivate students lacking interest in learning English. In addition, it is important to provide inspiration to excel by recognizing the achievements and progress that the students make. Setting goals is also imperative when trying to develop language skills within the short time frame of a school year. I also understand that flexibility is important, and would be more than willing to provide extra help and tutoring to students in need.