GeoVisions internship abroad experience in Italy

2. This family was my first host family. I stayed
with them for one month. They are a traditional
Italian family. They live close to all of their
relatives and are devout Catholics who were kind
enough to share their beliefs and traditions with
me. When I first arrived, the mother didn’t know
a single word in English. By the end of the
month, we were able to communicate in English
and understand the majority of our
conversations. Part of my program was to teach
this family English so the best way I felt to do
that was to talk with them. I conversed with this
family for hours daily, sharing my language and
explaining my culture, religion and lifestyle,
while teaching them new English words and
phrases. I also helped the girls with their school
work and tutored them in English. I definitely
saw improvement, even though we were only
together for one month.

3. The first month I was placed in a small town called
Montelupone. I taught English at both the primary and
secondary schools here. I had 13 classes, consisting of ages 6 to
14. I planned different types of lessons, usually around their
English book, so I kept them on track with what they were
supposed to be learning. I played a lot of games and activities in
these schools, especially with the young ones at the primary
school. The primary school was very difficult to teach because
they know very little English and so I had to become a great
actress and use my hands and body to explain everything. It got
easier towards the end. Teaching English primarily with hand
and body gestures is actually a very effective way to teach. This
is the way that most babies learn their first words. These
schools were wonderful. The students were well behaved and
respected the teachers, including myself. Sometimes they were
quiet and very shy, so getting them to loosen up was a challenge
for me. I learned how to direct a classroom here in
Montelupone and to keep the kids engaged and interested. I
want to be a teacher so this experience here helped me to
determine the age group I work best with. While I love the little
children, I preferred working with the older students because I
could see improvement more easily. I also was able to teach
more than just English with the older students. I was able to
share American and British history and culture.

4. I stayed with the Annese family for
two months. They were far from the
traditional Italian family, and actually
reminded me of my own family. This
family consisted of a grandmother,
mother and daughter, Angelica.
Angelica has become the little sister I
always wanted. I was challenged to
teach all three English, but after one
week, I was surprised at how easy it
would be with this family. This family
enjoyed learning English. They
wanted to speak, learn and take
notes, even at dinner. Angelica is
practically fluent after two months.
The first day, she was uncomfortable
speaking English, but now it is so
natural for her. Having an English
native in their home has been
beneficial for all of them.
Along with tutoring and helping Angelica
with her homework, we spent a lot of time
together just talking. This family was also
kind enough to travel with me and show
me the secret gems of Italy that not
everyone knows about. The Annese family
is my second home and I will always love
them. They have taught me so much about
their culture and life. I have grown
significantly, just from knowing them.

5. The second and third month I was placed with a new
family in a different city (slightly larger), called Potenza
Picena. Here, I taught 10 classes and only at the secondary
school where my students were ages 11 to 14. This school
was where I faced the true challenges of teaching. The
students here were more loud and disrespectful in the
classroom. I learned that I couldn’t be the best friend all of
the time and I needed to discipline them, in order for
them to take anything away from the English lessons I
prepared for them. This was difficult for me to do, but
with time, I managed to gain respect in all of my classes
here. Sometimes I wanted to cry when they would not
listen, because it was so frustrating to listen to them
screaming in class and acting wild. But I learned to stay
strong, be patient and work with them because they are
only children after all. This is also where I discovered that
I want to teach higher education. In order to keep these
students interested, I needed to have very exciting lessons.
I learned to be creative in this school. They were in love
with American Pop culture, so I incorporated that in as
many lessons as possible.

6. I enjoyed working with all of
my students so much. Good
bye’s have been the hardest
part of my entire internship!
The thought of not seeing
their faces every week, brings
an emptiness inside, because I
am very close with my
students. I enjoyed using their
English books to create
lessons. Most of the lessons I
made consisted of listening
and speaking. We did do some
writing and grammar but
conversation was the most
efficient, because I felt if we
focused on the most difficult
part of learning another
language, the rest would come
easier. And it has.
This is me in action, teaching my students American
Disney songs. I gave them worksheets with the lyrics
printed on them. They had to fill in the blank with
words they heard from the songs. After we translated
the songs together, I explained new words and they
took notes. I found that music is one of the best
ways to learn another language, because it is fun!

7. I absolutely love every single one of my students. It is true that in order to have love for
someone, you must serve them first. I have found so much joy and purpose in teaching. I
have seen students become more comfortable with English and be excited about learning. I
have seen many “ah ha!” moments, when the students finally understand what I am
teaching. These moments are exciting and have made me feel that I have successfully helped
them in their education and in their life.
Gaining experience in a classroom has really prepared me for my future as a teacher. I feel
much more confident about teaching and have gained skills and different teaching styles that
I didn’t have prior to coming to Italy. I feel truly blessed to have been able to get hands on
experience in a classroom, where I can be fully in charge.
I have made many friends from this experience. I adore all of the teachers that I worked with
and I know that they will remain in my life forever. I have made a network abroad and they
have offered to write recommendation letters for my future jobs and graduate school
applications. Their knowledge and experience has been beneficial to me and I have enjoyed
learning from them.
After this internship, I plan to apply to graduate schools. Although I spent a lot of time
teaching English, I still had time to myself. I made a goal to read one book a week and have
successfully made this goal a habit. I have expanded my knowledge while here and have
began to study for the GRE. I am not only a teacher here, but a student of Italian language
and culture. I have learned more than I ever could from a textbook about Italy and about the
language. Brushing up on my Italian that I studied for two semesters has been beneficial for
me. I feel more prepared to take on another language, like Latin, which I have always wanted
to learn.

8. Italians have a lot of love for people. They
especially love Americans. My students
were fascinated with my life and wanted
to know everything about America. They
often drew me pictures, gave me gifts,
wrote me kind notes and expressed love
in many ways. The first day of teaching
ended in hugs from every student in my
classes. And the last day ended the same
way, but this time with hugs and kisses
on both cheeks. Leaving my students is
heartbreaking, but knowing that I have
made a difference in their life makes it
easier. My students are my friends and
their kindness has touched my heart and
filled me with love and gratitude to have
had this experience here in Italy.

11. PASTA! From scratch
And many other dishes!

12. I have studied beautiful art
and architecture for the
past few years and seeing it
all in person, instead of on
a screen or in a book, has
made me appreciate the
humanities EVEN MORE! I
couldn’t have chosen a
better major. Knowing the
significance of the things I
was seeing, really made my
experience that much
better.
The School of Athens by Raphael is much larger than I anticipated!

13. To see the masterworks of
Michelangelo, was quite an emotional
experience for me. I am amazed at
the talent of many artists. I am in awe
at humanity and what we can create.
The Sistine Chapel was a wonderful
experience for me. Visiting The
Vatican Museums was also a very
spiritual experience for me. To see
many works of art depicting the
Savior, Jesus Christ was magnificent.
If it weren’t for Him, these works
would not exist. It is also refreshing
to see religion as such an important
aspect of human life. We can see God
present in history if we study and see
art and architecture from all time
periods.

14. Rome is an incredible place!

16. Still can’t decide if I like Florence or Rome better. Both were fantastic!

17. I lived by the Adriatic Coast. I visited it often to seek
peace and feel the Spirit. I love the nature in Italy.

18. The food is as good as they say. I
ate pasta every day for lunch,
because that is what they do in
Italy. Pasta and pizza will never
taste the same in the States
again! I have also become more
aware of what I eat. I feel
healthier and can see a
significant change in how I feel
physically, because I am eating
more natural and fresh.
Italy has changed my eating
habits forever.
But I still love GELATO because
it is divine!

19. I got to see more amazing art and architecture!

22. This internship was perfect for me because it kept me very
busy. I was always researching and creating new lessons and I
loved teaching these lessons to my students. I also enjoyed
teaching my wonderful hosts families. I learned so much
about Europe and especially Italy. I wouldn’t change a thing. I
feel that this was a true capstone for my humanities degree.
Not just the traveling and seeing what I studied, but the
study of human beings and the differences among us is what
the humanities is truly about. I feel that my experience has
made me a better person and helped me to understand
people and tolerate differences, which I wasn’t very good at
prior to this experience. I have fallen in love with Italy and
everything about it. I will cherish this experience forever,
because I feel it has prepared me for my future in education
and in the family.

23. Ciao Italia!!!

24. I recommend this program to everyone. It was a wonderful learning
experience and a great way to travel and experience other cultures. I went
through a program called Geovisions. I found Geovisions by searching
“volunteer teaching English abroad”. This program is available in other
countries including France, Spain and many more!
Costs: $1, 435 Flat Fee for 1, 2 or 3 months (Flight costs not included)
The program is volunteer, but you received so much in return.
Check it out: Geovisions.org