My favorite part of teaching abroad hands down has been all of the amazing students I have had the pleasure of meeting! The people here have a unique approach to life, one that is light-hearted, welcoming, and laid-back, which makes interacting with them so refreshing. I admire their motivation and determination to learn; many of them have family responsibilities and work long hours with only one day off a week, which they spend studying and completing homework. Somehow they still find the time to attend school with dedication and a smile on their face.
The students have a great sense of humour and have the ability to laugh at themselves, which means they are willing to take risks when practicing the pronunciation of new sounds. I also admire their bravery to try something new without judgment of themselves or one another, something which isn’t easy when you are learning a new language as I have been finding out firsthand living in a Spanish speaking country. The energy these students bring to learning is amazing; we never fail to have fun each class, despite (diminishing) language barriers. You easily start to form real bonds with one another and feel the sense of community here. My students are honestly the best!
This blog was contributed by Tanya from Canada, who is a fabulous English teacher at Instituto Estelar Bilingüe in Liberia, Costa Rica.