By: Sophia Skaff
I had my first teaching experience last year in Brazil. I was living in a city in the Northeast, called Aracaju, in the region Sergipe. I was placed there by the Fulbright program as an English Teaching Assistant at the Federal University of Sergipe. I held open conversation classes that students could attend. I had many students who were studying to be English Majors, as well as students from all disciplines like Engineering, Literature, Biology, etc. The levels were mixed as well, but overall most students who came weekly were in the A2 and B1 range. I presented topics that I thought would be relevant and interesting for them. I usually gave a short presentation and then opened up the class for discussion. It was a really interesting teaching experience. As I did not have a curriculum to follow, I was free to create and give my classes as I pleased. I spent nine months in Brazil, teaching, traveling and learning Portuguese.