Project Feedback

Haris Papanikolaou / Teaching & Spanish Project - Argentina / Danish

I feel that teaching English in a foreign country, without ever having taught before, was a challenge and a great experience. I especially enjoyed teaching in the orphanages. I feel that the teaching was a great opportunity to learn how to make myself heard and respected among groups of children who were often very energetic and difficult to control. It taught me patience.

I think a person doing this placement would have to be quite mature and disciplined. You also need to have patience as some of the children can be a bit difficult.

On a typical day, I would get up at around 8 a.m, have a shower and have breakfast. Then at around 8:30 I would leave the hostel to get the underground (Subte) to Buenos Aires University where my Spanish lessons would last from 9:00 - 12:00 a.m. After that I would go back to the hostel, have lunch with some of the other teachers and then at around 2:00 p.m. I would get a bus to my teaching placement which usually lasted for two hours.

The best thing about the placement was teaching in the orphanage. I felt that although the children were difficult to control I made a difference and that was rewarding. In terms of the experience I had I would definitely recommend Travellers to someone else.

Sarah Gray / Teaching & Spanish Project - Argentina / British

I have gained experience in teaching people of all ages and levels.  I have met loads of new people and experienced speaking castellano of Argentina, which is quite different to the Spanish I have previously learnt. I’ve experienced a completely different lifestyle and have adapted to it. The best thing about this placement is that everything is so flexible and Melina and Adriana provide a lot of support. I would definitely recommend this placement to others, and think it would suit someone motivated, sociable and adaptable.

Can you describe a typical day? Get up for Spanish lesson at 9 o’clock after having breakfast. Two hours of lesson then have lunch about 1 o’clock. Spend the afternoon shopping or touring the city. Teaching placement in the afternoon or early evening, usually about 2 hours. Then have an evening meal at about 10 o’clock, sometimes in a restaurant. In the evening go to a club (not every night though.)

Polly Walker / Teaching Project - Argentina / British

Buenos Aires is fantastic, the hostel is really friendly and everyone with Travellers seems lovely. I had my first placement last night in Querubines (I'm sure I've spelt that wrong) and I really enjoyed it. I was a little nervous but Adriana took me there and the girls were so nice. It might be a difficult age range to prepare lessons for but the little ones are adorable and the two girls, aged 15 and 13 were really good fun. They walked me back to the train station and I tried (in my best, but frankly quite inadequate Spanish) to ask them loads of questions. Although its quite a long journey its a great way to see more of the city which I'm sure I wouldn't do otherwise. I'm glad I'm teaching as it will give me the opportunity to meet more people who live here rather than just people who are travelling. I'm really excited about going back there next week. I had a quick look around our area yesterday and it seems great. Palermo Viejo is gorgeous, loads of nice shops and bars. As its Wednesday today I thought I'd try and make use of the free museums if I can navigate my way there - but public transports seems pretty obvious so it shouldn't be a problem.

I just wanted to say thanks for all your help and I'm so happy to be here - it hasn't quite sunk in that I'll be living here for 6 months but I'm sure the time will go too quickly anyway!

Mark Simms / Teaching - Argentina / British

Lisa Laidler / Teaching Project - Argentina / British

My experience in Buenos Aires was thoroughly enjoyable and I loved every minute of it. I would love to go back! I have learnt how to live by myself on the other side of the world, in an unfamiliar place and language! I have also developed skills to interact and socialize with a wide variety of people, from children, to teenagers and adults. I especially enjoyed teaching in the schools as the kids and teachers were great! They were very friendly and welcoming. I received welcome and leaving cards, and presents, which was extremely sweet and touching. The schools made the most of having a native English person there, so I always felt that they appreciated my being there and that they also gained from the experience.

Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone, as I had a fantastic time, and I’m sure the experience would be just as worthwhile for someone else.

What type of person do you think this placement would suit? This placement would suit anyone who is enthusiastic and motivated to do volunteer work in a foreign country. They should have the confidence to be able to integrate into a different culture, and interact with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds, and of different ages. The person should be adaptable and committed to their project.

Can you describe a typical day? All my placements started after lunch (which I would have in the hostel). I would go to school about 1pm and stay there until it finished (4:30pm). In my schools, I moved around different classes each day and was an assistant teacher. After school, I attended my other placements (English Academy and Home Querubines) which tended to finish around 8:30pm.

Amanda Russell / Teaching & Spanish - Argentina / British

I have really enjoyed working in a combination of homes and schools as it allows me to adapt myself according to the pupils. At first one of the homes was a struggle due to my lack of Spanish and the girls lack of English, however, the lessons have got better and have even helped improve my Spanish. I think that working in a school as apposed to all homes is a good idea for those with a limited amount of Spanish as I feel that it is at my school placement that the children benefit from me most. However, I like the fact that I am still able to teach in both a school and home environment.

Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? Yes, I would highly recommend this placement to others as I have thoroughly enjoyed my placements and also feel I have learnt a lot from my Spanish lessons. The hostel is really nice with a friendly environment.

What type of person do you think this placement would suit? I think it would suit a variety of people, but generally someone who is able to communicate in ways that may not always be verbal in order to attempt to start teaching pupils with little or no English.

Simon Hilton / Teaching - Argentina / British

I am absolutely loving it here, and the teaching. Although I haven't started all of the homes yet, I am having so much fun, the children are so cute and eager to learn. I have been to 'Los Peldaños' where the children are very, very friendly and fun to be with, 'Los Querubines' is a lot of fun, the children are extremely cute and fun, although it is a little tiring because the children need so much love (though I am happy doing it). However, I find it very sad to know that two of them have HIV and their life is going to be cut short. Yesterday I had my first class with the 'Hillel Youth Centre' - they are all older than me! I was the youngest one there and I was their teacher. Mid way through they asked me how old I was. When I replied 18, they couldn't believe it. But it is a really nice place and the people there are also great, very eager to learn and they respect what I am doing. The city is amazing and its soooo cheap. Thanks for organising this trip for me, I am loving it

Laetitia Bader / Teaching - Argentina / British

All is going great here in Argentina. Have to admit am finding the early mornings quite difficult, especially in a city which never seems to sleep and in where there are always tempting things going on every night…. the hostel is a lovely place, the staff are very friendly and I get on really well with the other volunteers which is great. Melina and Adriana have been really friendly and helpful. So all is good, loving Buenos Aires.

Kate Stokoe / Teaching - Argentina / British

I am having a fantastic time. My teaching timetable is very relaxed at the moment because the school at which I was due to teach had exams and holidays approaching. I have therefore had a little more time to see the sights. I will acquire an additional 9 hours of teaching in 2 weeks time. Already I have been to Uruguay. This weekend I am going to stay at an Estancia/ranch estate outside the city...can't wait. Last night we had the Travellers dinner. Thank you. It was lovely. Team activities are certainly a must…. I think that this is a fantastic placement. The hostel provides a great living environment. I am glad to be sharing with other volunteers.

Lucy Armstrong / Teaching - Argentina / British 

I am having a excellent time here. All the other Travellers are very nice and we all get on well. The teaching is very good, Los Querubines especially. Simon and I love the children but we find it very hard work as they need constant attention. Home Alvivir is very rewarding. The children are always very happy to see me and most of them are very eager to learn English. We are making the most of the excellent restaurants and the spectacular night life. Melina and Adriana are always very helpful and give us good advice about where to eat and go out. Well I think I should go for a siesta now. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Susannah Martin / Teaching & Spanish - Argentina / British

I'm having a really great time in Buenos Aires! All the other Travellers people are really nice and we get on well. I've done so much sight-seeing in the city, I've been to see a ballet and a football match, I've shopped in the markets, danced the tango (very badly) and been out for dinner every day. Because it is so cheap, it is possible to do everything, which is great! I've only had one teaching lesson so far and two Spanish lessons. My first teaching lesson was in the hospital and it was quite tough, but I'm thinking that it'll get easier as I get to know them. My Spanish teacher is excellent - far better at teaching than me! Actually, having lessons with her is giving me ideas of activities for my own classes, so it's helpful in more ways than one. Anyway, must go.

Amy wants me to let you know that she's having a fantastic time too. Her Spanish is improving daily - she can now order fruit salad in the restaurant! We are hoping to go somewhere out of Buenos Aires this weekend, maybe Uruguay or a ranch near city, but we haven't got it organized yet.

Alex George / Teaching & Spanish - Argentina / British

My time in Argentina was fantastic. The 3 months were a great opportunity to learn and assimilate South American Latino culture. My Spanish really improved during my stay. Andrea (the private tutor) is excellent; one can choose what topics they want covered. I asked to learn all aspects of grammar, and then tried putting it into practice around Buenos Aires and other parts of the country.

My teaching was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a chance to integrate into Argentine working life. Gabriela, the main teacher, was really nice to me and she, and the rest of the teachers, made me feel welcome in the staff room. That was a good opportunity to practice Spanish! I taught most classes from 13 to 17 year olds. Their level of English is reasonably good; I taught them various topics including British politics, slang, sport and music. Gabi and the other teachers also wanted me to teach them a more 'Anglicised' English accent, as opposed to the American dialects they are used to. I grew quite fond of the kids and when I left, they gave me large cards with written messages. That was so sweet!

I had a week and a half to travel before I left Argentina. I went to Mendoza at that time, saw the Andes range, went wine tasting, trekking and rafting. After I finished teaching, I travelled around Patagonia (Ushuaia, Calafate and Bariloche). The scenery was stunning, and I enjoyed wildlife watching and doing things like minitrekking on glaciars. That provided a nice contrast to the subtropical Iguaçu Falls I saw on an earlier trip in February. Thanks a lot for your help in facilitating my placement.

Olivia Taylor / Teaching - Argentina / British

I love it in Buenos Aires, it’s a very big city and I’m looking forward to visiting all the districts. It’s also a lot more cosmopolitan than I imagined and the area where the hostel is brilliant, especially for young people as there are loads of places top go day and night! I am teaching at the girls home twice a week where I work mainly with a young girl who is really bright but it takes a lot to keep her interested! I try and make the learning as fun as I can and we usually play a few games as well, it’s amazing that we communicate so well as my Spanish is virtually non existent! The other children's home is also really great but that’s more playing than teaching and the girls there are so cute, especially the younger ones! It’s very exhausting physically and emotionally but so much fun at the same time.

I’m also at the ‘LPP’ which is a university faculty of politics, where I teach mainly conversational English, it was daunting teaching people older than me at first but they are so friendly we ended up having loads of jokes! Last weekend when I got here I spent some of the weekend sunbathing in the parks in Palermo which are beautiful, and I have been on a river trip in Tigre and to La Boca. The hostel is also great, there are new people here every day which is always interesting. Thank you for helping me organise the trip.

Rebecca Shellim / Teaching - Argentina / British

Everyone is so friendly in Argentina. I found the teaching atmosphere very relaxed, which I liked, as long as there was a member of staff around if the children got too rowdy!  I also enjoyed having a wide range of students; from a teenage girls home, where I went to chat to them in English, to being an assistant at a primary school where they speak a high level of English. I felt unprepared when I first arrived, but found it easy to get into the routine of teaching, especially once you have judged the level of English your students have. Before that it's impossible to prepare yourself completely. If you ever find yourself in a tough situation there are always people to support you; Melina and Adriana, the other volunteers and the Travellers staff at home. My confidence has grown and I feel a lot more independent. Seeing my students improve is really rewarding.

Jenni Wallace / Teaching - Argentina / British

I think it's amazing here, everything is so cheap and the atmosphere is really friendly, everyone's willing to help you out, from phoning a taxi to buying a train ticket. 3 of us went to a free tango lesson last night at a different hostel near the obelisk and we met lots of people there, and it was a pretty humiliating experience for all the new beginners compared to the teachers. Then afterwards we went to dinner for under 12 pounds for the three of us. Amazing. There are plenty of other nice people in the hostel too, everyone chats in the living room and gets on together.

Amelia Goldsmith / Teaching - Argentina / American

The best thing about my placement has been helping others learn English. Although my Spanish wasn't very strong at the beginning of my trip, I've learned a lot and have been able to use these skills in order to be a more effective teacher. I really like the kids that I have been teaching and it's really rewarding for them to see their English improve. I would recommend this placement to others. It's has been a wonderful opportunity. Learning about the Argentinean culture and having the chance to advance in a foreign language has been an amazing experience that anyone would enjoy.