Literacy Project for Spanish Speakers

This summer I was offered a unique opportunity to gain valuable work experience with a variety of different organisations based in Swansea. This included working with the Literacy Project for Spanish Speakers (a project which supports Spanish speakers, led by the Hispanic Department in Swansea University); Swansea Asylum Seekers Support (SASS); and the African Community Centre (ACC). Each organisation has allowed me to enhance different attributes, from office skills, lesson planning and self-sufficiency, to developing my confidence in public speaking. 

Now, before I go deeper into my experience, I would like to give a little bit of context. I study French and Spanish, and I had a rewarding experience in France, on my year abroad in Angers. When my time came to go to Spain things did not go according to plan. I was left feeling hugely disappointed that my planned six-month internship in Barcelona, the second half of my year abroad, was unable to take place. I was genuinely concerned about the level of my Spanish going into my final year, particularly as I had only begun studying Spanish at Swansea university. Let’s be honest, I am a ‘In the middle of the pandemic student’. Yes, you are correct, this means that I had most of the teaching in my first two years online. I felt this had really hindered my progress and enjoyment in learning the language. I had been very excited at the prospect of travelling to Spain and immersing myself in the language and culture. So, when for reasons out of my control, it became evident that I would be unable to live in Spain, I was devastated. I thought I would have no way to improve my Spanish conversational skills and that I would fail my year abroad. When the “Swansea University Internship” was offered to me as an alternative, I jumped at the opportunity. Although I was nervous, I was excited to be in a Spanish speaking environment, as near as possible to what I could have been doing in Spain.