Preparatory Seminar

Yesterday, I went to Zurich for the LAP preparatory seminar. It lasted from 9:15 to 17:30 and I found it really helpful and interesting!


The seminar was organised in two parts: Workshop I and Workshop II. The representative from the British Council, Harriet, presented the first workshop, which was about the school system in England and about administrative stuff. We could also ask questions to previous assistants, which was very helpful!

The second workshop was presented by a French teacher, who told us about the teaching of French as a foreign language. She gave us useful advice and Internet links, as well as good youth magazines' titles. We also had to prepare an oral lesson in small groups and then talk about it with the whole "class". Then again, we could talk with the previous assistants, and it made the whole thing more genuine and concrete =) They told us that we certainly would not get to talk much about Switzerland, as the French courses there are mainly based on French culture of France. That's a good thing to know!

I got to meet a lot of nice people. French assistants in the UK, in Germany and in Austria, and German assistants in the UK and in France. Really nice people. And I learned a lot of things too! Now I start feeling as a true French language assistant! =)

Preparatory Seminar: Invitation and Program

We're in June, yes, and I thought I'd only write one stupid post about that stupid fact, but NO!! Because when I came home just an hour ago, my mum told me I'd received something from the wbz cps concerning the LAP! Oh joy! But, alas, it was "only" the invitation and program of the preparatory seminar that will take place in Zürich, on the 17th of June... But anyway, it's better than nothing and I'm looking forward to it!

Here is the program ladies and gentlemen!

09.15-10.00 ~~ Arrival, administration, refreshments

10.00 ~~ Welcoming / seminar objectives

Introduction and organisation

10.15-12.30 ~~ WORKSHOP I

Language assistants to the UK

Introduction to the school system

The role of the language assistant

Organisation and administration on arrival

(travel, immigration, tax, health
and social security, pay)

12.45 ~~ Lunch at restaurant

14.00-17.00 ~~ WORKSHOP II

FFL (French as a foreign language)
in the UK, Germany and Austria

"The teaching of FFL in the UK and

in the German-speaking countries"

17.30 ~~ End of the seminar

Tah dah! Doesn't it sound exciting? =D Well it does to me!

LAP Seminar and Lake District

I've received my exam dates today! I was anxious to get them because I didn't know if I would be able to attend the preparatory seminar on the 17th of June. Now I know I can, so I'm happy!

I was in the Lake District last week (yes, Mr Volcano was nice to us) with the English Institute and I met two ex-assistants and a future assistant. I was glad to be able to get excited with people who actually know what it is haha. The two ex-assistants told me they had a great year in England and that the seminar was cool. And the future assistant is a really nice girl and I hope I can go with her on the 17th =)

I should receive an e-mail from the British Council in the following weeks. Aaargh, I start getting really impatient! I want to know where I'll spend next year and knowing my city/town will make the whole looking-forward-to-it thing more concrete!

Here are a couple of pictures I took in the Lake District. It's a wonderful place, I really enjoyed our study-trip there!