Leigh is a current graduate student in the LTS Program. She lived and taught English for several years in Italy before returning to Oregon to pursue her MA.
Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, Milan, Italy
Hello Leigh! You are now finishing a few remaining credits in your LTS program with the MA project finished and under your belt. How do you feel now that it is finished compared to how you felt a few months ago?
Oh my gosh! When I look back at how intense things felt while finishing up the project it is like night and day. I feel a grand sense of accomplishment and much more relaxed with just a few credits left to complete for the LTS program.
What was your MA project about, and what inspired you to pursue that topic?
Daily walk to work with a roller bag full of teaching material! Milan, Italy
In a nutshell my MA project was about preparing Italian students in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context for study abroad in English as a second language (ESL) contexts or countries where English is predominantly spoken. The course is personalized to the learners’ country and city in which they choose to study. The idea is to guide learners to build sociocultural and linguistic skills through activities that nurture self-awareness, self-regulation, and provide exposure to the language variations spoken in the host context through real-world materials and interactions with people prior to departure.
The inspiration for this project came about after teaching a prep course for study abroad in Italy. I had to create the curriculum on the fly and had little experience. I am not sure who originally said, “We teach what we need to learn”, but that was an incredible learning experience and I continue to live by that philosophy. I can’t wait to teach the new iteration of the course and I feel it can even be adapted to an online “abroad” experience.
Tell us more about your teaching and life in Italy. What was most memorable about your time there?
My favorite gelateria in Florence, Italy
My teaching experiences in Italy were varied and inspirational. I miss being in the classroom. I had the opportunity to teach pre-school age to adults and in varying contexts. These experiences helped me get over my shyness and public speaking.
My time in Italy is something that I would never trade for anything! There isn’t a most memorable, but I can say that acquiring Italian through immersion in the culture was an amazing experience. I had so many ah-hah moments interpersonally. Early on, I remember being on a bus from Brindisi to Lecce, not having a cell phone, alone, and not understanding the chatter around me. I had an overwhelming sensation of independence and calm amidst the chaos. Oh, and of course, who can forget the gelato!
Can you tell us more about the work you are doing now?
Aside from the LTS coursework that I am completing, I am taking several courses through Coursera related to online teaching. I will be teaching an online grammar course for El Cultural in Peru come December and am applying for other positions! Anyone reading this: I am in the market for a language educator position for English or Italian, including teacher trainer positions. 🙂
Working from home creates flexibility at this time and gives me room to continue my other interests, like yoga, meditation, and reading for pleasure. The online world has created affordances such as being able to complete continuing education credits for my yoga teacher certification. This is great! Under the current climate there is momentum to create community in other ways and redefine shared space. I’m part of the UO Alum Online Book Club currently reading, A Gentleman in Moscow, an Italian conversation group, and more recently online crafting Sundays created by an LTS cohort member!
During TEFL training in Florence, Italy Ponte Vecchio
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current and future LTS students?
Hmmmm, well, I would encourage people to follow their gut, heart and passions when it comes to choosing a topic for the Master’s project. After all, it is something that you will be living with for an ample amount of time. Most of all, I would say have fun and don’t be afraid to make mistakes or to ask questions! I remember great advice that a previous LTS student gave me when I first came back wide-eyed from Italy. She said to take one day off each week from schoolwork in order to recharge! This was not always easy, but I highly recommend.