My Journey from Studying Abroad 在阿根廷 to Becoming a Spanish Teacher

I don’t know if I could ever be a successful teacher if I hadn’t 在布宜诺斯艾利斯留学通过东航，美国，阿根廷. 作为一名第一年的西班牙语老师, I share many stories about the fantastic memories that were made in 布宜诺斯艾利斯. 我谈论的是 肉馅卷饼, dancing the tango, and seeing Iguazú Falls, one of the most spectacular sights of my life.

我一直都知道我想成为一名教师, and it was a decision that I made in the seventh grade. I’ve always considered myself blessed to have known what I was destined to be--now that I’m a high school teacher, I see the worry in my students’ faces when trying to decide what to major in college. 从七年级开始, every step I’ve made academically since then have been ones to help make me a successful teacher. 

起初，我想教英语. 我一直都知道我喜欢语言和文字. 学习语法一直都很有趣, 作为一名教师, 这是我最喜欢教的科目之一. During my freshman year of high school, I took year one of French. I absolutely loved learning a foreign language--there were new grammar rules to learn, 有新的故事要讲, 还有新的文化需要学习. Later on in high school, I decided to take Spanish, and I loved the language even more.

I was blessed to have a fantastic Spanish teacher in high school who helped encourage my love for foreign languages. Not only did she have a love and respect for the 西班牙语 and culture, but she was an exceptional teacher who encouraged me to be a better person, 整体. 在我高中的最后一年, I decided to take dual-credit classes at the local university in Spanish. My Spanish professor for that class was an Argentine woman who made me begin considering 宝博体育 在阿根廷.

After high school, I went to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Berea College has been an amazing college to which I owe so much gratitude. 作为一个家境贫寒的学生, I was able to to benefit from Berea College’s Zero Tuition Promise, meaning that they don’t charge tuition to anyone who is accepted to the college. 课程负担在学术上也很严格, 所以作为西班牙语专业的学生, I was able to learn much about the 西班牙语 and culture. 作为伯里亚学院语言专业的学生, it is expected that students study abroad during the final semesters of the college experience.

在伯里亚学院, they pay for up to 60% of one’s study abroad experience, 无论代价如何, 毫无疑问. 考虑到这一点, I knew that I was able to to study abroad and not have to worry about being able to afford the cost of the study abroad nor worry about future debt. I knew that I wanted to go to 阿根廷, but I didn’t through which company I wanted to study abroad. 

Through quick Google searches I found CEA’s 布宜诺斯艾利斯 program, and I immediately fell in love with the program--it offered so many excursions, 这么多支持, 还有各种各样的经历让我感觉自己 porteno. 几天后，我申请了这个项目. I soon heard back from the CEA team with an acceptance call, but also with the fortunate news that I had been awarded CEA scholarships to help lower the cost of the trip. 在接下来的一年, 有很多会议, 调用, and emails sent between CEA and me to help prepare me for my study abroad, 在每条信息发送和接收之后, 我变得越来越兴奋.

Soon, January came, and I was ready to fly to 阿根廷. As soon as I arrived in 布宜诺斯艾利斯, I was picked up by a CEA member and taken to my home-stay. 在接下来的七个月里, I learned so many Spanish skills that did more for me than my Spanish major ever did. 我学会了所有的酷 lunfardo, 和非常热情好客的人交谈, and made so many Argentine friends that I miss so much every day. I was able to travel to many countries and experience so many different cultures and places. 我在Río de Janeiro体验了狂欢节, 巴西, 参观门多萨的酒庄, 阿根廷, 参观美丽的Iguazú瀑布, 参观美丽的乌拉圭. 

一路走来, 无论我走到哪里, I picked up an insane amount of vocabulary and grammar skills that have helped me successfully teach Spanish skills in my classroom. 不管是在我寄宿家庭的时候, 在大学里, 或者在街上, I was always speaking Spanish and learning new things every day. Without a doubt, studying in 布宜诺斯艾利斯 has well-prepared me to be a great teacher.


Chase McCoy is a CEA alumnus who 在布宜诺斯艾利斯留学, 阿根廷, 2019年春季学期. 他是伯里亚学院的毕业生.