Internship at a language academy in Cadiz, South of Spain

Rūta Jatkonytė

After graduating with a Translation BA in Vilnius University, I decided to use the Erasmus+ post-graduate internship opportunity. I realised that it could be a great kick-start to enter the professional world, especially working in an international company. I wanted to gain knowledge of Spanish language, which I had never learned. If I pursue the career of a translator, every language will be valuable in my work.

I chose Casa de las Lenguas, a language school which is based in Cadiz, Andalucia – the very South of Spain, at the coast of the Atlantic. The academy was set in a place that I could not have dreamed of: when I used to get tired of looking at the screen, I turned my head to the right to rest my eyes on the beautiful ocean beach.

As I had very little teaching experience in Lithuania, I did not expect to teach English myself. However, I had an opportunity to teach teenagers, ages 12-16, which was a remarkable experience. Teaching in a foreign environment with almost no knowledge of Spanish was truly challenging, yet unbelievably rewarding. I’ve learned teaching techniques, creativity, I’ve even learned a lot from my students.

Besides teaching, I was carrying out administrative tasks and selecting upcoming interns, reading their resumes. I was also implementing marketing and social media work to promote the school and to encourage more people to come and learn with us. I was designing posters, ads and other kinds of images to boost our engagement on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Other than that, I was organising socialising and language learning activities – conversation club, movies club for kids and adults and various celebrations. We were building a community.

This period had a great impact on my professional and personal skills. I have been learning intensely, and was overwhelmed with the diversity of the tasks that I was getting. Yet this was an incredible chance for my growth and I am grateful.