Language Assistant

Language Assistants (LAs) serve as group leaders for international students at the ELI. LAs are UF students who work with the ELI’s listening/speaking teachers to plan informal communicative activities to reinforce the language objectives that are being taught in the listening/speaking classes. LAs work with the students and accompany them on after-class and weekend social and cultural activities in order to help them meet others on campus and in Gainesville and to learn about US culture.

 

As an LA, I dedicated myself to creating fun and useful lesson plans for students to improve their listening and speaking skills in English. I was responsible for keeping my students’ attention and catering to their diverse needs as my classroom consisted of students from all over the globe with different backgrounds and expectations of how the classroom environment was to be directed. Not only was I a teacher, but I was also a peer leader and trusted confidant that my students looked up to for help and guidance. I was constantly adapting the classroom to fit their energy levels and cultural reservations. My goal is to always foster a positive classroom environment for my students and my LA partner. Through my position as an LA, I developed my ability to be more flexible and open-minded, as well as interculturally competent. 

 

I taught in a traditional classroom environment, but once COVID19 appeared, I had to completely adapt my lessons to an online platform within a week. My LA partner and I struggled at first to find a good rhythm for our in-person class as our teaching styles were so different. Once we started to find our groove, we were hit with the curveball of transitioning online. We were nervous and scrambled to adapt our activities that were specifically scaffolded for face-to-face interactions. But in light of this adversity, we became even stronger partners. We encouraged one another and brainstormed for hours every day on how we can make the lessons engaging and fun. We became a stronger unit, and our students felt encouraged by the efforts we were taking to ensure that they were able to adapt promptly and comfortably. Our shy students felt emboldened by the online platform and we facilitated deeper conversations and overall improved our interactions. My partner and I played off of each other’s strengths and uplifted each other through our weaknesses. 

 

I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to work for the English Language Institute at the University of Florida. It was the most enriching experience, which taught me to open my heart and my mind to people of different backgrounds and nationalities. Working as a Language Assistant strengthened my dedication to spreading cultural awareness and acceptance of differences. I was fortunate enough to meet the most wonderful people from all over the world. I grew up in a Latino majority community, but joining the ELI has expanded my world view and has given me amazing opportunities to experience cultural traditions of the international students that were enrolled, from learning how to dance dabke from Saudi Arabia, to cooking a traditional Korean meal, playing volleyball with Venezuelans, and learning how to introduce myself in several languages. I hope to keep the connections I made here for the rest of my life.