My name is Val. I am a junior at OU; I’ll be graduating in
the fall of this year! I am a Religious Studies major, but I intend to teach
English as a Second Language after graduation. I really enjoy teaching, and I
love that teaching English will enable me to work almost anywhere in the world.
Post-graduation I am looking at working in Southeast Asia for a year or two in
order to pay off my student loans, but I don’t plan to settle there long-term.
I would like to live and work in Northern Africa. There I will be able to work—though
I won’t make as much as in Asia. I will also be able to utilize my French. I
would prefer to teach in an immersion program; however, if I am unable to find
such a position in a French-speaking country then I will have the option to
teach English in most public and private schools because many North African
countries are French-speaking. I am taking a class through OU this semester
which covers the various techniques of teaching a foreign language! I am also
taking Jews and Other Germans for my major and French Phonetics and French
Film, both of which will help me to finish up my French minor. I hope to
eventually be fluent in French, as it will help expand my job opportunities and
also offer a lot of benefits in my personal life.
Currently, I work three different jobs. They are very
non-traditional, but I really enjoy them and prefer it over working in a more
normal part-time situation. Three days a week I tutor a seven-year-old. We
cover math, science, reading comprehension, writing, English grammar, and
phonics. We also take occasional trips to the public library, and we do science
experiments and projects as well. Bi-monthly I clean for a really nice guy that
works in the oil and gas industry. It isn’t super glamorous, but it is easy,
pays well, and I have the habit of hooking up my phone to the surround sound
and blasting music while I’m working. On Thursdays, I don’t have class. I care
for a mentally handicapped woman in Oklahoma City. She is thirty-four, and her
name is Janet. I also do occasional babysitting and pet-sitting!
(Photo taken by the mother of the little boy I tutor, Jake)
I work a lot more than I really need to, because I’m always
saving for the next trip I’m planning. Right now, I am planning to go to
Georgia for spring break and Egypt in July for two of my close friends’ wedding.
I am really excited! Traveling is something I really love, so I make it a
priority to save for trips. I also enjoy dancing and reading. My favorite kind
of books is old romance novels, the ones set in the Renaissance especially. I
also love swimming; I never miss a chance to go to the beach!
Well, that about sums it up! Feel free to comment if you
want to know anything more.
I never really thought about it, but after reading your introduction, it is crazy to think that something like teaching English (which is so common for us) enables you to be able to teach absolutely anywhere in the world. Congrats on graduating early, I am the guy that decided 5 years of college sounded more appealing than anything less than 4. I find it too fun. Working three jobs has got to be stressful at times, but it is impressive that you can juggle all of that. I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHi Val!
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice to meet you! One of my favorite things is to travel also! I think it is so neat that you actually take action to go do what you love! So many people I know say they like to travel, but don’t save money to do so now (I am terrible at this, but am trying to be better about my spending this New Year) and don’t pick a job that will allow them to travel for work. So, way to go!
Oh wow, Val, how exciting: this class could really prove useful if you end up teaching English in south Asia somewhere. As you'll see from the artwork, the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have spread far beyond India, and of course Buddhism (which began in India) has also reached so many people in Asia. And how great that OU is offering a class on teaching a foreign language! That is my own background (I was a Slavic major in college, Polish and Russian)... and the things I learned about teaching foreign languages have helped me so much even now, when I am not actually teaching a foreign language — although written English is so different than spoken English, ha ha, that it can seem like a foreign language sometimes. I hope you will enjoy the class... it will probably give you all kinds of ideas for yet more wonderful places to visit! :-)
ReplyDeleteHey Val! Sounds like you live a very busy life! I can't imagine doing all the things you do! It's great! I also have a great love to travel! I personally hope to some day make it to every continent and every Spanish speaking country. That is awesome you want to teach in North Africa! I would love to go visit North Africa, but I don't think I could ever live long term there. I look forward to seeing your other writings this semester!
ReplyDeleteHey Val! Wow your Introduction was great! You are way more interesting that I am. You are the real Humanitarian! Congrats on graduation next fall. That must be really exciting for you. I wish I could save money and visit Egypt. The only place I have been too is Japan, which I guess is cool. Well it is nice to meet you and i will be looking forward to more of your writing.
ReplyDeleteHey Val! Sounds like you lead a busy life! I am also a Junior at OU, however I have a little extra time left due to my degree. I can totally identify with your love for travel! I am currently living in South Asia, and will probably travel to South East Asia before the semester/summer is over with. It truly is a fun place, however North Africa will be amazing as well! I almost went to Morocco from Spain in the summer of 2013, but a friend lost his passport. Anyway, best of luck on your studies, and your travels!
ReplyDeleteHi, Val! Sounds like you are a busy girl. I love that you are ready to fufill your dreams after Graduation. Having a plan is important and it seems like you know exactly what you want to do. I want to know some of the science experiments you do with Jake…just because I am easily amused. Hope you have a blast in Georgia and a fun adventure in Egypt!
ReplyDeleteHi five on graduating this year! I'll graduate in May. So, I speak more than one language as well, and I’ve experienced the phenomenon of dreaming in that language? I know it more than likely sounds crazy to someone who was never done it; however, I have had it happen several times. Have you ever experienced that? I also tend to think in my other tongue from time to time – this is something I also think is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteHi Val! Congratulations on being so close to graduation! I think it's great that you want to go abroad to teach English. Working in Asia or Africa would be an amazing experience. I have family who are working in Malaysia, and they have fallen in love with the culture.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool your a religious studies major! For my religious studies minor I've focused mostly on past religions, like this class and ancient Greece and Roman religions with Professor Cline.
The jobs you have sound like they would be so much more rewarding than the typical part time jobs. Particularly tutoring Jake and helping to care for Janet. Good luck with the rest of your semester and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
I think it is awesome that you have your future planned so well! North Africa would be a wildly interesting place to live, for certain.
ReplyDeleteI can appreciate non-traditional jobs, as I am the same way :) I ride and train horses in jumping part-time. My last job was at the dog/cat daycare/boarding facility, Fur Night & Day. Jobs like yours and mine are the most fulfilling, in my opinion. But I will say that you sound like a hard worker! You must be terribly busy. I don't function well under high stress, so I don't think I would manage that many jobs + school too gracefully.
I love to travel as well, and the beach and ocean are definitely where I tend to long to be most. Good luck with your post-grad plans and enjoy your adventures to come!
Hey Val! Wow you're a semester away from graduating, that's so cool! It sounds like you're super busy all the time, but your jobs seem to be very rewarding. I love traveling too! I actually might be studying abroad in Spain this summer. I have a friend living in Egypt right now and he absolutely loves it. Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteHey Val! Oh wow you are so culturally open-minded which is so great! My parents were born in Vietnam, so I am interested in Southeast Asia too, living in Africa would be great. I see that you really enjoy helping people. You also seem like a very busy student and pretty much occupied most of the time. That is great! I took French at OU for 3 semesters because well.. I had to. French was kind of hard for me but I enjoyed it. It's so awesome that you enjoy traveling and saving money for it! Most people I know are just blowing their money but saving up to travel is a great thing to do! I wish you luck!
ReplyDeleteVal, sounds like you have everything planned out for some years to come. Always interesting to see how people plan to use their minor or major in a language and it sounds like you have a real passion for French. I always respect people who can work so much during the week and still get school work done, especially three jobs even if they are non-traditional. However, they seem to be extremely rewarding to you from the experiences to the actual money with all the trips you take.
ReplyDeleteHi Val, it seems like you are very busy, but you have big heart. I don’t think I could care for people the way you do, and it is definitely commendable. I also understand about saving up to travel. I am the same way. I will work myself to death and save every penny until that trip is paid off. Good luck this semester.
ReplyDeleteHi Val,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduating this fall! Your plans after graduation sound amazing, and I seriously believe in you, especially since you're so disciplined in being able to save for future trips and other important things. Your work schedule seems fun actually, you don't really have time to get bored with any one thing! I hope that you land an ideal position, to teach ESL, in a country of your preference. Good luck with your future endeavors!
Hey Val! Congrats on your graduation! It’s always an accomplishment to graduate early! I think it is cool how you have so many plans for after you leave college. They all sound so fulfilling to, and I hope you truly enjoy them. Your jobs also sound super awesome, I love hearing the different kind of things that people find to do. I also love to travel; it is truly one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy reading and dancing, two of my favorite things! I hope you have a great rest of your semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Val!
ReplyDeleteWell it sounds like you have a really interesting life! I too have a medley of side jobs that I use to pay the bills. I think your career path is awesome! You are going to get to travel the world and teach and impact kids at the same time. I think that is so cool. I am also jealous of how soon you are graduating. I have years and years left of school, so graduation is not even something I really think about. Anyways, good luck this semester!
Val,
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed with your teaching and language goals! I love the prospect of being bilingual or multilingual. I think it is easily one of the most useful skills out there! Languages are so beautiful and it's great knowing that you can communicate with so many different people. While it comes easily for some people, I know that learning another language can be very difficult. Especially English! I hear it's one of the most difficult to learn, so it must be just as difficult to teach. I wish you the best of luck in those endeavors!
What is the difference between an immersion program and just teaching in a school? Is there a particular age that most of your students will be, or do you think you will be teaching all different ages? Isn't it funny that so many different countries work hard to learn English, yet our country does very little to ensure that their schools teach a second language beyond the intermediate level?
I think Egypt sounds like an amazing place to go visit! I am so excited for you! You have such amazing goals and work-ethic. It is quite obvious that you're going to accomplish a lot of great things, for yourself and for others! Glad to have you in this class with us.
Wow! You work a lot! It really seems like you enjoy it though so that is terrific. Going to school for religious studies is awesome even though you want to be a teacher. I always want to know more about that subject. Your tutoring job sounds like great practice for when you finally graduate, and that sounds like that is around the corner. How exciting! I'm going to be in school forever. It sounds like you have already done way more traveling then me. That is so cool! Where is your favorite place you have been so far? Well, good luck with your last semester!
ReplyDeleteVal, you seem like an extremely caring person, and it's really great to read about all the things you do to help people. Tutoring that young boy is awesome, and taking care of the mentally handicapped woman is an extremely kind thing of you to do. You have a great work ethic, and are certainly going to do well in life! Good luck as you finish up school!
ReplyDeleteHey Val,
ReplyDeleteThat is such an awesome goal to teach English to those who cannot. I had actually heard about a program that recruits people to teach children in Japan how to speak English. Apparently there are not enough people out there who want to teach it. Do you think you would want to learn another language wherever you are teaching at? That would be so cool! Good luck!