My Experience Teaching in Costa Rica With Volunteer Visions

Jan

29

Dean Estrella - My Experience Teaching English In Costa Rica With Volunteer Visions

≡ Category: Costa Rica, Testimonials | ≅

January - March 2007Here I am, sitting in the cold surroundings of my native country, Canada. As I stare at my darkened skin, my four office walls and the pile of work that has compiled over the last five weeks, all I can do is daydream of the life that I left behind only four days prior. These four days has seemed like years, for when you leave a place that you’ve fallen in love with, time passes with much difficulty and cruelty.

I have just arrived home from Playa Samara, Costa Rica. Costa Rica, literally translated as the Magnificent Coast , is almost an understatement. When I first set out to find a volunteer placement it never crossed my mind that I would find a position situated right on the beach, however the beautiful, pristine, and enjoyable beach is only a small portion that contributed to my unforgettable experience.

My experience in Samara consisted of me teaching at a one-week children’s English immersion camp, and my remaining four weeks was spent giving community English classes to the local adults around the town and surrounding areas. I had never officially taught English before, however I do have previous experience as a tutor. Nonetheless, with it being my native language I found the task challenging, invigorating and very rewarding. Playing with children is always a treat and helping them learn a new skill is even more exciting. Surely there were times that I absolutely couldn’t control the wild bunch, but that’s what makes it more memorable. In fact, the troublemakers, or the class clowns, turned out to become my favorite students. After that first week of teaching kids it was great to walk down the street and have youngsters calling our my name and wave vigorously at me from across the way.

The month long lessons I gave to the adults was even more rewarding because I was actually able to see the progress in my students. By the time I left I was actually able to listen and witness them speaking so much more than when they had first started. Not only did I create a student-teacher rapport with them, but they became friends as well. Conversing with them on a daily basis you really start to get to know about their daily lives and their personalities. Some of them even invited me to their houses as their personal guest, what an honor it is to feel welcomed into someone’s home in a foreign land!

At first it was difficult to communicate with my homestay family and all the locals but after spending two weeks at a Spanish language immersion school, I was able to have small conversations and get my point across. The school truly impressed me with their efficiency and organization.

The homestay family that I lived with for the five weeks was more than accommodating. My “MamaTica” was a gracious lady who always overstuffed me with food and laughed at my little jokes and mishaps. It was always a treat to sit down with her and try to have a conversation. She corrected my broken Spanish and I sat there and learned from her wisdom. By the time I left, I grew quite attached to the family, and MamaTica would call me her amor or her hijo and would take care of me as though I was her own.

Not only did I make great friends with some of the local community, but I ended up making great friends with the other volunteers from around the globe and the Volunteer Visions staff as well. I cannot express how much I felt like part of the team. From the moment I arrived in Samara, I was greeted by Lawrence, the director Volunteer Visions, who welcomed me with open arms. Lawrence and Barrett made me feel like a family member. We would even joke around and they would call me their adopted son. At times the Volunteer Visions staff would bend over backwards to assure that my stay was going just how I wanted it to be. I always felt safe and assured in Samara because I knew that I could count on them if something were to go wrong.

On the Volunteer Visions website, it states that there would be extra-curricular activities or excursions. This is true, but I didn’t expect it to be so spontaneous and fun than as it sounded. There are too many experiences to list, but some of the highlights would be making sangria and drinking it on the beach, playing card games until 2am, dancing at the nightclubs and in the kitchen, surfing, cooking lessons, biking to secluded beaches in different towns, climbing up steep remote hills in the dark to reach lively music festivals, etc, etc.

My last night in Samara, the volunteers and some of my students, held a good ol’ fashioned send off for me. A night I won’t forget, or rather I night I can’t remember! I didn’t feel as though I was surrounded by volunteer directors or students, but by good friends. The next morning was a sad one, saying goodbye to all the new connections I had made was difficult. Other than coffee, I didn’t bring home any souvenirs. What I have with me is my newly acquired Spanish speaking skills and the unforgettable, funny and uplifting memories I created while in Samara. Now, if only these memories can get me through the next six hours of my work day.