October in Colima

Three of my students (Laura, Miriam and Jonathan) in the conversation room
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October Report

Jeannie's Report for the British Council

Professional Activities

Seora Lety's birthday party
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Work wise I am based at two of Colima Universitys campuses. Both have Centros de Auto Aceso (CAAL) which are very modern with different rooms for different activities. There is a reading room, a video and listening room as well as a room of computers for students to practise their English via English websites.

I am mainly based at the Villa de Albarez campus where the Facultad de Lenguas is also based. I work there Monday and Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. I have two classes of students (divided into smaller groups) for whom conversation classes are obligatory. They are students from the Escuela de Tursmo and they come once a week for half an hour to talk in English. Their level of English is quite low but they are really nice students and seem to enjoy the classes. The rest of my time there is divided between setting up resources and talking with other students who want to practise their English. These students have a slot where they come once a week and we talk about whatever they want, for example if they have a question about something cultural or a query about English grammar. I also have some students who come to speak French because there is so little access to French here-I enjoy that as it keeps my French going! Their accents are rather strange though- a mixture of Mexican and American!

Templo de San Jos
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On Tuesdays I go the Colima campus where I spend three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. I give help to students with any doubts or queries they have about their English and as well as having groups and individuals for conversation. I have also been given a report to correct by one of the maestras which is a bit of a challenge, hard to understand in Spanish and even harder to put into English!

With regards to the resources, it is different to what I expected. I thought I would be creating lots of web-based resources, but I have asked to prepare ones on paper instead. At first I wasnt too sure how to go about it, but after looking at some online resources and remembering the kind of exercises we did at university I have been busy creating my own exercises based on articles from the BBC website (thank you BBC!) Ive been given a free rein to do whatever I like, and although this has benefits it also has a downside because its hard to know where to start and what to do. Also its difficult to gauge what level the exercises Im creating would be appropriate for but I think the staff here should be able to help me. They like the work Ive done so far though and when I finally get hot potatoes installed on my computer it should be even better.

Parade in the centre (cathedral in background)
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The only downside of the last few weeks has been not knowing if or when the students are going to turn up! As (for the moment) the conversation slots are only half and hour, if some students turn up 20 minutes late they either dont get much of a lesson or the next group starts late (annoying for the students that do turn up on time). Ive also had some students randomly changing classes and so coming to a lesson theyve already had! However, Ive been keeping a register of whos attended so hopefully it will settle down once exams are over

The Estadio Olmpico at Colima University
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Socio-cultural Activities

Before I arrived I was offered accommodation with a Mexican family which I accepted because I really liked the idea of experiencing family life. This turned out to be a great decision because the family is wonderful. There is a mum, Fernando (28), Liz (26) and Perla (14). I havent met Liz yet as shes in Europe until January but the rest of the family is absolutely lovely. They live in a smallish house in the colonia of Placetas which is 15 minutes walk from the centre of Colima and a short bus ride away from the Villa de Albarez and Colima campuses. I have a room and bathroom to myself downstairs which has a television in, so I often have Perlas company to watch cheesy Mexican soap operas and music channels. I am now addicted to the popular Amor en Custodia!

I spend a lot of time with the family. I go out to eat with them and was invited to a family get-together for the mums birthday. I go out with Fernando and his friends at weekends to the cinema or bars. I have been introduced to a type of music called la banda which involves dancing with a partner in a kind of waltz style, the majority of people wearing cowboy hats and jeans! Fer tried to teach me how to do it but I think Ill need a lot more practice!

The people I work with have also been really friendly. I have been to the cinema more times in a month then I ever do in England! There is a feria in Colima at the moment so I have been out to eat there and wander around the stalls and displays. I even got interviewed by the university radio on the first day of the feria, which was nerve-wracking to say the least!

Having undergone a medical (from which I was turned away the first time for having painted toenails!) I am now authorised to use the university swimming pool, which is lovely- outdoors and surrounded by palm trees. I have set hours when I can go and swim which is a great way to cool off, Colima being very hot (Im still getting used to the heat and humidity).