Wallace High School said “Bienvenue”, “Wilkommen” and “Hola” recently to its three new language assistants who will spend this year at the Clonevin Park School.
Leticia Villamediana Gonzalez, Christina Thonhauser and Izza Ouchatar will work with GCSE and A Level classes, improving the Wallace students’ language skills and also helping them learn about culture and society. They will also help out with the school’s extra curricular activities such as the European Studies programme and the French Film society.
24 year old Leticia from Palencia in Spain has just finished her degree in English and hopes to study for a PhD in the subject, with the aim of teaching in a university. Her first impressions of northern Ireland are very favourable, “The people are very friendly and I’ve settled in very quickly. I have to admit that I find the weather fascinating, it really is possible to experience four seasons in one day!”
Austrian Christina, who is also 24, will teach German in Wallace, Friends’ School and Sullivan Upper. She too has also been struck by the weather, “The wind and rain have been a bit surprising but Lisburn is a beautiful city and I’m looking forward to spending time here as well as exploring the rest of the province. I hope I get used to the accent quite quickly, at the moment it’s a little confusing.”
Christina recently graduated from Graz with a degree in translation and interpreting and hopes that her career will allow her many opportunities for travelling in the future.
21 year old Izza from Le Mans is uncertain as to her future career. She explained, “I’m really looking forward to spending this year in Wallace and hope that the experience will help me decide on my future career path. I’ve found the pupils very polite and motivated. Everyone looks so smart in their uniform, at home in France no one wears uniform.”
Christina and Leticia also commented on the many differences between Wallace and the schools back at home in Austria and Spain.
Christina said,”The range of sports on offer here in Wallace is very impressive and of course the Austrian school day starts at 8am so I’m looking forward to a slightly later start in the mornings.”
Leticia concluded,”The ICT facilities are amazing and the fact that pupils partake in so many clubs and societies means that the school has a clear sense of community.” All at Wallace are looking forward to getting to know Christina, Leticia and Izza and welcome the contribution they will make to the life of the school.
Last modified: February 24, 2016
