Niki
Ironside Teaches English in Austria
I
have just begun my second year as a Foreign Language Assistant (FLA) teaching
English in Austria and absolutely love my life! A FLA is a recent college
graduate who is hired by another country's Ministry of Education to assist
language teachers in public schools. Being an FLA is a good opportunity
to live and work in a different country, while travelling, meeting lots
of new people, and trying your hand at teaching English and "explaining"
America.
As collegiate athletics prevented me from studying abroad during my time
at WSU, I jumped at the opportunity to live and work overseas after graduation.
In the spring of my junior year, while working towards a degree in Elementary
Education and a minor in German, one of my WSU German professors (Prof.
Rachael Halverson) approached me about the FLA program. Early in my senior
year I submitted my application to the Austrian American Education Commission
(through the Fulbright program). I enjoyed the first year so much that
I applied for an extension to stay a second year. I am assigned to the
Handelsakademie and Handelsschule in Imst, which is about 30 miles west
of Innsbruck in the central Alps. The "HAK", as we call the
school, is a business oriented secondary school catering to students 14-19
years of age. I also volunteer twice a week to help teach English in the
Landeslehranstalt (LLA), another school in Imst for students 14-19, but
predominantly focused on agriculture.
My primary job as an FLA is to get the students to use their spoken English,
and to cover cultural topics about America. The students range from third
year to sixth year English. I accompany the regular teachers into the
classroom and support where needed. Since my major at WSU was Elementary
Education, I felt comfortable from the beginning teaching a portion of
each class. After a few weeks I was doing most of the teaching in my 12
classes each week. We cover many topics about America throughout the year
- I'm sure the presidential race will be a favourite this fall!
In addition to teaching, private tutoring is an option for native speakers
of English to earn some additional pocket money since many students seek
extra help outside of school in order to pass their end of the year exams.
The salary for an FLA (which includes health insurance) is more than enough
on which to live, plus travel on weekends. Yes, travelling is one of the
perks, and FLA's are encouraged to explore! The "network" of
FLA's can provide travel partners and even places to stay, although the
youth hostel system is very convenient and inexpensive.
Being in western Austria affords me the opportunity to ski the entire
winter - some of the glaciers are even open year round! During the late
spring, summer, and early fall the mountains are great for hiking, biking,
rock climbing, rafting, and all manner of outdoor sports. I have been
able to continue playing soccer and I even joined a local women's folk
choir. Being involved in the local community, outside of school, has created
so many opportunities to really experience Tyrol (the Austrian province
in which I live). The Innsbruck women's soccer team, part of the Austrian
Bundesliga, has allowed me to see much of Austria while travelling with
the team. But most of my transportation involves my feet, a borrowed bike,
and the excellent European train system.
Last year was a fantastic opportunity for me to discover Austria and parts
of Europe. Living and working in another country allowed me to learn about
a different culture, education system, and way of living. The memories
and friendships, in addition to what I have learned from this experience,
have enriched me as a teacher and as a person. I would highly recommend
the experience to any Coug wanting to continue to grow!
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