"I spent a year after graduating as an English Language Assistant in a teacher training college, teaching English grammar and conversation to classes of about 30 students. It was a great experience. My students’ English was generally pretty good as most of them were aged between 18 and 22. They were all hoping to become English teachers themselves so they were all very keen to learn. One of the most rewarding aspects was being able to accompany my classes on their teaching practice. This involved sitting in and observing as they taught English to younger pupils.

Teaching in Latin America is very different from doing a placement in Europe. The support structures are less well developed outside Europe, so you’ve got to be more flexible. However I’m not complaining – I had the satisfaction of handling a lot of responsibility from day one, and what the Mexicans lack in formal support they make up for in their welcoming attitude. On the day I arrived my class dragged me down to a festival, and over the year there was no shortage of invitations for a night out with a few chilli beers and – Guadalajara’s speciality – some Mariachi music.’