PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL

Language Assistant

• What do you think will be the most enjoyable aspects of the job?

• What do you think will be the hardest aspects of the job?

• What qualities and skills do you think you will need (or acquire) as a Language Assistant?

Making the most of your Year Abroad

o What do you expect from your Year Abroad?o What sort of things do you expect to do during

your Year Abroad?o What do you expect the Year Abroad to do to

you?o What long-term gains do you expect from being

a Language Assistant?

The skills of the Language Assistant

• Language Assistants only learn how to become teachers

• Language Assistants develop skills that are attractive to all sorts of employers

Some of the skills you can hope to acquire or develop as a Language Assistant

• Working independently• Self-reliance• Self-confidence• Working with others• Taking initiative• Negotiating• People management• Resource management• Communication skills• Analytical skills

• Time management

• Problem solving

• Research skills

• Adaptability

• Imagination/creativity

• Presentation skills

• IT skills

• Setting and meeting objectives

Logs & PortfoliosWhy keep a record of your Year Abroad?Recording

o your life experienceso your day-to-day concernso your day-to-day successes and failures

Reflecting ono experiences and events and how they affect youo ways in which you have changed

Planningo how to respond to developmentso how to manage changeo how to capitalise on your growing skills base

The Personal Development Portfolio

To keep track of your Year Abroad, you could do some or all of the following:

keep a diary take photos make a scrap book record and reflect on events at strategic

intervals work out an Action Plan

The Personal Development Portfolio

A structured Diary that helps you to• take stock and monitor your skills base as

it develops• prioritise your activities• get the maximum gain from your Year

Abroad• articulate your abilities and enhance your

employability

Stages and structure: what will I have to do

1. Throughout the year you will be asked to keep a Diary at agreed intervals. If you wish, you can of course (and many do!) go beyond the agreed minimum and turn it into a Work of Art.

2. Before you go, you will be asked to complete a simple check-list or practical things you need to do, and to assess your personal attributes under a few simple headings.

Stages and structure: what will I have to do

3. At set intervals, you will be asked to record your thoughts under a number of headings (e.g. work, language development, personal development) and consider what steps you have taken or plan to take to extend and consolidate your skills.

4. You will also be encouraged to involve your school mentor teacher in planning your development schedule and monitoring / reporting on your progress.

Timescale

Suggested times for recording / reviewing Pre-departure (‘stock-taking’) About 6 weeks after arrival After Christmas Around Easter End of assistantship

British Council

Language Assistantships Helping Assistants

o Introductory courses

o Library, newspapers, teaching materials

o Language Assistants Website www.languageassistant.org.uk

o Teaching manual by Clare Lavery- Language Assistant

o PDP scheme