Well, had my last full lecture yesterday for Sociolinguistics, and my final Research Experience meeting today. One presentation to give next week, then one essay and one research log to hand in on 11th, and that's it for the taught part of the course. All that's left then is 14,000 words between me and the airport :)
Both of my dissertation proposals have been accepted, so I need to discuss it with my supervisor and pick the final one. I'm really happy because the preliminary listings say I’ve got the supervisor I wanted, Dr. Michelle Aldridge. She lectured on Vulnerable Witnesses during my Forensics module, but also did her MA in Deaf Studies, which is brilliant - someone else who flaps their hands about and understands the dilemmas I’m probably going to hit :)
I've got a weekend training course in May to get the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. I've already passed the Teaching English Grammar one, and I’ve got a Teaching Business English one to go after. Problem is, I’m getting a bit unsure about the whole TEFL route. I've applied to a few schools, mainly in Canada, but the job offers I keep receiving are from agencies in China and Korea, which I have no interest in taking up. I also got a call the other day from a guy in Mombasa (yeah, I had to look that one up) and I thought it was a prank call at first. It began with 'Do you have experience of working with children with special needs?' 'Yes.' 'Right, well, I want to give you an idea of what some of the children we have suffer. Stick out your tongue, say 'aaah' and try to swallow...'
Apparently, that was supposed to give me an insight into what it was like to be a child with a disability.... ... .. WTF!?
Without asking whether I even wanted to apply for the position, he then abruptly informed me they would be shortlisting within a week. Err...oookkay. Don't call me, I won't call you either.
A lot of the TEFL jobs make me feel like I’m applying to go and be Mickey Mouse in Disneyland for the summer. I'm starting to feel everso slightly sceptical about it. So, to lighten the mood, I finally did apply to VSO.
Originally, I didn't think that I’d have enough experience for them but, once I got stuck into the application forms, I started to feel a bit more confident. My experience as a Statutory & Trust Funding Officer was a major asset, as was project managing the procurement, renovation, and opening of the community centre for the Deaf Association. Obviously the Deaf/signing side of things adds gloss, as, hopefully, does the MA and the BA(Hons) in an Education field.
It's hard to tell, though. The competition for places is quite stiff usually, I think, and you get an in-depth grilling if they do consider you. Apparently they should let me know whether I’m suitable in about four weeks; let me know what the options are.
In the meantime, I’ve been corresponding with an organisation in Peru called Kiya Survivors. They have projects in North and South Peru, and have been telling me about a young deaf person they've got who has severe communication difficulties. They've been learning to sign over the past twelve months and it's really starting to make a difference because she can express herself and be understood. That certainly captured my imagination, but there's plenty of other things to be done there.
VSO and Kiya are the two contenders at the moment. If VSO haven't got anything for me, then the choice is certainly made easier. The problem with Kiya is that it's entirely voluntary, whereas VSO pay your way and give a modest living allowance. Apparently, though, you can easily live in Peru for £2 a day? Kiya also have a very personal and friendly attitude from what I’ve seen so far. They help you find flights out and accommodation once you get there, including home-stays in North Peru. I'm still sussing them out, but so far so good, and they may be able to shave a little off the price if I can fulfil a specific/skilled role. Discussions are underway.
Just seems a bit more interesting and worthwhile than simply teaching English, and certainly beats a ski resort in Canada. All depends how feasible it is, though. Should know more by the end of May.
In the meantime, a couple of interesting sites friends have pointed me to:
CouchSurfing: Have a couch anywhere in the world? Let someone crash on it.
Help Exchange: Go help out on a farm for a few hours a week, and get your board and food for free!
Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports: Wot it says on t'in.
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