Marcella

I imagine being a teacher, but it was quite hard.

Yes, I would take students abroad. Some of the goals for the study abroad. In doing a study abroad I hope that students will gain a greater cultural sensitivity as well as an international perspective of their world.I hope that students will gain confidence and independence by dealing with different situations that may arise. I hope that my students will have tons of fun so that they will want to continue pursuing the language.  The first challenge is the school board.Students and parents need to see the benefit of the study abroad.Coming up with the money will be a challenge for many in the community.At the high school level selecting students that will not create problems abroad or even turning away some that are just peachy to be around with. Some parents may have concerns in regards to safety for their children.Once you are in your destination the main challenge would be not to lose any of the kids.  I am selecting to travel to Costa Rica with my students.  The company I would travel with would be Education First __[|http://www.eftours.com]__ or Explorica __[|http://www.explorica.com]__The reason those companies are suitable for this population is that they provide programs that are short enough to give the students a taste of a foreign culture.Their programs are structured so that you know exactly what you are doing every day.You have some free time where the students that want to practice their language can do so, at the same time for those students that may be shy they can still interact with other Americans.The heritage speaker will get by and perhaps learn from the natives during free time or even at the hotel.The students stay in hotels, and for the most part the hotels tend to be somewhat isolated that the students cannot just wonder off.All the hotels have amenities to keep the students busy.The program keeps the students on the go all day long so they really do not have time to get in trouble.These companies are great for students that have never left their backyard because you are always together as a group and all is taking care for you.You have the freedom to choose how much speaking you will do.In reference to the person that speaks non-stop, this person can have a chance to speak to 45 people in the group as smaller groups are consolidated to make a bigger group, so you get to interact with other people from the United States as well as people from the country you are visiting.  These companies have a ratio of 6 students to 1 adult, with 13 students travelling you have 2 adults that can be responsible for the group.Another teacher will be travelling as well as another parent.This program meets the needs of my students by opening doors and giving the students a taste of what is outside their backyard.Both companies have been doing educational tours for many years and their names have been referred by other teachers.I have travelled with EF tours and I like how they walk you through every step to make the trip successful, from pre-booking the tour, logistics and even post-tour.Tours are relatively affordable and you can book as far as two years before the trip to give as many students the opportunity to travel.  7. What excursions if any do you plan to include? __[]__ **Travelling abroad with such company can give the students great memories.The students will need to be more independent from their parents and they will need to budget their spending as well as be responsible for their own things.Students will experience the culture and communicate to have their needs met, example when they want to buy an item, even when they want to try a new ice cream flavor.This experience will allow them to grow and to see beyond their world.** 3 other programs that I did not choose: [] The length of the program was too long for what I wanted with my students. [] This program was geared towards university students and it seemed very academically, meaning the students would be in a classroom setting as opposed of exploring the country. [] Program that they offered is a minimum of one month stay and the students have to apply for admission to the program.