Daily life as a language assistant in Belgium

Having enjoyed my time as a language assistant in Corsica last year, I decided to reapply for the programme for a second year. I thought I'd try Belgium this time for a change of scene and to experience a new French speaking country. I was delighted to be assigned to teach adults this year, in a Haute Ecole (a sort of university-college) in Brussels and an evening language school in Charleroi. Following a long and arduous visa process I finally made it to Brussels on the 30th of September.

This year's Belgian language assistants

In Belgium I have a 16 hour contract however work takes up a lot of my time here because I work in two different regions of Brussels. Charleroi is an hour away from Brussels on the train so there are long commute times. I also sometimes have several hour gaps in between classes which I spend in the staff room or elsewhere on campus.

A typical week

On Mondays I work in Charleroi so I'm free in the morning. Sometimes I go to a fitness class at the gym or I prepare my classes for the week. At about 3:45 I set off for the station. I get the train at 4pm and arrive in Charleroi just after 5pm. The classes don't start until 5:50 and so I've got a bit of time to kill. Sometimes I'll meet up with one of the other language assistants or otherwise I'll go and sit in the shopping centre, especially when it's cold and wet and dark outside. On Mondays I join the two highest-level English classes, an hour and a half in each class. So far I've mostly been helping out when they're speaking in smaller groups and otherwise the teacher leads the classes but I'm hoping to start taking on a more active role next semester. Classes end at 8:50 and usually someone will drive me to the station because Charleroi has a reputation for being dangerous at night. I get the 9:25 train to Brussels and I'm back home just before 11pm.

Charleroi Staff

On Tuesdays I have an early start. My first class is at 8:20am and I cycle to work so I need to leave by around 7:45. It can be hard getting up in the dark but it's a nice cycle ride along the canal and sometimes I see a good sunrise as I approach the school. I have three hours of classes at the Brussels school and I really enjoy these classes. The students are engaged and I talk to them one-to-one or in very small groups so it is easy to help with individual difficulties. I particularly enjoy working with the first years who make up for their lack of English knowledge with their energy and enthusiasm!

Cycling to work

I have a few free hours to go home and have something to eat before I head out to the station again and get the train back to Charleroi. On Tuesday evenings I've been running conversation groups. The first part is with level 3 and 4 students and the second part is for levels 5-8. It's been going really well with the lower levels and I've got several people who come regularly however attendance has been low for the second part so we will rearrange the hours for next semester - perhaps people don't like coming out so late in the evening. In the conversation classes I've been trying out different activities. I choose a different theme every week and plan some games, activities and conversation prompts around it and so far the things I've done seem to have worked well. I try to keep it varied so it doesn't get boring and I do the activities that I would want to see in a language class.

Sunset in Charleroi

On Wednesdays my first class is at 10:30 so I have a more leisurely start and set off from home at around 9:50. I'm at the Brussels school until 5pm but I like this school and I enjoy my classes so I'm happy to spend the day there. I have students in marketing, public relations and law as well as a general conversation group at lunch time. I particularly enjoy talking with the second year tourism students as their course seems really interesting and I get them to tell me about all the projects they're working on which includes planning a class trip to Réunion Island. It sometimes makes me want to be a student again myself! By Wednesday evening I'm usually pretty exhausted and so I cycle home and have a quiet night in, call the fam and watch TV.

Mont des Arts, Brussels

Thursday is a day off for me. I've been going to a French conversation group in the mornings but I'm not sure I'll continue with it in the New Year. There is a different teacher every time and different people in the group so sometimes it is great and other times a bit boring. However, it has been interesting to see how other teachers organise conversation groups and it gives me ideas of what to do (and not do) in my own classes. I then typically go to a class at the gym and then in the afternoon I have an online Italian lesson. I've switched to a new Italian teacher and in general I like the style of the classes which focus on conversation and improving fluency. The teacher usually sends me an Italian video to watch for homework which is great because it encourages me to do a bit of listening practise during the week.

On Thursday evenings I go to a Scottish dance group in Brussels. It's a bit further out than the other things I do and so I have to take a bus or a train to get there which takes about 25 minutes. It's nice to be able to keep dancing while I'm abroad. The group is pretty international with people from Belgium, Poland, France, America and the UK. The class is a bit slower-paced than I'm used to with more focus on footwork and technique compared to the social dance groups I was going to before but it's been a good refresher on some of the formations.

Grand place, Brussels

On Fridays I work in Charleroi again in the evenings but sometimes I set off in the morning and visit a city in the same area such as Namur or Mons before work. This has been nice during December as everywhere has its Christmas market going and the streets are looking festive! On Friday evenings I run a cultural activity which is open to students of all levels. This has so far included playing board games, watching Wallace and Gromit and learning some ceilidh dances.

Ceilidh dancing

On Saturday mornings I like to go to body combat which is my favourite exercise class at the gym. There are several gyms I can go to within 20 minutes walk of where I live which is really nice because it gives more class options. On Saturday afternoon I sometimes meet up with one of the other language assistants for a coffee or to do something in the city centre. In the evening I go to a board games night which is always very fun. People bring along games to play and so I learn new games every week. I have been going most weeks so I have now got to know quite a lot of the people there and it is a nice group, mostly expats.

Games night

I don't have any real routine on a Sunday but, since it's my completely free day, I use it to do the bigger day trips such as to Dinant which is a beautiful town about 2 hours away. I have also visited the beach at Ostend as well as Bruges, Louvain and Liege. There are plenty more day trips I'd like to do next term, especially as the weather gets better and I can do some cycle rides and walks.

Dinant

So that's more or less a typical week for me at the moment! Things will change a bit next term as my classes in Brussels will be different but otherwise I'll probably carry on with a lot of the same activities now that I've found things I enjoy. It has been a complete contrast to last year (pros and cons to each). Brussels is a fun city to live in as there's so much going on and it's easy to meet people and find events to join. It is also such a great location for visiting other places from and so a fantastic place to spend a year. I feel fairly settled in my routine and I look forward to making the most of the rest of this experience in the months to come.