Teaching graduate, Emily Reith, talks about her experience at home and abroad

Emily talks about how her University of Central Lancashire teaching and language degree gave her the confidence to make the leap from Central Lancashire to Central America.

Emily Reith has always had two passions - to teach English and to travel. So, a degree in Teaching English to Speakers of another Language (TESOL) at the University of Central Lancashire seemed like the perfect fit. And, always keen to improve her language skills, she chose German as her additional modern language.

As well as academic study as a student, her experience here gave Emily lots of practical opportunities to gain confidence at the head of the classroom, teaching real students and foreign language speakers English. She said: “This helped prepare me for my own class of students.” However, little did she know that she would find her first classroom as a qualified teacher half-way across the world.

Like every degree student, Emily was looking forward to her graduation and celebrating with friends and family. That wasn’t to be but for a very good reason, her first job as an English Teacher was waiting for her in Central America, so in July 2022 she packed her bags and flew solo to Honduras.

"Without my degree and my lecturers support while at the University of Central Lancashire, I wouldn’t have been able to get this job. I am so grateful for all their support and encouragement. "

Emily Reith, BA (Hons) TESOL

As well as the support of lecturers and staff, Emily also gained a lot from the social side of her time here. She said: “I made some truly amazing friends who I will continue to keep in contact with and I gained a huge amount of confidence and independence which helped me move abroad by myself.”

Now teaching English as a second language (ESL) at the Leadership Mission International Centre (LMI) in Honduras, Emily creates lesson plans to fit the curriculum set in place by the school. She said: “I have lots of free choice what activities and games to use within the lesson, which I love! Along with this, I tutor groups of students according to their level of English.”

Emily is also the Student Life Events Co-ordinator at LMI, arranging social events on campus for the students such as sports day and film night to allow students to get to know each other. As a recent graduate herself, having experienced everything University life had to offer here in Preston, she’s perfect for the role.

So, what does it take to move half-way around the world by yourself, straight out of university, to teach your own class of 30 students? “The best thing to be Is open minded,” Emily says. “Fear Is normal! But push yourself to do what you want to do, otherwise you’ll regret it! Moving abroad and following my teaching dream was the best decision I ever made.”

Emily Reith, BA (Hons) TESOL graduate
Emily Reith, BA (Hons) TESOL graduate