Milí študenti a čitatelia nášho webového spravodajstva, mnohí ste si iste všimli, že pedagogický zbor našej školy omladol. Medzi najmladších našich členov sa zaradila nová lektorka anglického jazyka, ktorú si kvôli jej mladistvému vzhľadu môžete ľahko pomýlite so študentkou. Volá sa Ashley Clark a pochádza z West Virginie, USA.
Prečítajte si rozhovor s ňou a dozviete sa aj to, čo si myslí o životnom štýle na Slovensku a o našich študentoch.
Interview with Ashley – our American teacher
Hi Ashley, we are happy and proud to have you in our school. Can you please tell us something about yourself?
1.Where do you come from?
I am from Ona, West Virginia in the United States. However, the past two years I taught in Jacksonville, Florida.
2.Do you have any siblings?
I have two older half-brothers.
3.What are your hobbies?
I enjoy travelling, reading, exploring Slovakia, horseback riding, and trying new things!
4. What university did you graduate from?
I graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
5. Why did you decide to come to Slovakia?
I came to Slovakia through the Fulbright program, which operates in many countries. I did not have to know Slovak to come here, but I was excited to learn a new language, go to a unique country, and be in a place where I could travel around Europe easily.
6. Do you like our country? How do you feel here? What do you like the most and the least in our country?
I love being Slovakia! Everyone has been very friendly, and the food is amazing. My favorite and least favorite things are the same: the food. I love the food, but I am eating so much that I am sure I will gain weight!
7. Can you please compare lifestyle in Slovakia and in the United States?
My lifestyle in Slovakia much more active than it was in the United States. In the United States I was always busy with work and drove to and from work. Here, I walk to work, and I have more time to relax and enjoy the nature in Slovakia. It seems to me that people are more stressed and obsessed with work in the United States than they are here.
8. Are there any differences in educational system between Slovakia and the USA?
Unless students attend a private school, all students go to public schools that are based on where you live. There are not different types of schools, like gymnaziums or vocational schools, in the United States; all public schools are supposed to be the same. Also, students do not stay with the same group like they do here. There are also more standardized tests in the United States.
9. According to you, what are the students in Slovakia like?
Students in Slovakia have been willing to do the work assigned to them and are willing to help each other. In the United States, students want to be the best and are not interested in helping their classmates. Students here are also more considerate and friendly. For example, in one of the classes I needed a marker, and a student brought one to me without me asking. That would not happen in the United States.
10. What do you miss most about the United States?
I miss Reese’s and Hershey’s chocolate! I also miss my parents and friends, but I talk to them every day on the internet and phone.
11. Do you have any troubles communicating in English in Slovakia?
There are not many people here except for the students and some teachers who speak English, so yes I often have trouble communicating. When I wanted to buy a blender, I tried to act out what a blender does to the woman at the shop, but she tried to give me a coffee maker instead. Also, on more than one occassion I have bought food that wasn’t what I thought it was. You live and you learn!
Ashley, thank you very much for the interview! We wish you ALL THE BEST and a successful school year!
Ingrid Jančiarová a Lenka Stoláriková zo IV.E