Introducing Myself

My name is Manuela Graf, and I am a junior double majoring in Economics and International Affairs. I grew up in Tampa, Florida but my family is originally from Mexico. This summer I will be completing the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate offered by FSU’s Center for Intensive English Studies. This is related to my experience as I would like to see how the English learning community create relationships with one another as well as people’s differing reasons to learn English in world where it is increasingly viewed and accepted as the global “lingua franca”. With this certification I will be able to eventually live and teach English abroad or online. I am really excited for this experience, and I expect that it will teach me a lot about actually teaching others, the process of learning a language, and widen my perspectives on other’s cultures. One thing I am kind of nervous about is whether I am ready to be a teacher or have the “right” personality for it. But I am hopeful that this course will help prepare me and give me more confidence to get up and teach in front of a classroom.