UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES

FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Y EDUCACIN

ESCUELA DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS

INFORME DE PASANTA
EN EL CENTRO VENEZOLANO AMERICANO DE MRIDA
- CEVAM -

YAKARY DEL VALLE GONZLEZ BARRIOS.

MRIDA - OCTUBRE, 2011.

 UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES
FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Y EDUCACIN
ESCUELA DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS

INTERNSHIP REPORT
AT CENTRO VENEZOLANO AMERICANO DE MRIDA
- CEVAM -

YAKARY DEL VALLE GONZLEZ BARRIOS.

MRIDA - OCTUBRE, 2011.

 UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES
FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Y EDUCACIN
ESCUELA DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS

INTERNSHIP REPORT
AT CENTRO VENEZOLANO AMERICANO DE MRIDA
- CEVAM -

Informe final de pasantas presentado por la Br. Yakary del Valle Gonzlez
Barrios como requisito parcial para optar al ttulo de Licenciado en Idiomas
Modernos
Nombre y apellido: Yakary del Valle Gonzlez Barrios.
Cdula de identidad: 14.699.020
Carrera: Licenciatura en Idiomas Modernos
Tutor acadmico: Prof. Anderzon Medina
Ttulo del informe: Internship Report at Centro Venezolano Americano de
Mrida
- CEVAM -
Identificacin de la institucin sede:
- Organismo: Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida (CEVAM)
- Departamento o Unidad: Departamento Acadmico
- Direccin: Prolongacin Av. 2 Lora. Esquina calle 43 # 1-55.
Urbanizacin El Encanto. Mrida Venezuela.
Nombre y apellido del responsable institucional: Michelle Lee y A. J. M.
de Jauregui.
Cargo: Directora Ejecutiva y Coordinadora Acadmica, respectivamente.
Duracin de las pasantas: 14 semanas
- Fecha de inicio: 02 de febrero de 2011
- Fecha de finalizacin: 07 de mayo de 2011
 Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Profile of the Host Institution 3

Organizational Chart .. 6

Nature of the Internship 7

Reflection Essay 9

Conclusions ... 19

Recommendations 20

References .... 21

Appendix 23
 Appendix Index

CEVAM Institute . 23

Database 24

Information addressed to students and professionals 26

Publications on Facebook .. 27

Publications on Twitter .. 28

Convention Promotions . 29
 Introduction

Learning English today is a goal of many people in our country.

However, this goal has been dissipating due to economic reasons, lack of

time and motivation. On the other hand, there are people who see it as a

necessity or a tool to be better at their jobs. There are others who see it as an

obligation, especially in high school. In addition to this, there is a clich which

says that English is the universal language par excellence. However, in my

view, nowadays learning English is very useful not only to get a better job or

to travel around the world, but it also has wonderful effects on health. That is,

when a person learns a second language, he or she improves his or her

memory and concentration. In any case, it is necessary to take into account

that learning English requires effort and dedication.

In Mrida, there are several institutions where people can learn this

language. One of them being the Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida,

CEVAM, an institution that not only offers English courses, but that also

prepares its students providing them with the necessary tools to achieve a

comprehensive learning at a professional level. The following report deals

with my work placement experience as an intern at CEVAM, between

February and May, 2011.

1
 I found referent through two modern languages students who were

concluding their internship in this institution. They needed someone else to

continue a project they had begun which is called Teachers for Teachers. It

has as a fundamental aim to give primary and high school English teachers,

who work in Mrida city, tools for their improvement in the teaching of English

to children and adolescents.

I thought it was amazing, because I would do social work and I would

also put into practice the knowledge acquired in recent years as a student of

Modern Languages at the University of Los Andes. This was a symbiosis, I

helped the institution achieve its goal and they gave me an opportunity to do

this work fulfilling the requirement of an internship and then get my long-

awaited diploma.

The first part of this report describes in detail CEVAM creation and the

way this institution works. This is followed by a description of my work and

different activities I was assigned. My reflection essay follows, which

describes my personal experience as an assistant and the different

challenges and rewards that came with the job. Finally, in the last part, I give

the conclusions regarding this experience, followed by my recommendations

to the CEVAM and to the School of Modern Languages.

2
 Profile of the Host Institution

Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida

In Venezuela there are several binational centers, which one of them is

called The Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida, CEVAM, it is located in

Mrida, Venezuela. It was founded in 1992 from an association formed two

years before by Americans and Venezuelans who gathered to commemorate

the Patriotic Holidays of the United States. Nowadays, CEVAM is a private

non-profit organization which is dedicated to promoting friendship and

understanding between U.S. and Venezuelan people through social, cultural,

and educational activities.

This is a small institution which has as a purpose, not only teaching

English, but it is also responsible to train teachers with the latest techniques

in language teaching in both English and Spanish. The institution promotes

concerts, art exhibitions and conferences; thus helping to promote the

cultures of the United States and Venezuela, with the aim to obtain better

relationships between both nations. In addition, the CEVAM provides all the

necessary information for people who want to study in the United States.

The Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida works as a student

counseling center and it is affiliated with an international network of

international consultants. CEVAM gives information about educational

3
opportunities in the United States to people who are interested. It offers

advice in student exchange programs, English courses, undergraduate and

postgraduate courses in the United States in any area of study.

Education USA-CEVAM provides personalized or in group advice in the

areas of:

Opportunities to study in the United States.

Selection of study programs.

Guide of financial aid and scholarships.

How to apply for the necessary tests.

Information about visa application.

Information about exchange students.

Training for exams and writing proposals such as letters of introduction

and curriculum vitae.

The CEVAM offers English language courses to children, young

people and adults. The program course is divided into six levels, from

beginner to advanced level. Besides, this institution offers special courses

such as writing (technical and creative), conversational, reading, American

literature, preparation for the TOEFL and GRE, and technical English. The

courses combine oral communication with writing and reading practices.

Moreover, the CEVAM gives an opportunity to students to put into practice

4
the knowledge acquired in the classroom through its different cultural

activities.

Furthermore, the CEVAM provides four services to the community:

Testing Service: it administers TOEFL and GRE tests, which are

required for the admission to American Universities.

Library Service: it has a reference library with over six thousand

books in English available to its members and students. In addition,

it has a newspaper library with twenty years of American

magazines, this collection includes books specialized in American

culture, best sellers novels, English classics for children and

adults, among others. It is the largest library of books and

magazines in English in Merida.

Translation Service: The Centro Venezolano Americano de

Mrida has a translation and interpretation service where a group of

highly qualified professionals works.

Information services for U.S citizens: it is host to the consular

services for American citizens in Mrida. For instance, renewal

passports service, Social Security application, marriage and birth

certificates. In addition, the institute gives the forms of income taxes

to vote in elections in the United States and it provides all

necessary information for its citizens.

5
Finally, The CEVAM relies on with teachers who have all the

knowledge necessary to teach English and Spanish. This group of

professionals comes from many parts of the world.

6
Centro Venezolano Americano de Mrida, CEVAM

Organizational Chart

Nature of the Internship

7
 During my three months at the Centro Venezolano Americano de

Mrida, CEVAM, my work was varied. I performed a number of duties

which will be very useful in my professional future. My position at CEVAM

was as an assistant, I was like the right-hand woman of Michele Lee and

A. J. M. de Jauregui.

The main task was to continue a project called Teachers for

Teachers. As I mentioned previously, in the introduction, the fundamental

aim is to give primary and high school English teachers who work in

Mrida city, tools for their improvement in the teaching of English to

children and adolescents.

I visited about three or four schools (primary and high schools, both

public and private) daily. First of all, I met the Principals and then I met the

English teachers. I explained them clearly what the project involves. I

collected the necessary information, in particular teachers names, school

names, school addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. I

needed all this information to create a database.

After this data was collected, I sent teachers information, via e-mail,

about the next events, courses, scholarships, meetings, among others, for

example, Ventesols 34th Annual National Convention "Redefining

Today's ELT in Venezuela ", which was held in Maracaibo, May 2011; and

8
the 3rd International Conference for Teacher Training in Modern

Languages, Mrida, in June 2011. Besides, the former was promoted with

posters which were put on in strategic places in the city.

In addition to this, I managed to increase the numbers of fans on

Twitter and Facebook that this institute has. I had access to students

information and sent them their invitations. A few weeks later, I started to

publish information on the aforementioned social networks. It was about

English courses, educational opportunities; undergraduate and

postgraduate courses in any area of study, in the United States. As this

information was in English, another important task for me was to translate

from English into Spanish everyday, because not all the students have the

same level of English. It was necessary to publish any information in both

languages. Gradually, the feedback increased between the students and

the CEVAM. Now the students are up to date most of the time.

9
 Reflection Essay

A great day

Each experience is a learning process, and today when I finish this

time of my life I wonder what I learnt during my internship at CEVAM. I guess

it is normal that students simply want to fulfill this requirement, get the

certificate and immediately start making money. However, this goes beyond

that, it is more complex than that. We just have to live and discover the

importance, for a future professional in languages to have the opportunity to

acquire more tools during this practice, which will serve once we obtain a job

as graduates.

I think that the most important thing to consider, when students start an

internship is the fact that we be clear about what we are doing, what our

functions are and of course, we should receive the necessary guidance to

play a good role within an institution. It is at this point where, in my opinion,

the difficulty begins.

Students constantly complain about the lack of guidance from the

School of Modern Languages, because we are forced to find a place it fits the

professional profile of a graduate in Modern Languages. I think that it is the

School who should make the appropriate decisions to place their students in

10
the working world as interns. It should also establish institutional relations

according to our professional profile, labor market and study program.

After overcoming this small but important step, perhaps students can

think we do not have enough knowledge to cope in the new workplace.

However, the university teaches us and provides us with the necessary

knowledge that will serve as a tool in exercising our profession. I think the

problem here is that students simply need a bit of encouragement to feel

confident.

This encouragement should be in classrooms, where teachers can be

in front of a group of students with different ways of being, for instance shy,

outgoing, quiet, talkative, or those who have had opportunities to travel to

English speaking countries; the latter, show a more fluid English language,

thus overshadowing those whose cut themselves off for fear of being mocked

by the rest of the group.

Just at this point is where teachers should be careful not to exclude

any of their students. I think university professors should show greater

function, supporting, facilitating and guiding their students. As for the

internship, a periodic teacher physical presence in the institution would be a

support to the student, who would have a higher performance in the

internship and professionals more productive.

11
 Besides, it is very important students put into practice all the

knowledge acquired, we must practice the languages we are learning, it tends

to be quickly forgotten if is not used consistently. It is like a plant that

needs daily care to stand out in all its splendor.

The issue is not taking university studies and say I got a degree but

opening up to a great amount of information which is in front of us every day.

It is to understand that we can be a link between various communities in the

world simply because we can speak other languages. Moreover, we have to

be versatile individuals, that is, we have to know both the language and other

areas to achieve an effective communication.

It is important that we, as language professionals, ought to be able to

express significant ideas which contribute to the world positively and this will

be possible if we improve and keep up to date with everything in our

environment. The point is to analyze and provide solutions, be able to meet

any challenge which comes our way in the workplace.

The above aspects will affect student performance during an internship

and gradually, students become more familiar with the organization where we

are working. In my case, when I was at CEVAM the staff gave me all the

necessary support and guided me to obtain good results in every activity.

12
This is only possible when the work is done in teams, when there is

coordination, good communication and an interest in achieving a goal.

I think that this kind of practice, besides preparing the students as

future graduates, it also make us think and analyze different situations during

the process. In particular, I was constantly doubtful, I was wondering if I was

actually making activities related to my studies. Finally, realize I was right.

Every activity perfectly fitted.

Based on the professional profile and the occupational field of a

Modern Languages graduate, I see how each activity at CEVAM was

completely bond to the career. The idea was to facilitate cultural, scientific

and trade relations between national and international people or

organizations. This is precisely done at CEVAM in a regional level.

As an intern in the CEVAM,

I served as a link between the institute and different schools in the

State.

I contributed to the establishment of bonds of understanding and

respect among various institutions.

I facilitated, established and maintained effective communication, both

oral and written, between the institutions involve in each project.

13
 I checked promotional and informational materials about the various

activities that took place there.

I took part in the organization and logistics of various events. (See

nature of the internship above).

These activities were carried out following every one of guidelines from

the coordinator and the director of CEVAM. I was unaware of my role in the

internship at that time, although I was developing as a graduate from the

School, then I felt that I was working as a professional, and this gave me the

opportunity to visualize my future in various organizations without fear of

failure. In addition to this, my performance received a great reception, filling

me with pride and satisfaction.

Every workshop which was organized had good attendance, achieving in

this way our goal, to give tools to English teachers, to implement them in

classrooms and achieve an optimization of English teaching in children and

teenagers. However, I sometimes felt there was apathy on the part of these

teachers, who were invited to participate in many activities such as

workshops or apply for scholarships and never responded to our invitations.

It is unfortunate how some primary schools and high schools teachers,

who are graduates of our Schools of Modern Languages, reject many

opportunities which are constantly offered by different institutions, both public

14
and private. It is as if there was no interest to continue to grow as

professionals. Apparently they do not realize that after acquiring the diploma

the real learning process begins.

It is incredible that most graduates of the School are teaching in

elementary or secondary schools. I think we are not trained for this. However,

I do not blame them; they surely think that any opportunity is good; I say this

because of the few job opportunities a modern language graduate finds in our

country.

On the other hand, I do not justify that they do not want to continue

learning; I think that young students, from schools of high schools, should

receive the best teaching and it will only be possible if they are under the

guidance of excellent teachers. These young people need to acquire all the

necessary tools for learning languages. After this is done, our country will

have a better academic level and young students will have the opportunity to

perform as future bilingual professionals.

Once you get your university degree, you expect a better life quality.

However, it is almost impossible, especially for graduates of our School

because we are educated for specific activities which are difficult to carry out

in our country or even more difficult in our city.

15
 During my studies at the university, my professional option was

International Organizations; I took subjects such as American Foreign Policy,

Dynamics of Organizations (Humans Rights), International Relations, and

finally International Organizations. A lot of great interesting topics, and you

imagine you will get a job abroad, serving as a bond to strengthen relations

between nations and/or organizations, solving some problems of

communication, or helping countries in extreme poverty with any non-

governmental organization, educating communities or something like that.

Unfortunately this just a dream, reality is different. When you are looking

for a new job where you need certain academic level, you realize that job

vacancies are almost nonexistent for graduates of the School of Modern

Languages in Venezuela, unless you want to teach and in order to do that

you need a teaching certificate which takes about two years, and this time

could be spent in a graduate course more alike to the interest of the new

professional.

An additional point that should be taken into account, is the set number of

hours which are demanded by the School during the internship. I think there

should be a little more flexibility, depending on the type of activity carried out,

performance of students, numbers of tasks achieved by the students, finally

whether it is necessary or not for the students to fulfill office hours (8 hours).

16
 During my internship, I was deeply concern about the 420 statutory hours.

The infrastructure of the institution is not the most appropriated, since there is

no room or equipment for the intern to be active for 8 hours a day within the

institute. As a mentioned previously, this was a job where effective

communication was maintained between various institutions, which was

possible visiting schools in the state daily. I think that was a laborious job,

plus this meant that I needed flexible hours to carry out my activities.

It is important to highlight, whether or not the five years length of our

university program is adequate. Besides, I wonder if all the knowledge

acquired during schooling is closely related to the functions that the students

have as graduates in Modern Languages in the different institutions where we

can practice our profession.

I think five years s a long time. In my view, the occupational field is quite

limited and therefore poorly paid. For instance, I can regularly see bilingual

people, without university education, they can work without any problem as a

translator or interpreter, and they have no knowledge about different cultures

or understanding how non-governmental organizations work, or whether in

Easter countries Human Rights are respected or not.

It would be very interesting to take this career in four years. Besides, I

think the University would need to open new courses for Masters and PhD

17
addressed to modern languages graduates with the aim of provide more and

better tools in order to achieve a better-quality performance in our profession.

As is happening in some European universities.

The result would be:

Capable graduates in less time

More opportunities for specializations

Increased job opportunities

Graduates would have higher incomes, thus providing a better

quality of life

It could have more agreements with others universities, both

national and international; among others.

I do not want to say hat he school does not work, I just wonder why, if an

engineer and a graduate in modern language, for instance, spend the same

time in their programs, there is such a big difference in status, income and the

occupational field. I do not know if it is simply the wrong approach or our

country is not appreciating the potential of its professionals.

I think the School should do some changes in its study plan, it would

interesting if we were trained to work as translators, to have knowledge of

international organizations and research. I never received any guidance to

make a translation, and during the internship that was a weakness for my

18
performance. However, I think I did a good job. Maybe I was lucky. If this

change were possible, I think the result would be a strengthened

professional, ready to face this competitive and changing world of the 21 st

century.

I do not have any idea if these change or others are possible, I think the

School is very young and needs to do some adjustments. In addition, I

believe change is evolution, I feel the School should grow up to the benefit of

everybody. I hope my suggestion be taken into account by the authorities

who have the power to make this change occur or at least they consider and

study this problem in order to solve it.

Although this process of internship took about three months, it leaves me

a great experience in my life. It was great for me to be in the right place, at

the right time and with the right people. I say this because when I began my

internship I had no idea of my personal and professional growth. Otherwise, I

might have gone through this without difficulty and of course, I would not have

learned anything.

CEVAM left me its doors open; besides, they allowed me to fulfill with the

requirement of the internship. It was an honor for me to share with these

people. Also they showed me that there are people who want to make this

19
world a better place, and finally, we can help all those people in need without

expecting anything in return.

I think this is the best of my professional option; I can help people in need,

especially women and children through international organizations. I had no

idea about what was really happening in the world, I was asleep apparently,

but studying Modern Language and this professional option has made me

aware, this allowed me to know realities, especially of developing countries.

Moreover, I could know laws which protect defenseless and low-income

people. It was wonderful to have access to this knowledge.

In addition, I think that although the country is going through a never-

ending crisis, there are many people who are still getting trained and studying

everyday to help Venezuela have excellent professionals; I think it is not

quantity but quality, and this is what our University does, it trains students that

make our country a better place to live.

All these reflections are not achieved overnight, they are experiences

which have influenced me for life. I can not imagine what fate has in store for

me, I hope I will have great opportunities from now on. I am just beginning a

great time in my life, I think this is the first step and I still have a long way to

go. I guess today an adventure begins for me.

20
 Today, I realize that our university has excellent professionals who devote

their life to teaching, they were a great encouragement for me. Today, I see

the importance to be persevering in language learning. Today, my goals are

clearer. Today, I feel I can do everything that I set to. Today, I am one step

from acquiring my college degree and I am proud of it. Today is a great day.

21
 Conclusions

Considering the reflections presented in the previous section, there are some

important aspects to highlight:

At the moment of the internship, Modern Languages Students do not

know the connection between the knowledge acquired during their

university studies and the most appropriate institution to apply that

knowledge.

There seems to be difficulties to relate the objectives of Modern

Language study plan at ULA, the professional profile, the objectives of

the internship, and where students will fit as university graduates in the

future.

There are some necessary changes such as career length, subject

content, among others, which should be taken into account by the

School to benefit graduates, the University and the country.

The University of the Andes together with CEVAM provide tools not

only students but also Modern Languages Professionals with the aim

to maximize the professional profile.

22
 Recommendations

Based on the conclusions, I can not overlook some recommendations which I

hope will be considered to benefit our School and its students:

The School of Modern Languages should develop abilities and skills in

its students which would allow us to visualize connections between our

knowledge and adequate institutions to internships, from the beginning

of the career.

Our School should review its study plan and professional profile so that

a graduate can be a useful tool in this society.

The School of Modern Languages and CEVAM should continue this

internship program so that in the future, other students can fulfill this

requirement and what is more they can have a great life experience.

23
 Appendix

CEVAM Institute

24
Database

25
26
Information addressed to students and professionals

27
Publications on Facebook

28
Publications on Twitter

29
Convention Promotions

30