Competencies & e-portfolio

My e-portfolio for my home university would be based on this question: What kind of personal growth I have gone through during my stay on Erasmus in Linz?

In terms of educational growth I got the chance to develop my teaching competencies because we were allowed to undertake a school teaching practice at the primary school in Linz. This practice lasted for more than three months and we could familiarise ourselves not only with the local school environment, but also we were teaching in local classes. Because of the fact that we were mostly doing team-teaching, I could try out this way of teaching for the first time in my life. This experience enabled me to develop my teaching skills in terms of preparation and organization of the lesson, understanding various needs of the students and setting goals and expectations.

Apart from developing myself as a teacher-trainee, I could also develop as a student. The studies at a foreign university require a high degree of adaptation and inquiry. I familiarised myself with the Austrian system of education and with the life at the university. Thanks to the diverse study plan I could learn more about CLIL lessons, broaden my knowledge of German literature, come to know more about the contemporary trends in learning and teaching and in intercultural studies.

In terms of personal growth I experienced the life of a student abroad which is based on one's own responsibility and independence. This brings also the deepening of one's self-awareness and self-knowledge. Throughout my whole stay I could prove my talents and gain more self-confidence.

In terms of social growth I came in touch with a great number of people from different countries, with their languages, cultures and customs. It brought more openess and new perspectives into my life. I also realized the importance of one's culture and its influence on life. 

In terms of language competencies I could develop my English and German and thanks to my Erasmus friends I could learn a few words from various other languages. I realized how important English language is because it was always a very helpful tool for communication with non-native speakers. I also became aware of the fact that language is interconnected with one's thinking and personality.