Host a Language Ambassador
Language Ambassadors Enrich the Learning Experience
Language ambassadors are a vital part of our language immersion program at LILA. They are interns from Spanish- and Chinese-speaking countries who assist our teachers in the classroom, and provide language and culture models for our students. They are considered teaching assistants, and they help maintain a low student to teacher ratio at LILA. They work with individual students, small groups, or supervise activities of the large group, allowing the teacher to give more attention to students who need more help or more challenge. Ambassadors are are typically assigned to Lower School classrooms, but they may assist on occasion at Upper School.
Language ambassadors bring their own languages and cultures to life by engaging and motivating students, leaving them with new confidence in their ability to communicate across borders. Having ambassadors in the classrooms also gives students the opportunity to hear authentic target-language conversation between the ambassador and the teacher, rather than only between learners or between the teacher and students. It's a proven program for enhancing the educational experiences of LILA students and staff, the host families, and the language ambassadors.
Hosting a Language Ambassador
Host families come in all shapes and sizes. They serve as a language ambassador’s substitute family for half the school year. They provide room and board - a private bedroom, shared bathroom, and meals - and are encouraged to involve ambassadors in social, cultural or family events. Host families are not required to cover any other expenses - ambassadors bring their own spending money. They provide care, moral support, and basic needs to a language ambassador as if they were a member of the family. Host families also provide transportation to and from LILA each day. Transportation assistance can sometimes be arranged if this is a barrier to hosting. Host families receive a $1,000 stipend at the end of their hosting period. We recognize that this stipend will not cover all costs incurred by families in the course of hosting for five months, but we hope that it defrays the cost enough so that more families can participate in hosting.
Interested in becoming a host family? Fill out the Host Family Application today!
**We are currently in need of host families for Fall 2023! **
DID YOU KNOW?
The Language Ambassadors Program at LILA is supported and funded by the Lakes International PTO, which is funded by parents.
Meet LILA's 2023-2024 Language Ambassadors
Maria
Hello! My name is María, I am 22 years old. I have recently graduated as a primary school teacher, specializing in teaching English as a Foreign Language. I live in a small town in Spain called Teruel, which is close to Zaragoza and Valencia. I love traveling and spent a year abroad in the UK studying at an English University. I am really excited to start my journey in the United States and in this school, since I believe it is a unique opportunity to learn new things that will be very useful later on in my teaching career. I like doing lots of different things, especially things related to arts and music. I enjoy playing the guitar, and the piano, listening to music, painting, and drawing, going out with my friends, and trying new things. I also like cooking and enjoy cooking for my friends. I love spending time outside, going on walks, shopping or just sharing a meal with friends. In Minnesota I would love to learn ice skating.
Andrés
Hello! My name is Andrés Palacios. I am 24 years old, studying to become an English teacher at Universidad de Guayaquil (UG). I live in Santa Elena. It is a beautiful city that has a lot of beaches and it is located in Ecuador. I’m excited to pursue my passion for teaching and inspire students to embrace the English language. My current hobbies include exercising at the gym and studying languages. I’m eager to share the rich traditions, delicious cuisine, and natural beauty of my country with others. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of LILA and to contribute to the vibrant language community here. I look forward to sharing my passion, knowledge, and experiences with the students and being a positive influence in their language journey. While in Minnesota, I would love to visit some parks and lakes, and I would like to go hiking, and do other recreational activities such as fishing and boating.
Anna
Hello! My name is Anna. I'm 21 years old and I'm from Badalona, a city very close to Barcelona. I am a primary school teacher, and I am sure that this experience will enrich me personally and professionally. I am a friendly, open-minded, hard-working, and easy-going person. I like reading, watching series and going to the theatre. I like spending time with my family and friends and making different plans with them. I also enjoy traveling and getting to know new places. I like playing board games with the people I love and going to the beach or to the mountains. In my free time I am a scout group leader together with other scout leaders. I love the beach, but I'm sure I'm going to love the snow in Minnesota. I am excited and grateful to be able to experience living in Forest Lake and discover new places!
Elena
Hello! My name is Elena Batalla. I am 21 and I am from Sant Fost de Campsentelles, a small town near Barcelona. I live with my parents, my older brother and my dog. This year I have finished my Elementary School Degree in Ramon Llull University, which will allow me to become a teacher this year! I am a very outgoing and friendly person. I enjoy traveling, exercising, hiking with my dog, watercolor painting, reading, and spending time with my friends. I also love board games, watching TV shows and spending time with my loved ones. I am very excited to be able to join this awesome experience and to get to know great people here in Minnesota. I have never been to this state before so I can't wait to find out what's next for me!
Cristina
Hello, my name is Cristina Ramos. I am 23 years old, and I am from San Fernando, Morazán, El Salvador. San Fernando is a beautiful town surrounded by lots of vegetation, culture and landscapes where you can find beautiful waterfalls. I am currently in my last year at the University of El Salvador (UES), and I am studying modern languages with a major in English and French. I am very excited to be part of LILA's host ambassadors, to share my culture and meet new people. I am a very sociable person who loves to travel to learn different cultures, and I am always willing to learn new things. I also love to make new friends, watch series, go for walks, take videos of the landscapes, read, play soccer with my brother, draw, go swimming, and go for walks. I am excited to see the places that represent Minnesota, for example going to the lake to fish, experience playing in the snow, and go skiing. During the spring I would like to see the garden bloom. I would also like to go biking and visit parks with my host family. All of this is exciting to me because these are seasons that are not in my country. I am very grateful to be part of this great opportunity; in which I know I will learn many things that I will be able to put into practice in El Salvador. It will be a real pleasure for me to represent the culture of El Salvador and learn about your culture as well.
Josseline
Hello, my name is Josseline Torres, I am 24 years old, and I am from San Salvador, El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America. I am a student enrolled in B.A. in English. I like to spend time with my family and friends. Also, I like to learn about other cultures, try new things, listen to music, watch movies and series. I love pets. I also enjoy reading, doing puzzles, or trying a new recipe. Sometimes I try to sew with a sewing machine and make shorts for my nephew and listen to music. In Minnesota I would like to ski, learn to ice fish, or make a snowman, as these are things I cannot do in El Salvador. Also, I would like to get to know the city, visit theaters or places where you can appreciate the beauty of Minnesota and be part of its traditions. I would love to share a little bit about my country and its culture. I consider myself as a collaborative and friendly person and I am really happy and lucky to have this experience.
Liu Ting (Lisa)
Hello! My name is Liu Ting. My English name is Lisa. I am 25 years old and I come from Jiangsu province, China. I live in a small town near the center of the city. I am pursuing my postgraduate degree. I hope to be an English teacher after graduating. I am outgoing and like to travel. During traveling, I could see something new in the world and be more open to the world and I enjoy being close to nature. Being a teacher will help me to meet different people and make more friends. I look forward to teaching about my culture and learning about other cultures. I like sports such as cycling, canoeing and ball games such as ping pong, badminton, and basketball. Sometimes I skateboard. I enjoy music and watching films. I like the arts and visiting museums. I try to challenge myself which will help me grow. While in Minnesota I’d like to go canoeing, play on the beach, see the Northern Lights, forests, and also try skiing. I am really excited about this experience and I hope that we will have unforgettable memories!
Bingquan Zhao (Raymond)
Hello everyone! My name is Bingquan Zhao, you can also call me Raymond. I come from Anhui province, which is located in eastern China. This is the first year of my master's degree in teaching Chinese as a Second Language at Jilin Normal university. I like traveling, doing exercise, reading, and playing basketball. I want to explore more places in America and experience many new things here as well.
Hou Yanhang (Michael)
Hi! My name is Hou Yanhang, you can also call me Michael. I am 25 years old and come from Jilin province in China. I am a postgraduate student of Jilin Normal University. I like to spend time with my friends and meet new people. I love traveling, cooking, playing basketball, watching NBA games, and taking photos. I consider myself a friendly and sincere person. This will be my first experience going abroad and I am sure I will have a lot of great new experiences in Minnesota.
Bryan
Hello everyone! My name is Bryan Antonio Flores Lemus. I am 23 years old and I am from San Miguel, El Salvador. I study a bachelor's degree in English at Gerardo Barrios University. It’s an honor for me to be a Spanish language ambassador in Lakes International Language Academy. I love teaching languages and that’s why I know this will be a meaningful experience. I really enjoy learning about history, practicing sports and visiting natural places. In addition, I love to participate in volunteer work since I like to help other people. I love practicing soccer (I play it almost everyday with friends), basketball, cycling, any sport in general. I also like to play videogames and listen to music. While in Minnesota I would like to ski, hike, bike, and visit stadiums, natural parks, museums and art galleries. I like pets, and in fact I have three dogs here in El Salvador. I look forward to sharing with you all about the Spanish language and the interesting Salvadoran culture. I am excited to learn about American culture as well.
Jairo Arevalo (Gabriel)
Hello! My name is Jairo Arevalo, you can also call me by my middle name Gabriel. I am 25 years old. I am from Usulután, El Salvador and I am studying for a bachelor’s degree in English at Universidad Gerardo Barrios. I am excited to start with this experience in the United States and at LILA. I am grateful to have this unique opportunity to share my knowledge and language, and learn new things that will be useful in my future as a language teacher. I like to meet new people and make new friends. I consider myself a friendly, easy-going and helpful person since I like to help others and try to maintain a positive attitude in all situations. I like to play the guitar, to make drawings, paint on canvas, watch Marvel and Disney movies, and I enjoy reading books and novels. I like to play soccer and go cycling. I love to visit new places and take pictures of them. While in Minnesota some things I would like to try include skiing or snowboarding and watching a Vikings game.
Li Meiyu
Hello, I come from Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, which is located in the northeast of China. I would describe myself as a kind, helpful, and optimistic person. I like to go to different places and see new scenery. I love playing the piano, traveling, listening to pop music, and building with Legos. I haven’t been to another country before, and I am really looking forward to the experience in Minnesota and at LILA. While in Minnesota, I look forward to the lake and skiing. I think it will be a wonderful time to remember.
