Megan Bloem was a 2021 English Teaching Assistant (ETA) at University of Madeira, an island off the coast of Portugal. During her time there, Megan taught advanced English classes such as “English for Science and Technology.” The course featured learning English through modern science topics ranging from climate change, to AI.
“The students were so mature and easy to work with,” Megan said. “It was very challenging in the beginning to adapt and figure everything out, but it ultimately was really helpful for me.”
At U-M, Megan majored in Spanish and took one year of Portuguese to prepare herself for her trip. In Portugal, she founded a Conversation Circle at the school, allowing students to find a safe space to practice their English together.
Before her Fulbright scholarship, Megan had completed a teaching internship in Portugal a few years prior. She said that as soon as she finished her first trip, she was sure that she wanted to go back.
“I always knew I was interested in going abroad and working with people from different cultures,” Megan said. “This program gave me the chance to be more immersed than I ever have been. I learned a lot about myself too in the process.”
Megan also said she really enjoyed meeting fellow Fulbrighters in Portugal at the start of the program and learning how their diverse paths led them there.
Megan Bloem was a 2021 English Teaching Assistant (ETA) at University of Madeira, an island off the coast of Portugal. During her time there, Megan taught advanced English classes such as “English for Science and Technology.” The course featured learning English through modern science topics ranging from climate change, to AI.
“The students were so mature and easy to work with,” Megan said. “It was very challenging in the beginning to adapt and figure everything out, but it ultimately was really helpful for me.”
At U-M, Megan majored in Spanish and took one year of Portuguese to prepare herself for her trip. In Portugal, she founded a Conversation Circle at the school, allowing students to find a safe space to practice their English together.
Before her Fulbright scholarship, Megan had completed a teaching internship in Portugal a few years prior. She said that as soon as she finished her first trip, she was sure that she wanted to go back.
“I always knew I was interested in going abroad and working with people from different cultures,” Megan said. “This program gave me the chance to be more immersed than I ever have been. I learned a lot about myself too in the process.”
Megan also said she really enjoyed meeting fellow Fulbrighters in Portugal at the start of the program and learning how their diverse paths led them there.
