Hi! My name is Josué Chacón, and I am this year’s English teaching assistant at BORG Perg.
A little bit about myself: I am a 25-year-old German teacher from Chambersburg, PA, a small town similar in size to Perg. Not only is it similar in size, but we also have lots of farmland surrounding the town. Tractors drive up and down the road, just like they do around here, so it feels a bit like home!
Both of my parents were born and raised in Guatemala and immigrated to the US, where they had me. As a result, I grew up bilingual, speaking Spanish at home and English at school, but you may be wondering, when did I learn German? I first gained an interest in German when my older sister started taking it in high school. She would come home and teach me colors and numbers in German, but I was always eager to learn more. As a result, I signed up for German 1 my freshman year of high school. This was in 2014, and I’ve been learning German ever since. During my high school years, I learned the foundations of the language thanks to my wonderful teacher Herr Unruh, and I also visited Europe for the first time as part of an exchange program to Waldkraiburg, Germany. This trip made me realize that I wanted to live in Europe one day, and I wanted to become fluent in German. I continued learning German once I began studying at Swarthmore College, and I actually declared myself a German Studies and Engineering double major, but that quickly changed. After 3 semesters of engineering classes, I realized it was not for me, but in my third semester of college, I also took an education course. This course helped me discover my passion for teaching and learning, so I switched from engineering to educational studies, and I combined this new passion with my love for German. That’s how I decided to become a German teacher. As part of my preparation to become a German teacher, I spent the summer of 2022 in Heidelberg, Germany, at a language school, and I spent the summer semester of 2023 studying abroad in Munich, Germany. Both of these experiences helped me to elevate my language skills. Then in the fall of 2023, I focused on strengthening my teaching skills by completing my student teaching in middle school and high school German classes. In May 2024, I graduated from Swarthmore College with a bachelor’s degree in German Studies and Educational Studies, ready to work as a teacher in the US. But deep down, I knew I still wanted to live in Europe, so I decided to apply to be an English teaching assistant in Austria. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine my German and teaching skills while fulfilling my dream of living in Europe, and I am pleased to say this experience has exceeded my expectations. I am loving Austria, the schools I work at, and the students I work with!
A few other things about me: I am a huge sports fan! I love both football and American football, and I’m a Real Madrid fan, an Everton fan, and a Philadelphia Eagles fan. I also love to bowl in my free time and go to the gym. Whenever I can, I also love to travel and discover new places, so please feel free to give me some travel recommendations when you see me!
I want to thank the students and the teachers for the warm welcome they’ve given me, and I’m excited to see what this year has in store for us!
