Steve's sandbox

Author: Steve Evans

  • John Daniel: 我在上海还没到一个月！I haven’t been in Shanghai even a month! July 2024

    上海外滩的景色 The view from Shanghai Bund

    我在上海还没到半个月，不过这段时期的经历又丰富又复杂。

    中国认可工党的成功吗？China approving of the labour party’s success?
    (I am joking, its a hero’s memorial I just happened to visit on the day the UK elected Starmer)

    今天我在上课的时候接受了个电话。因为我以前错过了几次他们给我的电话，当时终于地注意到他们在给我打着电话，所以我马上接起了电话。是警察！ 幸亏，他们只要肯定是否我有没有在派出所填好境外人员住宿登记表。这篇登记表的目的在于保障所有住在上海的外国人都在一个名单。要是不好的事儿发生，政府可以容易地跟他们交流。 此外，这篇也是得到居留证的要求之一。

    得到居留证真是个不容易做好的事儿。我在这个路上已经遭遇许多白跑一趟。不过我在慢慢适应这里官僚的重视。我还有几个要求该满足才能得到居留证，不过我大学的国际学生办公室在努力工作帮助我。

    我觉得我的中文水平在日益提高！除了跟我的同学们说中文以外，我还在认识到许多中国人。 周一晚上我跟三个中国人出去吃晚饭。我们吃饭后去了一个著名的酒吧叫Sober Company。 以前这个酒吧在亚洲最好50酒吧的排行榜上。我们在那儿继续玩儿，整个晚上都是用中文沟通 – 一共5个小时。 我们快要回家之前，我头开始痛。 我没想到我会在这样的环境还活下去！ 我以为在这样自然的环境只说中文会让我觉得有点儿尴尬，但是他们大部分听懂了我的意思，我5成左右听懂了他们的话！

    我小区的一个大楼，很酷. A cool building in my neighbourhood

    我下个月必须做的事情很多。包括我入学之前的三个课程：会计、程序设计、统计数学。我猜这下几个月会非常的忙碌。我很期待。

    I haven’t yet been in Shanghai a month, but the experience in this short time has been wonderful and complicated.

    从农村来的中国人很少有机会认识到外国人。在上海看到从国内来旅行的人请外国人拍照是很常见的. 三个孩子请我拍照。
    People from the countryside in China have few opportunities to meet foreigners. It is very common to see people from the inner country travelling in Shanghai and asking foreigners for photos. Three kids asked me for a photo.

    Today when I was in class I received a phone call. Because I had missed their calls a couple of times before, finally noticing them calling me then,  I immediately picked up. It was the police! Fortunately, they were only wanting to confirm whether or not I had filled our the foreigners accommodation registration form. This objective of this form is to ensure that all the foreigners living in Shanghai are on a list. If anything bad happens, the government can easily communicate with them. Besides, this is also one of the requirements for getting the resident card.

    Getting a resident card is not an easy thing to do. I have already been on many wild goose chases. But I am slowly getting used to the love for bureaucracy here. I still have a few requirements I need to fill before I can get my resident card, but the international student office is working hard to help me.

    I think my Chinese level is getting higher each day! Other than speaking Chinese with my classmates, I am also getting to know many Chinese people. On Monday night I went out for dinner with 3 Chinese

    这些人都是我的同学们。 因为我们都来自不同国家，我们为一个共同语言是中文！再加上我们是高级班的学生，所以我们更好只说中文吧！
    These are my classmates. Because we all come from different countries, our only common language is Chinese. Furthermore, because we are all in the top set, its better we just speak Chinese right!

    people. After eating, we went to a famous bar called  Sober Company. The bar

    我跟三个新的中国朋友。 在 Sober Company
    Me and 3 new Chinese friends. At Sober Company

    used to be on the list of Asia’s Top 50 Bars. We continued to hang out there, and the whole evening we spoke Chinese to communicate – a total of 5 hours. Just as we were about to head home, my head started hurting. I never thought I would survive in this kind of environment. I thought that in this kind of natural speaking environment, only speaking Chinese would make me feel a little awkward, but they mostly understood me and I understood about  50% of what they were saying!

    In the next month I have many things I must do. Including the 3 pre-admission courses: accounting, programming, and statistics. I guess the next few months are very busy. I am looking forward to it.

    我跟两位中国学生住在第四楼。
    一位是我硕士第二年级的
    第二位是经济硕士二年级的。
    I live on the fourth floor with two chinese students.
    One student is in the second year of my masters programme.
    The other student is in his second year of economics masters.
    我大学最著名的大楼 My University’s most famous building
    我的课都在里面进行！
    My classes are all held inside
    这两个女生是我在上海最喜欢的朋友们。 他们俩是一半中国人，一个是一半法国人，另外一个荷兰热人。他们的中文很流利！ 我们常常只说中文然后要是一个话题太复杂，用英文说明 These are two of my best friends in shanghai. They are both half Chinese, one is half french and the other is half dutch. Both of their chinese is really fluent. We often only speak chinese and if the topic is too complex then we use english to clarify.

  • Gus Freeman: Lisbon, Portugal – June 2024

    Estou no meu último mês em Lisboa e tem sido quente! Este último mês tem sido muitas coisas interessantes.

    O meu estágio nas câmaras de comércio Luso-britânica tem sido repleto de eventos emocionantes. Estive no Porto a ajudar em uma missão comercial de vinhos, onde recebemos muitos compradores do Reino Unido para virem provar muitos vinhos portugueses diferentes. Também tive a oportunidade de ir ao sul de Portugal, ao Algarve, onde organizámos um jantar de networking em um belo restaurante na praia. Também, na semana passada fomos convidados para uma celebração do Rei Charles III na casa dos Embaixadores Britânicos e a nossa empresa organizou a sua festa anual no Jardim de verão. Um mês incrível no trabalho, em que o meu português melhorou, mas também em que fiz alguns contactos muito interessantes.

    Consegui reservar algum tempo extra de trabalho após o jantar de networking no Algarve para tentar explorar mais um pouco de Portugal. Foi divertido e consegui ir ver as Bengali Caves e passar algum tempo na praia!! Também visitei alguns restaurantes de peixe fantásticos ao longo da costa sul entre Lagos e Faro.

    Com o ‘Euros’ a decorrer em Lisboa, consegui ir a um grande televisão no Bairro Alto para ver o jogo de Portugal com alguns amigos que fiz na Universidade Nova. Foi um jogo muito emocionante que foi para os penalties e senti realmente o amor que os pessoas português tem pelo futebol. Foi uma pena que perderam com a França no jogo seguinte

    Agora é a última parte da minha estadia em Portugal e estou a tentar aproveitar ao máximo as minhas últimas semanas.

    Moving into my last month in Lisbon and wow it has been hot! This last month has been full of some very exciting things.

    Bpcc summer party

    My internship at the British and Portuguese chambers of commerce has been full of exciting events. I have been in Porto helping run a wine trade mission where we hosted many UK buyers to come and taste many different Portuguese wines. I also got to go down to the south of Portugal, to the Algarve where we hosted a business networking dinner at a beautiful restaurant at the beach. If that was not enough, this last week we were also invited a celebration for King Charles III at the British Ambassadors house and our company hosted its annual Summer Garden party. An incredible month at work, in which I have had my Portuguese put to the test but also made some very exciting connections.

    A side from work, I managed to book some extra time of work after the networking dinner in the Algarve to try and do some more exploring of Portugal. This was fun and managed to go and see the Bengali caves and spend some time on the beach!! Got to also visit some amazing fish restaurants along the southern coastline between Lagos and Faro.

    There has been an exciting buzz around Lisbon with the Euros on, I managed to go to a big TV screening in Barrio Alto to watch Portugal’s last 16 game with some friends I have made from the university Nova. It was a very exciting game going down to penalties and I really felt the love that the Portuguese people have for football. A big shame that they could not get passed France in the Quarter Finals.

    Onto my last stretch of my time here in Portugal and trying to make the most of my last few weeks.

  • Case Study – Maisie Palmer, France – July 2024

    My time in France has allowed me to develop in so many ways, and I want to thank the John Speak Foundation bursary for playing a huge role in keeping me on top of my language-learning whilst studying my Master’s. The monthly blogs have kept me focused and allowed me to build my written language skills, especially when it came to expanding my vocabulary and being able to articulate my views on the key issues of our time in French. My check-ins with the Trustees allowed me to review areas for development and encouraged me to embed French into my extra-curricular activities. One of the highlights of my year was taking an architecture course in French which opened me up to a whole different range of arts-based vocabulary and gave me a weekly group immersion experience over the last 6 months. 

    I have been based in Paris since last August and living with a French room-mate (or “coloc” as we call it here in France!).

    As one of the key criteria of the scholarship is to cohabit with a native speakers, I can attest to how valuable it has been to have French embedded in my daily routine at home.

    This has really supported my everyday use of the language and my room-mate has been an excellent support when I have had questions about specific vocabulary or grammar. During this period, I am also fortunate enough to have worked in two French-speaking offices, which has really allowed me to understand how the language  is used in professional settings.

    I have also been lucky enough to visit several other French-speaking cities over the last 11 months; this included Bordeaux, Toulouse and Geneva.  It was important for me to experience different areas and visit regions where English is not commonly spoken. All three visits gave me a unique experience of French culture and exposed me to a range of accents which really tested my listening skills and adaptability beyond the more neutral Parisian accent with which I had become familiar.

    In August 2023, I arrived in France having studied formally up to level B1 level in the language. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages described this level of ability as being able “to maintain interaction and get across what you want to.” I am pleased to share that following my final assessments in my French language class, I am now studying at the more advanced C1 level which means I am an independent language-user and can express with a good level of fluency and spontaneity.

    In conclusion, my time in France, supported by the John Speak Foundation bursary, has been incredibly important to the development of my French language skills.

    The combination of academic study, practical application, and cultural immersion has given me the confidence to continue to pursue French at a high level in the coming years and use the language in a professional capacity. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing my French linguistic and cultural journey for years to come.



  • Amelia Walker: Case Study, Italy 2022

    I am writing this final entry to the John Speak Language Trust from Milan, Italy, two and a half years after I was first awarded the scholarship.

    Back in 2022, this foundation helped me to move from Sheffield to Florence in order to complete a yearlong Master’s degree in Fashion Design –this move changed the way my days have looked ever since.

    Looking back at this time is something incredibly special to me and I am grateful to have this opportunity to reflect on the fantastic impact that it has made.

    In Florence, I was able to study in a language that I was set on mastering, in an authentic environment where I could be fully immersed in Italian culture. Undergoing tutorials, presenting and justifying work at University is something that as a “creative” is always daunting. However, the satisfaction and confidence that came with doing this in Italian was overwhelming. In this way, I was exposed to diverse and contemporary ways of thinking about work, and I fully recognize today the profound effect that this had on my career.

    I was intimidated by the idea of interacting solely in Italian. Having worked in Italy some years previously, I was comfortable with technical language used in the studio (explaining technical drawings and asking for help when drafting pattern blocks or needing to borrow scissors). As a student completing an Internship, I was so focused on work that I invested little time on social interactions outside of the workplace or integrating myself within a working community. Yet my return to Italy was an entirely different story. I was inundated with support from the wonderful people that I met, encouraging me to immerse myself in the language and the lifestyle. Free time was spent cooking together, sharing ideas, exploring and travelling with newfound friends. We remain extremely close and are now scattered across Italy in various pursuits and areas of commerce.

    Coming from Sheffield and finding myself now working as a womenswear designer in one of fashion’s capital cities is a scenario that I hadn’t imagined possible for me. I come across very few British people in my field, even fewer from the North of England, and I believe that this gives me a unique insight and understanding of the Industry. Honing my skills and broadening my horizons by working and living in Italy has become a part of my identity and I am incredibly proud to be representing the Trust and my home Country on this stage

    I often look forward to returning home as being abroad has really helped me to understand what is special about the UK.

    However, for now I find myself completely immersed in the life built here in Italy. After much studying, I was awarded my Italian citizenship at the end of 2023 which continues to open doors for exciting possibilities across Europe.

    As I continue to be shaped both personally and professionally by these different cultures, I am proud to be recognised as a product of collaboration and support across borders.

    A huge thank you to The John Speak Language Trust for the encouragement and support in these endeavors! I am more than happy to talk with any other young professionals who are considering a similar course of action that have also sought the assistance of John Speak.

     

  • Maisie Palmer: Les élections européennes et que se passe-t-il en France ? June 2024

    Ça a fait une grande semaine pour les politiques européennes ! Le week-end dernier, les élections européennes ont eu lieu dans les 27 Etats membres d’Europe et le corps électoral n’a jamais été plus divisé. Pendant ces derniers mois, les médias avaient prévu que les partis d’extrême droite allaient faire les gros gains dans le parlement européen. Elles ne se sont pas trompées ! Au cours des dernières années, il a été bien noté qu’il y a eu une augmentation du soutien pour ce groupe politique vers le continent. Après les votes sont comptés, il est devenu évident que les prévisions étaient précises comme l’extrême droite a reçu les votes suffisants pour contrôler 131 sièges dans le parlement européen. Malgré cette victoire, le Parti populaire européen (PPE) de la centre droit reste fort avec la plupart du vote total. 

    Cependant, au sein du contexte régional, la situation s’est rapidement développée en France. Après les élections européens ont passées, le président de la France, Emmanuel Macron, a appelé pour la dissolution du parlement français et simultanément il a annoncé il y va être un élection parlementaire françaises bientôt. En fait, la raison pour sa décision est primairement parce que le parti Rassemblement nationale (RN) a devenu le plus grand groupe nationaliste dans le parlement europeen proche à 33 pour cent des votes françaises. Les élections françaises sont une réponse de Macron à l’agrandissement de la RN et elles pourraient rétablir ou déstabiliser son pouvoir. Les deux tours ont lieu le 30 juin et puis, le 7 juillet. Comme étudiante à Sciences Po, j’étais invitée par l’université à aider avec les activités locales pour préparer le vote pendant les semaines prochaines. J’espère participer et vous apporter mon expérience dans le prochain blog !

    That makes a big week for European politics! Last weekend, the European elections took place in the 27 member states of Europe and the electorate has never been more divided. During the last few months, the media has predicted that the parties of the extreme right were going to make big gains in the European parliament. They were not wrong! In recent years, it has been well noted that there is an increase in support for this political group  across the continent. After the votes were counted, it became evident that the predictions were accurate as the extreme right received enough votes to control 131 seats in the European parliament. In spite of this victory, the European People’s Party (EPP) of the centre-right stayed strong with the majority of the total vote. 

    However, within this regional context, the situation in France developed rapidly. After the European elections, president of France, Emmanuel Macron, called for the dissolution of the French parliament and simultaneously announced there was soon going to be a French parliamentary election. In fact, the reason for his decision is primarily because the party National Rally (NR) became the largest nationalist group in the European parliament with close to 33 percent of the french vote. The French elections are a response from Macron to the NR’s growth and they could reestablish or destabilise his power. The two rounds are taking place on the 30th June and then the 7th July. As a student at Sciences Po, I was invited by the university to help with local activities in preparation for the votes in the coming weeks. I hope to participate and bring my experience to you in my next blog!

  • Gus Freeman, Lisbon – June 2024

    Segundo mês em Lisboa!!

    As últimas 4 semanas têm sido espectaculares. Continuo a gostar muito do meu trabalho e tenho estado envolvido em alguns projectos muito interessantes, incluindo a organização de missões comerciais de vinho e ‘’networking events’’. O tempo em Lisboa tem estado fantástico e por isso os fins-de-semana vou à praia para aproveitar o sol. Cascais é uma praia muito bonito, mas a minha preferida é Carcavelas porque é um pouco mais perto e mais fácil de lá chegar. Também é menos pessoas.

    O mês de junho em Lisboa é uma altura muito excitante porque há muitas festas religiosas. No dia 12 de junho fui assistir ao grande desfile dos Casamentos de Santo António na Av. da Liberdade. Assistimos aos espectáculos e trajes ao mesmo tempo que nós comíamos sardinhas e bebíamos cerveja que era vendida nas casas das pessoas. Lisboa estava tão movimentada e as festas duravam toda a noite. Todas as regiões dentro e fora de Lisboa competem para ter o melhor traje, dança e ideias. Isto foi muito impressionante.

    Começo a jogar um pouco de rugby aqui, mas infelizmente parece que serão apenas algumas sessões de treino. No entanto, não deixa de ser agradável e uma boa forma de praticar o meu português. Em vez disso, estou jogando muito voleibol de praia com um grupo simpático de estudantes portugueses que conheci na praia.

    Estou muito entusiasmado com o próximo mês, porque vai começar o Euros de futebol, no qual vou torcer por Portugal e Cristian Ronaldo. Mas também tenho duas viagens marcadas. Vou a Sintra, que é uma vila nos arredores de Lisboa, e também uma viagem à região do Algarve, no sul de Portugal. Onde as praias são fantásticas e há óptimos locais para pescar.

    Month two in Lisbon!!

    The last 4 weeks have been amazing. I am still really enjoying my work and have been involved with some very exciting projects, including organising wine trade missions and networking events. The weather in Lisbon has been amazing, and so most weekends have made my way to the beach to enjoy the sun. Cascais is a beautiful beach, but my favourite is Carcavelas as it is a little bit closer and easier to get too. It is also less crowded.

    June in Lisbon is a very exciting time because they have a lot of religious festivals. On the 12th of June I went to watch the big parade for o Casamentos de Santo António on Av de Liberdade We watched the amazing performances and costumes whilst eating sardines and drinking beer that was being sold from peoples windows. Lisbon was so busy and the parties went on all through the night. Every village in and out of Lisbon competes to have the best costume, dance routine and ideas. This was very impressive.

    I did manage to start playing some rugby out here, but unfortunately it looks like it will only be a few training session as it is out of season. However still enjoyable and a good way to practice my Portuguese. Instead I have been playing a lot of beach volleyball with a nice group of Portuguese students who I met at the beach.

    I am very excited to for the next month as not only is the Euros starting, in which I will be cheering for Portugal. But also I have two trips booked. One to Sintra which is a village outside of Lisbon, and also a trip down to the Algarve region of Portugal down south. Where the beaches are amazing and there are very good fishing spots.

  • Cosmo de Bono – Final Month in Taiwan, June 2024

    在台灣最後一個月
    這是我在台灣的最後一個月。我從八月底就來了，所以我覺得我已經看到了這個國家的許多東西和文化。由於最近我沒有旅行，我想在這最後一份報告中談一談我對台灣美食的體驗。
    兩週前，我去參加了一個台灣烹飪課。我的一個朋友參加過這個烹飪課，向我推薦了它。我們做了雞湯麵、珍珠奶茶和小籠包。我收到了每個菜的食譜，可以帶回英國。課堂上的人大多數是日本遊客，也有一些台灣本地人。用我的語言技能討論美食真的很有趣，我還學到了一些有用的詞彙！
    這個月我還去了我在台灣去過的最奇怪的地方–一家以廁所為主題的餐廳。所有的椅子都是馬桶，每個菜都是在一個小馬桶上的。我在社交媒體上聽說過這家餐廳，覺得和同學一起去會是個有趣的地方。食物和服務都糟糕，但也許這就是廁所主題體驗的一部分？最有趣的是在小廁所裡吃巧克力冰淇淋……這樣的體驗真的很奇怪，但很難忘。離開台灣以後，我會懷念這麼奇怪的地方。
    昨晚，我和同學一起去了海底撈火鍋店。這是台灣一家很有名的火鍋店，不過價格不便宜，所以不能常去！雖然在台灣生活了近 10 個月，這還是我第一次去專業火鍋店。首先要選擇火鍋口味，然後用 iPad 點肉和蔬菜。用餐期間還有舞蹈表演，非常有趣。
    美食是我在台灣生活的最重要部分之一。在餐廳吃飯往往比自己做飯便宜多了，所以我在國外期間享受到了很多美食。這可能是我離開台灣時最懷念的事情之一。
    在台灣的日子即將結束，我開始反思在這裡的時光。我會在我的旅行結束報告中詳述這一點，但我沒想到離開台灣時會如此興奮。我意識到我在這裡有多少美好的回憶。
    陈白宇

    Last Month in Taiwan
    This was my last month in Taiwan. I’ve been here since the end of August so I feel like I’ve seen a lot of the country and culture now. As I haven’t done any travelling recently, I wanted to discuss y experiences with Taiwanese food in this last report.
    Two weeks ago I went to a Taiwanese cooking class. A friend of mine had been to this class and recommended it to me. We made chicken noodle soup, bubble tea and Taiwanese soup dumplings. I received a recipe for each dish that I can take home with me to England. The class was mainly Japanese tourists but also some local Taiwanese people. It was really fun to use my language skills to discuss food and I learnt some useful vocab!
    This month I also visited the strangest place I have been to in Taiwan – a toilet-themed restaurant. All of the chairs are toilets and every dish is served in a miniature toilet. I had heard about this restaurant through social media and thought it would be a funny place to visit with my classmate. The food and service was not great but maybe this is part of the toilet themed experience? The funniest part was eating chocolate ice cream inside a small toilet… Experiences like this are really strange but are extremely memorable. I will miss strange places like this when I leave Taiwan.
    Last night I want to HaiDiLau hotpot restaurant with my classmates. This is a well-known hotpot restaurant in Taiwan, although it isn’t cheap so you can’t go there too often! Despite living in Taiwan for nearly 10 months, this was my first time going to a specialist hotpot restaurant. You first choose your hotpot flavour, then you use an iPad to order meats and vegetables. There was also a dance performance during our meal which was fun to watch.
    Food has been such an important part of my experience in Taiwan. It’s often cheaper to eat at a restaurant than to cook your own food so I’ve enjoyed some amazing meals during my time abroad. This is probably one of the things I will miss most when leaving Taiwan.
    As my time in Taiwan is nearly over, I’m starting to reflect on my time here. I will write about this fully in my end-of-trip report, but I wasn’t expecting to feel so emotional about leaving Taiwan. I’m realising how many wonderful memories I have here.
    Cosmo

  • Maisie Palmer: Mon stage à la chambre de commerce internationale – May 2024

    Pour compléter mon programme d’études à Sciences Po, je suis en train de prendre un stage à la chambre de commerce internationale (CCI) qui a commencé le mois dernier. Depuis là, j’ai appris beaucoup de l’histoire de l’organisation que j’espère partager avec vous dans ce blog. En 1919, CCI était créé pour la promotion de commerce et l’investissement, les marchés ouverts et le flux de capitaux libre au-delà des frontières. Aujourd’hui la devise de la chambre « faire l’entreprise marche pour tous, chaque jour, partout » et il a des activités dans les domaines de la définition de règles, de la résolution des litiges et de la défense des politiques. C’est-à-dire que la chambre a un rôle puissant en représentant les intérêts des entreprises au face des organisations et des réseaux internationaux comme les Nations Unies, l’organisation mondiale du commerce et le G20. 

    Ma position au sein d’organisation est entre trois commissions. La première est l’économie numérique mondiale où je concentre mon travail sur les sujets de l’intelligence artificielle (IA), la connectivité et accessibilité du monde numérique et la gouvernance des données. La deuxième commission est la propriété intellectuelle. Là, je développe ma compréhension des précédents légales misent en place pour les inventeurs qui veulent protéger leurs produits et défendre leurs droits. Enfin, je travaille pour la commission de marketing et l’avertissement où je suis en train de rechercher de la perspective du secteur privé sur la nouvelle directive Green Claims établie par l’Union européen en 2023. Globalement, cette opportunité a été incroyable pour accélérer ma connaissance du secteur international commerce et comment les organisations non gouvernementales utilisent leur influence pour changer les lois, les règles et les attitudes des gens autour du monde.

     

     

    To complete my programme of study at Sciences Po, I am taking an internship at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)  which I started last month. Since then, I have learned lots about the history of the organisation that I hope to share with you in this blog. In 1919, the ICC was created for the promotion of trade and investment, open markets and free capital flows beyond borders. Today, the motto of the chamber is to make business work for everyone, everyday, everywhere and activities are in the domains of rule-setting, dispute resolution and policy advocacy. That’s to say that the chamber has a powerful role in representing the interests of business in the face of international organisations and networks such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the G20.

    My position within the organisation is between three commissions. The first is the global digital economy where I focus my work on the subjects of artificial intelligence (AI), the connectivity and accessibility of the digital world and data governance. The second commission is intellectual property. Here, I develop my understanding of the legal precedents put in place for inventors who want to protect their products and uphold their rights. Finally, I work for the marketing and advertising commission where I am working on research from the perspective of the private sector on the new Green Claims directive established by the European Union in 2023. Overall, this opportunity has been incredible for accelerating my knowledge on the international trade sector and how non-governmental organisations use their influence to change laws, rules and the attitudes of people around the world.



  • Joshua Winfield Case Study Canada 2023-24

    I moved to Canada in August 2023 and was lucky enough to spend the next 10 months living and enjoying Montreal and the wider province. My French level before coming to Quebec was high, having studied the language at university for 2 years, but this stay in Montreal still allowed me to improve hugely. By putting myself in different situations and experiences, I was able to develop a vocabulary and fluency that is not possible to develop in the classroom. From job interviews and university lectures to presentations and working in a café, the experience was fully immersive, allowing me to progress in my confidence in French as well as understand other nuances of the language, such as register.

     

    Following a course which really interested me (Mineur des études catalanes) at the Université de Montréal allowed me to deepen my knowledge of the Catalan language and culture whilst equally improving my French, a 2-for-1 deal in language learning! The university experience allowed me to develop my skills in presenting, normally in front of a class of 30, as well as translating from English to French (and vice versa) but also from Catalan to French (and vice versa). My open courses at the university equally allowed me to expand on my interests in trade and international politics through courses such as an introduction to the European Union and the inner workings of its institutions.

     

    Making friends who were Montréalais and Québécois meant that I was able to use their knowledge of the city to find the best spots, enjoy activities particular to the region (such as going to an Ice hockey game and visiting a cabane à sucre) and improve my comprehension skills to an almost native level. This also meant that I was able to accompany them on trips around the province (such as to Quebec City) and dive deeper into the culture, visiting museums, tasting local foods, and taking part in other activities such as skiing and city cultural celebrations. On the other hand, friends who were also international students (from Belgium and France) meant that I was exposed to different accents and Francophone cultures too which gave me a more wholistic experience of Francophone life. These friendships allow me to continue my French immersion even when I have returned to the UK, as well as maintain a link with the cultural aspects of the region.

     

    Skiing in Québec

    The whole experience has been one of the most amazing I have had in my life, and I am really grateful to the John Speak Trust for their support which helped me through my time in Quebec. On my return to the UK, I am planning on continuing my studies of French and Catalan with the aim of working as a translator in the wider trade industry, and this opportunity to translate and improve my level in both languages has really helped that goal.

    Going to a Canadian Football match

  • Joshua Winfield: À bientôt Québec! May 2024

    Ce mois est le dernier mois que j’étais au Québec, et c’est triste d’admettre que je suis en train d’écrire le blogue de ce mois de ma maison en Angleterre en venant de réhabituer au fuseau horaire anglais!

    J’ai commencé ce mois avec beaucoup d’examens, ce qui indiquait la fin de mes études à l’UdeM. Pour la plupart de mes cours, une séance de révision servait comme la conclusion du cours, mais pas le cours de langue catalane! Pour célébrer les bons résultats de la classe, notre professeur avait organisé un petit concert avec un groupe musical valencien qui est venu à Montréal pour le Sant Jordi, une fête des Pays catalans que la communauté catalane de Montréal célébrait en grand nombre. On avait l’occasion de parler avec les artistes, et poser des questions, en pratiquant nos compétences dans la langue catalane. Après ceci, on est allé.e.s manger une poutine à un restaurant québécois pour les introduire à la bouffe canadienne. C’était une nuit vraiment précieuse et j’appréciais l’occasion de passer un dernier moment avec mes ami.e.s du cours.

    Mes ami.e.s et moi et l’artiste catalan

    Le mois du mai est aussi quand l’Annuel du design se produit à Montréal, et j’avais la chance d’accompagner un ami à cette célébration de la créativité montréalaise des étudiants dans les programmes du design. Dans le fond, l’évènement est une grosse exposition de tous les travaux des étudiants en leur donnant une occasion pour présenter leurs meilleures œuvres qu’ils ont faites pendant les cours. Normalement, environ 8 mille personnes passent par l’université pour jeter un œil sur ce que les étudiants ont fait. C’était super intéressant de voir les différents cours et ce que les étudiants avaient créé comme projets.

    Un projet intéressant

    Le restant du mois, je passais du temps avec mes ami.e.s en profitant des deux dernières semaines sans l’école d’aller visiter certaines parties de la ville qui restaient sur ma liste des affaires à voir!

    Mes ami.e.s et moi profitant des derniers moments ensemble.

    J’ai passé une année incroyable ici au Québec et j’ai vraiment hâte de revenir à l’avenir.

    This month is my last month in Quebec, and it’s sad to admit that I’m writing this month’s blog from my home in England, having just got used to the English time zone again!

    I started this month with a lot of exams, which signalled the end of my studies at UdeM. For most of my courses, a revision session served as the conclusion of the course, but not the Catalan language course! To celebrate the class’s good results, our teacher had organised a small concert with a Valencian musical group who had come to Montreal for Sant Jordi, a Catalonian festival that the Montreal Catalan community celebrated in large numbers. We had the chance to talk to the artists, and ask questions, while practising our Catalan language skills. After this, we went for poutine at a Quebecois restaurant to introduce them to Canadian food. It was a really lovely night and I appreciated the opportunity to spend one last moment with my friends from the course.

    May is also when the Annuel du design takes place in Montreal, and I was lucky enough to accompany a friend to this celebration of the creativity of Montreal’s design students. Basically, the event is a big exhibition of all the students’ work, giving them a chance to show off their best work from the course. Normally, around 8,000 people pass through the university to take a look at what the students have done. It was really interesting to see the different courses and what the students had created as projects.

    For the rest of the month, I spent time with my friends, taking advantage of the last two weeks without university to visit some of the parts of the city that were still on my list of things to see!

    I’ve had an amazing year here in Quebec and I’m really looking forward to coming back in the future.