I was full of nerves when I landed in St Petersburg. I thought I’d feel somewhat comfortable in a new environment, having had spent 5 months living in Paris. But nothing could prepare me for the culture shock that came with living and breathing Russia’s culture capital for 5 whole months. The first month I was sad, cold, and homesick – it was minus 20c when I landed! – and the succeeding 4 months were 4 of the most incredible, eye-opening, enriching, beautiful, educational, intense, sometimes emotional(!) months of my life. Now that I’m back home in the UK, I miss St Petersburg with every fibre of my body.
Doesn’t St Petersburg remind you of Venice? With its many canals and beautiful buildings, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in the European capital.
St Petersburg has been called names over its rich history – from the official Leningrad to Petrograd – but I was fortunate enough to have called it my home.
I never really put too much thought into to what extent the John Speak scholarship would enrich my semester abroad. I, embarrassingly, saw the monthly report requirement as a hoop to jump through.
I think that’s why my first report was so shockingly bad. Thank you to my reviewer who told me it was at the level of a 10 year old! I took this critique in my stride and really focused on improving my Russian.
This room inside the Hermitage museum reminds me of La Galerie des Glaces in the Château de Versailles. I find this interesting as the Russian tsars of the 18th century looked to Europe for architectural inspiration. If you’ve travelled extensively around Europe, you’ll notice when walking around the old centre of St Petersburg that each street is like a different European city.
I would look all around me for inspiration for my reports: go for walks, go to restaurants, bars and museums and making notes on what I wanted to include. By my final report, I loved writing my reports. They became less of a chore and more of a labour of love. I could feel myself becoming more and more confident in Russian with each passing month, and it’s great to look back on how much I progressed. Now, I kind of miss writing my reports. Please John Speak Sir, may I write some more?
Snow covered statues of Russia’s most decorated architects… and me.
Despite being restricted somewhat by some stressfully huge essays for my home university, I enjoyed Russian life as much as possible. I lived with Russian/Russian-speaking students in a student dormitory, who taught me so many weird and wonderful things about Russian ways of life, food, culture and politics. Of course, at times we had a culture clash, but I made it my goal to respect and appreciate the culture in which I was trying to assimilate myself. What really struck me about my flat mates was how genuinely GOOD they were. Wholly kind, generous, and kind-hearted. Everyone I met was gracious, friendly, and incredibly intelligent, with such an awesome work ethic. I’ve learnt a lot from my Russian flat mates; they’ve humbled and inspired me in more ways than they could ever know. I made some friends in Russia that I know are going to be friends for life.
When one is tired of beautiful St Petersburg sunsets, one is tired of life.
Russian food is… interesting, and the nightlife in St Petersburg is insane. I definitely recommend experiencing the St Petersburg nightlife; it’s so varied and there is something for everyone in the city centre. I loved discovering new and interesting places and immersing myself into Russian life. St Petersburg is a fresh, young, and dynamic city with many cool bars and cafes that wouldn’t look out of place in the trendiest parts of Paris or London, only without the price tag to go with it.
Thank you so much to the John Speak Trust for giving me the opportunity to get the most out of my semester abroad. I don’t think my Russian skills would have improved so much without writing the monthly reports. This scholarship is more than just financial help; the skills this scholarship has given me – confidence, communication and blog writing – are skills I can now take with me to the workplace. I’m now a proud John Speak alumna. If you’re looking to get the most out of your time abroad, then the John Speak Trust is for you.
I began my year in China working at the British embassy in Beijing, before starting university at Peking University, one of China’s top universities, as part of my year abroad. It was at this time when my John Speak scholarship started, providing me with extra money that enabled me to make the most of my time in China. Whilst studying I also interned at a Chinese app company, which not only gave me an insight into the Chinese work place environment, but also provided me with the opportunity to make Chinese friends.
However, as I’m sure many of my friends would agree, the highlight of our year abroad was the chance to go travelling and explore the many diverse regions of this huge country.
Thanks to the John Speak scholarship, I was able to make the most of my school holidays, and over the course of the year visited 14 different provinces!
Not only did these trips enhance my understanding of the large geographical and cultural diversity that exits within China, but also allowed me to deepen my knowledge of Mandarin. It is only through travelling that I came to understand just how much the accents and pronunciations of Mandarin vary across different regions. This has helped me improve my ability to tell where a Chinese speaker comes from, a useful skill for any language student.
I would like to thank the John Speak trust for the support they gave me during my year abroad. It greatly enriched my experience of living in China, and proved to be a great aid in the development of my Mandarin.
The third year of my university degree took the form of a year abroad spent studying Mandarin in Beijing, China. Along with eight other classmates from Cambridge, I moved to Beijing’s student district of Wudaokou in September 2016, ready to embark on a ten month journey of cultural immersion and language learning.
The core of our year abroad program was the language classes set out for us at Peking University, China’s largest and most prestigious higher education centre. We had sixteen hours of class per week, covering ancient and modern Chinese literature and newspaper reading, oral and translation skills. The teaching was incredibly thorough and provided us with a strong grounding in the language which we could happily put into practice in between classes.
Whilst the university course in itself was an extremely valuable experience and helped me to thoroughly and conscientiously develop all four of the key language skills, my favorite part of the year abroad was actually the time between classes as it afforded me the freedom to travel around China and get a feel for the country’s great linguistic, geographical and social diversity.
Over the course of the year, I managed to visit a vast number of cities across seven different provinces; ranging from the icy North Korean border town of Dandong to the subtropical Xishuangbanna, right on the southern border of Myanmar. I saw an incredible range of landscapes: the sand dunes of the Gobi desert, the dramatic Karst topography of Guilin, the rainforests of Xishuangbanna and the frozen expanses of the Yalu River to name but a few.
Traveling was also a very useful way of improving my aural skills; it really exposed the regional differences in Mandarin and forced me to be more accurate and perceptive in identifying patterns of speech. I found this to be challenging but do-able in most areas – though the Shanghainese dialect had me at a total loss!
All of my travel opportunities were made possible by the generosity of the John Speak grant. Funding for language study in the Far East is limited, and had I not been fortunate enough to be awarded this grant, I certainly would not have had the means to explore China so widely. The funding also enabled me to take on an unpaid internship at international publication Time Out, which developed my skills in both Chinese and English journalism, and has become a strong asset to my CV.
I would like to thank the John Speak Trust for all their support throughout the year.M y experience of China was all the richer for it, and I thoroughly recommend the trust to any language students embarking on a period of study abroad.
Its been an incredible last 18 months, my experience in Spain has surpassed all my expectations and is something which I will never forget. I’ve spent six months studying in Córdoba and one year working in the Corporate Procurement Department of NH Hotel Group in Madrid. Both experiences have been very different but equally as rewarding on both a personal and professional level.
When I heard about the opportunity of the John Speak Language Trust Scholarship, I jumped at the chance to participate. The scholarship has given me the financial ability to fully embrace the Spanish culture, something which can’t be replicated in a classroom. From big, well-known cities to villages in the middle of nowhere, I’ve discovered many amazing places that Spain has to offer. When I started my time abroad 18 months ago my objective was to improve my Spanish, I never expected to make so many memories, visit so many places, meet so many people and learn so much about myself. My experiences have made me fall in love with the country and when I finish university next year, I’ll have no hesitation in returning to start the next stage of my life.
One phrase which I will take from my time abroad is ‘No viajamos para escapar de la vida, viajamos para que la vida no nos escape.’ This translates to, ‘We don’t travel to escape life, we travel so that life doesn’t escape us.’ I’ve been really lucky to visit so many places in Spain and with thanks to some friends I met there, I’ve been able to visit other countries too. 18 months ago I never imagined that I’d have a trip planned to visit some friends who live on the other side of the world, in fact, I’d never even heard of the place where they live, Reunion Island!
bty
My advice to anyone who is thinking about a study period or work placement abroad is to go out there and throw yourself in at the deep end.
It is difficult at first, when I arrived in Córdoba, I was without a flat, living in a city I didn’t know and left to fend for myself for the first time. It wasn’t nice at all. However, you start to meet people, places become familiar and in a matter of weeks, this new place you didn’t know anything about feels like home. I’m really glad I took the opportunity of going abroad, and with the help of the John Speak Trust, I have been able to embrace the experience even more.
I began receiving the John Speak travel grant in September 2016, when I began my third year abroad in China as part of my university degree.
China park
As there is very little in way of any other monetary help for students choosing to study abroad, especially in this part of the world, it was with great delight that I discovered this grant. It has allowed not only myself but several other students in my department be able to more fully enjoy their time abroad, without the weight of financial worry.
Being given this grant enabled me to make the most of what is a crucial period for my language learning. Having the opportunity to experience the complete language immersion of living and studying in Beijing, I have been able to deepen my understanding and knowledge of this language, and accelerate my progress in all four key language skills. I am now able to communicate in a way I could never have thought of at the beginning of my university programme – from opening a bank account to moving house, I have grown in confidence and accuracy in my use of the language.
Equally importantly, this has also been an invaluable chance to experience life in a completely different culture to my own, and this grant has allowed me to more fully explore the many different sides to China. Living in an international city such as Beijing, I have learned a vast amount about the the way of life, customs, dialects, and range of cultures and ethnicities which populate this continent sized country. However as the students who went before us advised us, it is the opportunity grants such as this give to do some travelling around this country which change your perceptions of and offer a much more comprehensive understanding of China today. From travelling to the up-and-coming mega city of Chongqing, where the millions of residents speak an almost incomprehensible mixture of Mandarin and local dialect, to braving temperature of minus 20 to visit the northern city of Harbin which felt more Russian that Chinese, I have been constantly impressed by the diversity of this vast country.
In the future, I plan to work in international relations or diplomacy, if possible focussing on the relationship between China and England. If there is one thing I have learned this year, it is that there is still a lack of complete understanding and knowledge of the other country from both sides, and I would like to work to help what is a very promising relationship progress further.
For being afforded this opportunity, I would like to thank the John Speak Trust.
For the final four months of 2016 I worked for a translation company in Madrid. The scholarship from the John Speak Trust really enabled me to maximise the experience in the Spanish capital as well as providing me the chance to explore other cities in the region.
As a city, Madrid is unique in many ways. Very few European capital cities are surrounded by such vast green spaces. In fact, the Royal Palace directly overlooks miles of mountainous rural area, fantastic if you like to get a break from city life from time to time! Moreover, with an expansive Metro system in a relatively small city, Madrid is very easy to travel around: if you are visiting and plan ahead, you’d be surprised how much you can see in a day or a weekend!
Madrid Skyline
Working in another country is challenging but very rewarding. Initially, it took me some time to get to grips with the translation software and responsibilities at the company, however once I had familiarised myself with the main tasks of the role, I really felt myself making progress, both in my spoken and written Spanish. During the internship, I was able to translate a series of documents from both Spanish and German into English, liaising with translators in numerous languages and promoting the company’s online profile through social media blogs.
Toledo
A benefit of the job was that it allowed me time in the late afternoon to make the most of other opportunities in Madrid. One activity I became involved in was teaching German at an after-school club in a northern suburb of Madrid. The German classes provided the unique chance to combine two foreign languages and also apply my Spanish in a different setting. As the school was about an hour-long journey from central Madrid, I was really grateful for the John Speak grant which covered some of the travelling costs to the classes and enabled me to attend these classes.
Regional Park Cuenca Alta del Manzanares
Thanks to the John Speak Language Trust, I was also able to visit other Spanish cities during my free time and broaden my appreciation of Spanish history and culture. I was fortunate to visit Zaragoza during the famous Fiestas del Pilar, which consisted of lots of music, face paints and fireworks! Toledo, the former Spanish capital, had a series of stunning cathedrals hidden along enchanting winding roads and alleys. Finally, Segovia, whose 2000 year-old aqueduct is considered one of the most impressive pieces of engineering in the world, was a fascinating city easily accessible from Madrid.
It goes without saying that without the John Speak scholarship I would not have been able to replicate the experiences I enjoyed during my time in Madrid. I am now spending several months working in Barcelona and I am relishing the chance to continue developing my understanding of the language in a business setting. As with many students living abroad, I certainly found it difficult to take advantage of everything that a foreign country offers without breaking the bank, but I am really thankful for the support of John Speak in this regard and for their interest in my development throughout my time in Madrid.
Receiving a John Speak Trust Scholarship was extremely helpful in easing financial pressure whilst abroad (including cost of travel, accommodation and social activities) which aided me in improving my Portuguese.
In January I arrived in Portugal (in Lisbon airport to be exact) to fantastic weather. The sun was shining and my snapchat app informed that it was 18 degrees C. However, the smug attitude disappeared when I realised that my Portuguese was not what it had been nine months previously in Manchester, and that speaking to someone (to enquire about a ticket for the train to Coimbra) was going to be difficult.
I spent my semester studying in Portugal’s third city, Coimbra, which is about midway up Portugal, between Porto and Lisbon. It is, as students of Coimbra argue, the place that J.K. Rowling got her inspiration for Hogwarts from and it is easy to see why. The easiest comparison to an English university would be to Durham due to the small size of the city and the existence of various churches. However it is much more; students habitually walk around in long black capes and uniforms of sorts and there is a strong tradition of choirs, ‘tunas’ and music of all kinds. As time passed, I realised that Coimbra is a city rich in history and interesting stories. Unfortunately, many people have not heard of Coimbra and although nowadays it can seem like it is simply a relatively small university city, in the past Coimbra was central for Portugal’s power and, in fact, was the capital of Portugal for a century from the year 1145.
The University of Coimbra is one of the oldest in the world; it officially opened and was confirmed by the Pope in 1290. Originally, the University started in Lisbon but was transferred between there and Coimbra various times until it ended up in Coimbra in 1537.
Additionally, living with people that only spoke Portuguese was very helpful in forming a strong basis of knowledge of the language and using it every day at home, at university and in all types of environments developed my confidence and vocabulary.
Being a native English speaker, it would have been very easy to just speak English (and fall into the so-called “Erasmus trap”) as lots of Erasmus students were eager to practice and it was the common language of a lot of students, however forcing myself into situations where I often felt uncomfortable (due to not being confident with the language) and avoiding all-English situations really helped.
Initially, it was nice to converse with people who were not Portuguese and who were also learning Portuguese; situations in which Portuguese was our only common language. This eased the pressure and mistakes from both parties which were not so obvious so there was less embarrassment. This allowed me to build my confidence until I felt good enough to properly engage with native speakers which happened surprisingly quickly due to constant exposure.
My favourite ways of passing the time in Coimbra were:
Have a coffee – something the Portuguese do every day and that is a style of life here in Portugal. If I want to feel part of the student community I used to go to Praça da República, on my route to the university, and watch all the students taking a break in the big square between classes. Another option was ‘Mil Doce’, an attractive café close to my house; it has a beautiful terrace with a great view of the river and the city and it is an ideal spot to sunbathe. Pastel de Nata optional.
The river path
Go for a run – Although Coimbra is not ideal for a gentle run (due to the immense hills) there is a great flat path next to the river with great views of the river and the bridges. A great way to relax.
The “Escadas Monumentais” – installed by Salazar during his dictatorship who believed that students should be physically as well as mentally fit. There are 150 steps and I had to climb them at least once every day on my way to the university….
Play an instrument – The ‘tunas’ are very popular here and it’s normal to see groups of students, clad in the traditional capes of Coimbra, walking through the streets singing and playing their guitars so I bought myself a ukulele and started practising some songs in my free time.
Sunbathe – The weather was very mixed but on sunny days I liked to find a sunny spot to sunbathe. My flat had a lovely balcony on which I can relax but also Coimbra has a great park next to the river
I borrowed a flag from a friendly Portugal fan specifically for this photo who then gifted it to me! It is currently hanging in my room in Manchester.
Football – One of my favourite experiences (an unexpected one) in Portugal; Portugal’s victory in the Eurocup. On the 10th of July Portugal won against France and achieved its first big international title and I was lucky enough to be there to see it.
Like all the matches, I watched in Praça da República and the atmosphere was phenomenal; there were more people than I had ever seen before (from time to time this made it difficult to watch the match) and everyone with the green and red hats and scarves of Portugal. The square was truly a sea of green and red and noise. The country’s obsession with Ronaldo fascinated me and when he was injured by a tackle by Payet and he couldn’t play, the emotion and disappointment of the crowd was incredible; I have never seen dedication to a player like it.
Despite the efforts of the two teams, at the end of the match the score was 0-0 and extra time started. However it seemed like luck was with Portugal because Raphael Guerreiro scored in the 108th minute and the whole place exploded. There followed a crazy night that is impossible to describe. People were throwing fireworks in the square and there were people jumping on top of cars and beeping their horns; it was a madness that I will never forget. I am very grateful for my experience in Portugal but this night was something I will carry with me my whole life and one of the greatest experiences of my year.
I also had the opportunity to travel throughout Portugal. One of the most fun trips that I made was to Lagos, on the south coast of Portugal. I have always been a little sceptical with respect to the Algarve and the Costa de Sol. Both places have a bad reputation; of being full of British tourists, and the type of tourist that drinks to excess and gives a bad name to the rest of us.
However, there were a lot of things that were not expected. For example, probably because of the low season, there were hardly any British tourists. Surprisingly, the hotel was full of old, calm couples of a mixture of different nationalities.
I think it was because of the low season and the relative peace that I was able to appreciate the charm of Lagos. The main town was full of narrow, cobbled streets with varied restaurants and picturesque squares. Although there was an abundance of cheap bars, in my opinion they did not detract from the obvious charm of the old town.
I was also able to appreciate the main street next to the lovely canals. The canals were lined by palm trees and full of sailing boats which made for a pleasant walk to the beach.
Overall, I think that I had a different experience of the Algarve than the majority of tourists who visit there. In fact my stay was relatively relaxed and I am happy to have been able to experience a different side of the popular tourist spots.
During my time in Coimbra I have enjoyed many great experiences and met some lovely people. I am truly grateful to the John Speak Trust Scholarship for providing some financial support to make my experience in Portugal all the more enjoyable and allowing me the freedom to immerse myself in the Portuguese culture.
In April this year, I was fortunate to receive a John Speak Scholarship.
I initially arrived in the capital, Bogota, to begin my four month Scholarship in Colombia. Having been heavily influenced by the media and western perceptions of Colombia, and particularly that of my parents’ generation, I landed in the airport slightly terrified. The fear I had after I landed in Bogota was insane, Colombia has a bad reputation, but I had no problems at all! Bogota is a city of 8.8 million people, but unlike London, it has suffered incredible urban sprawl, and is stretched out for miles on a plateau in the Andes Mountains. From Bogota I moved quickly onto Santa Marta, my home for the next four months. Santa Marta is a city on the Caribbean coast and capital of the department of Magdalena, it also happens to be the oldest colonial city in South America.
The country is like any big European city, if you take care and “no dar papaya” (Colombian slang: not to put yourself into a dangerous situation) by not getting expensive phones out in the street at night, or walking alone after a night out etc. then you are sure to pass your time there with no problems at all.
The additional funds from the Scholarship gave me the opportunity to study more, travel and to do voluntary work with a grassroots foundation called Colombia sin Fronteras, based in Valle de Gaira on the outskirts of the city in a largely poor area.
This hugely supported my Spanish learning and motivated me to find a local to live with and improve my Spanish by writing the blogs every month; a real asset in improving my language skills for a future career in translation.
overlooking-medellin-from-a-viewpoint
Many of the people Valle de Gaira have been displaced from neighbouring cities by the last civil war, but there was a great sense of community which is largely to do with the foundation. I worked primarily with the children of the area, as a supplement to the schooling system which is further away. There were around 50/60 children who attended the foundation divided into age and ability groups. The volunteers tended to run classes based on primary subjects in Spanish such as, maths, reading and writing, with English classes in the evening for the older children and they relied heavily on sport to keep the children occupied.
At first the language barrier was difficult, at the time I hadn’t been learning Spanish for very long and the variations in accents that I came across were staggering. Studying abroad certainly gave me a wider scope of Spanish variations to look at – the differences between language used on the Iberian Peninsula compared to Latin America, and the within Latin America is crazy.
Receiving the Scholarship allowed me to travel and get to know the Colombian culture. One trip I made at the beginning of May was to Medellin, Colombia’s second and fastest growing city. Having already seen Bogota, I knew what to expect from a large South American metropolis, with barrio’s sprawling out towards the mountains and high rises springing up awkwardly in the centre. Medellin sits much like Bogota between the mountains and has a temperate climate which is often referred to as the ‘eternal spring’, warmer towards the south and cooler further up the mountains. What struck me about Medellin was the sense of modernity, a place which has benefited recently from a lot of investment and a huge increase in tourism, with parks, museums and commercial centres in development across the entire city.
Back in the United Kingdom, I continue to make friends and learn about the Spanish culture that I encountered in Colombia, also practicing with the few Spanish friends I already have. Plus it makes a great excuse to try jet off to Barcelona for the weekend (for practice of course!).
in-cartagena-looking-at-the-colonial-buildings
I love Spanish and continue to speak the language using it wherever possible – trying to find Spanish enclaves within the UK. Luckily Manchester makes that pretty easy, it’s popular with Spanish speakers.
I would hugely recommend the John Speak Trust; it has been an incredible support whilst being in South America. I never thought I would be able to afford to live in such a beautiful faraway place, even for only a short amount of time.
The Scholarship meant that I didn’t have to struggle to find paid work whilst abroad and the voluntary experience was second to none, I am so grateful, thank you!
Thank you to the John Speak Language Trust for the support it offered me during the semester I spent at Liaocheng University in Shandong China. With being a recipient of the funds, I was able to focus much more on my studying of Mandarin and as a result my language improved at a much better rate. I think it’s excellent that there is still support from UK institutions for people looking to learn languages, as often it can be something that is over-looked in British culture. Undoubtedly as the world is becoming ever more globalized, learning other languages, especially Chinese, is increasingly an important skill, and so once again, thank you to the John Speak Trust for supporting me, and other students to do this.
Onto my time in China …………………………………….
As of February 2016, I have just finished a semester of Mandarin at Liaocheng University in Shandong province, China. Although I’ve lived in China before, these past six months were like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Previously, I’d spent my time in Hangzhou, a beautiful, highly developed, Eastern coast city. Although I loved Hangzhou, I’d felt that in terms of my Mandarin, I was being sucked in a Western/expat bubble and not progressing at the rate I would like. So I made the decision to come to Liaocheng, a small tier 4 city in inland China. Here I found exactly what I’d hoped for, nobody that spoke English, very, very few other expats, and not a Starbucks in sight. This put me in a learning environment that was very much sink or swim, and forced me to use my mandarin from moment one and at all times. I think on reflection, this was a really good plan and the immersion in lesser developed China really forced my hand to continually improve at Mandarin. Whilst here I found it really easy to make Chinese friends, and as such, conversational Chinese became a daily activity.
Not only did I improve my Chinese language, I also got to do some really enjoyable activities whilst here, as you can see from my photos. You will see I got to dress up in traditional Chinese dress, and also enter a football tournament with some of my classmates. Obviously I had some difficulties whilst I was in China, the pollution and the lack of variety in food being the two major ones. In all honesty however, I was prepared for this and I don’t think it would have been possible to go to a place where nobody speaks English yet still have a completely smooth experience.
The photo below of me with a painting behind was taken on a class trip to Qufu, birth place of Confucius. This was a really excellent trip, as Confucius underpins so much of Chinese culture and my experience visiting here, is always a really good talking point with Chinese friends.
From the other photos you will see I got to dress up in traditional Chinese dress, and also enter a football tournament with some of my classmates. Obviously I had some difficulties whilst I was in China, the pollution and the lack of variety in food being the two major ones. In all honesty however, I was prepared for this and I don’t think it would have been possible to go to a place where nobody speaks English yet still have a completely smooth experience.
Having finished in Liaocheng I’m pleased to say I passed both HSK 4 and HSK intermediate speaking exams at the end of the semester, and went on to secure employment at the British Embassy in Beijing.
Clearly I’m thrilled to get this opportunity and no doubt my improved Mandarin helped me secure the job.
My name’s Ellie Winstanley and I am a 21 year old language student in Manchester, although following my period abroad I am currently living in my home town of Worcester. For the German side of my year abroad I spent 4 months in Berlin working in a nursery.
In late August I travelled to Berlin. My first week in Berlin was spent doing a German language course and my accommodation a homestay, which meant that as soon as I arrived in Germany I had to speak German. The language course itself didn’t provide new information that I hadn’t learnt in University, but it meant that my brain adjusted to hearing and thinking in German, and it allowed me to ask people currently living in Berlin for advice on things such as transport. I also made friends from across Europe who stayed in Berlin for a while, with whom I could practice my German.
In my first week I was under pressure from work to find a flat (as I couldn’t sign my work contract without a German address), so I frantically looked for a flat using “WG-Gesucht”. Luckily after four days, I found a flat in a central location in Berlin with two girls and one boy (all German speaking). Living with German speakers was at first very difficult, and in some ways isolating, as I found it very hard to understand quick speech, and was lacking in everyday vocabulary. However, after a few weeks I became friends with my male flatmate, who was very patient with my German, and often invited me to do things with him and his friends (real Berliners). I also became friends with my flatmate’s cousin, a Syrian refugee. As he didn’t speak any English, and me no Arabic, we had to communicate in German, which helped us both a lot.
During the seventeen weeks of my John Speak Trust Scholarship I volunteered in a nursery, in which there were kids aged 1-6. My task was to play with the children and assist the nursery nurses with everyday tasks, such as food time, changing time and sleep time. Although this isn’t a career path I’d like to pursue in the future, I feel it was perfect for learning the language, as the children could not yet speak any English and all of my co-workers were German, I could experience how they communicated together. It was also very interesting to work with the younger children and see how their language was starting to develop, and how they would often make grammatical mistakes as they were learning. I would say most of the barriers that I encountered were at work, at first I felt very out of my depth as I was not only lacking in basic vocabulary, but the specific vocabulary needed for a nursery. One particular situation I remember was when a child vomited in their sleep and I had to tell a senior member of staff, but I didn’t know how to say this, so I just used hand gestures to express this! I often found that it would help to make hand gestures, and people would repeat the words back to me, which was an excellent way to learn. In the last few weeks of my placement I found it much easier to express myself, and I could communicate much more without thinking.
The money from the John Speak Trust Scholarship allowed me to travel to Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Switzerland. Not only was it fun to travel to these places, but also I was able to practice German and experience the different accents and dialects in Germany.
I currently have one and a half years left of study at the University of Manchester, six months of which I will spend studying in the south of Spain, and one year of which studying back in Manchester. I hope to pursue a career in translation when I’m older, living in the United Kingdom. Since returning home, I have used my German as I have been in contact with people that I met in Germany, but I have also been reading in German, which is noticeably a lot easier following my time abroad.
I would definitely recommend the John Speak Language Trust to anyone wanting to spend a period of time studying abroad. The Scholarship allowed me to volunteer in Germany, as I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay rent, which significantly improved my language. I also found writing my monthly report very useful, as I was able to practice my German writing skills, which I unfortunately didn’t often have to opportunity to do whilst in Germany. I noticed that with each report that it became easier to write in German.
