Steve's sandbox

Tag: Case Study

  • Lauren Maslin: Case Study – Land of the Morning Calm: South Korea 2024 – 2025

    I chose to go to South Korea because I was fascinated by its history and very different culture than my own. I also believed that living there would be the best way to learn the language in its natural context, beyond the classroom.

    “Going to South Korea as a language exchange student showed me that challenges and difficulties shouldn’t hold you back. With patience, courage, and a willingness to embrace new experiences, it’s possible to achieve things you might never have thought possible.”

    Before going, I felt a little apprehensive because moving abroad meant saying goodbye to everything familiar and being apart from loved ones for a long time.  At the same time, I was curious about what I would learn whilst living abroad, and I was excited to meet new friends and travel to places I had never been before. I already knew a little about South Korea’s customs and culture through K-dramas and a local Korean church, but I was eager to experience these things first-hand.

    The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that everyone was speaking Korean. It seems obvious, but it immediately made me realise how different daily life would be and how important it would be to practise the language in real-life situations. Not only was the language different, but the food was incredible. From my previous travels, I had learned that food can build bridges across cultures and languages, and this proved true in Korea. I was invited out for dinner with some fellow students, and we had so much fun trying the side dishes, kimchi, bulgogi, and spicy tteokbokki. The final course was several rounds of singing in a local noraebang and a commemorative photo taken in a Korean style photobooth (the crazy hats, wigs and sunglasses were optional!) Sharing meals like this helped me connect with others and feel part of the university community.

    There were, of course, many differences in the culture of a Korean university compared to an English university. At my home university, I took a variety of classes, from workshops to lectures, and there was a lot of interaction between professors and students. Debates among students was encouraged. At the Korean university, the dynamic was different. I had to adjust to a more formal structure, where respect and hierarchy were emphasised. For example, I addressed professors using formal titles rather than their first names, which felt unfamiliar at first but taught me a lot about Korean culture and etiquette. Learning Korean in Korea was challenging, especially in fast-paced lectures but I improved by practising with classmates. studying in the peaceful university library, and a healthy dose of hopeful guessing! These differences helped me develop new academic skills and adapt to a learning environment very different from what I was used to. Learning in Korean was tricky, particularly in lightning-fast lectures,

    I spent time with classmates from all over the world, so Korean quickly became our common language. During breaks, we would chat in Korean, which helped me practise and improve my skills in a relaxed setting. Professors also organised field trips to help us expand our knowledge of Korean culture, providing further opportunities to use the language in real-life contexts. Through a language exchange, I made close friends with a few Korean students, who introduced me to their wider social circles. I am still in contact with them, and we continue to exchange languages. Building friendships and sharing cultural experiences was incredibly fun and rewarding, helping me feel connected to the university community.

    One of the hardest parts of living abroad is being away from familiar surroundings and support networks. Everyday tasks, like navigating a new city or understanding local customs, could feel challenging, and language barriers sometimes made communication exhausting.

    I quickly had to learn how to communicate in Korean, either by asking for help from my teachers or  by connecting with both fellow international students and local Korean friends. Facing these challenges helped me discover more about myself—how I handle uncertainty, what gives me resilience, and how curiosity and openness can turn difficulties into meaningful learning experiences. I even signed myself up for a K-pop dance audition which pushed me far out of my comfort zone and gave me an unforgettable experience!

     

     

    After a while, I found myself feeling comfortable living and studying abroad. I was surprised at how much confidence I had gained and how much my Korean language skills had improved. This experience showed me that challenges and difficulties shouldn’t hold you back. With patience, courage, and a willingness to embrace new experiences, it’s possible to achieve things you might never have thought possible. Living abroad helped me grow in independence, resilience, and self-belief, and gave me a deeper appreciation for learning in new cultural contexts.

     

    “Living and studying abroad for a year has had a profound impact on me. It has influenced the career I hope to pursue and changed the way I view the world.”

    Now that I have lived and studied abroad I feel more connected to global events, noticing not just what affects me locally but how broader issues shape people’s lives everywhere. This experience also taught me skills I will carry forward, such as adaptability, independence, and the confidence to step into new and unfamiliar environments. It showed me that taking opportunities, even when they feel challenging, can open doors to personal growth and future possibilities I might never have imagined.

    Reflecting on my year in South Korea, I can see how much I have grown personally, academically, and culturally. Living abroad challenged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and gave me experiences I will carry with me for life.

    I am deeply grateful to the John Speak Trust for making this opportunity possible—their support not only funded my time abroad but also inspired me to embrace the experience fully. Stepping into a new culture, learning a language, and meeting people from different backgrounds can be daunting, but it is also immensely rewarding. I would encourage anyone considering studying or living abroad to be courageous and just go for it!

     

  • Case Study: Eve Hughes – France 2024-25

    My favourite hike of the whole year

    Having come to the end of an unforgettable year abroad in Grenoble, I strongly believe that all areas of my French language have significantly improved. This is thanks to various decisions I made and people I met during my time in France, all of which I am extremely grateful for.

    My favourite evenings were at Kfée de Jeux with my friend Simon

    In terms of speaking, I can confidently say that living in a colocation (the French term for ‘flat share’) with three French natives significantly improved both my speaking confidence levels and the breadth of my vocabulary. Given that I was forced to speak French at all times of the day, no matter whether I was tired after a long day of teaching or I was wanting to engage in a niche debate around the dinner table, I found myself constantly searching for and learning new French words and expressions. For example, the phrase ‘arriver à faire quelque chose’ (‘to manage to do something’ in English) was never used in my French classes in the UK; however, this expression is now heavily embedded in my everyday language. I am very glad that the John Speak Trust required me to find accommodation with native speakers, and I can strongly attest to the benefits that living with French people brings.

    St Patrick’s Day with my French friends was a key memory

    As for my writing, my job as an English Language Assistant meant that there weren’t many times when I was required to write in French. Whilst I often had to translate the instructions on worksheets given to younger students, I still wanted to keep on top of my writing skills in a consistent and structured manner. This is why the monthly reports that I wrote for the John Speak Trust were a great way for me to accomplish this goal across the year. I really enjoyed reflecting on my experiences each month and creating a written account of my various Grenoble adventures. I also find it very helpful that I could look back on previous reports to identify which areas of my French vocabulary and grammar could be improved moving forward.

    Saying goodbye to my flatmate, Tati

    Furthermore, I really enjoyed delving into French literature during my time in Grenoble, as I admittedly hadn’t given much of my spare time to this prior to my year abroad. I was very lucky in that one of my flatmates, Tati, was a huge bookworm, meaning that she had an infinite list of book recommendations for me to work through. My favourite book that I read was called ‘La Sage-femme d’Auschwitz’, which follows the story of a Jewish woman who was tasked with delivering prisoners’ babies in the concentration camp, whilst secretly devising a way to help these babies later find their mothers after separation. I was very proud of myself after finishing this book, as it featured a significant amount of new vocabulary and was largely written in the past historic (an unusual tense that most of us French learners strongly dislike…!).

    Finally, I believe that my listening skills were positively challenged this year. As I’m mostly used to hearing French that is adapted for English learners in my university classes, the speed and informal register that I heard from native speakers was something that really struck me upon arriving in France. However, day by day, I found myself more at ease when listening to conversations, both in the staffroom at school and on public transport around Grenoble. Something that particularly demonstrated an improvement in my listening skills was when Tati said that she no longer felt the need to talk slower with me, which I was really pleased about!

    My beautiful walk to school

    Overall, I’m extremely grateful to the John Speak Trust for their support and guidance during my year abroad. The requirements of this scholarship really pushed me to fully immerse myself in the French language and culture, and this led to several incredible opportunities and friendships across the year. This scholarship added another dimension to my time in Grenoble, and I’d really recommended it to other linguists who are soon to embark on their year abroad.

  • Case Study – Marianne McCready, France 2023

    Admiring the view of Lyon

    I would first and foremost like to thank the John Speak Language Trust for supporting me during my experience in France.

    Thanks to your support not only have I been able to cover living costs, but I have also been able to explore more of the country and live new cultural experiences.

    Visiting a really cool Ancient Egyptian Exhibit!
    On a day trip to some islands off the coast of Cannes

    The opportunity to study abroad has opened my eyes to lots of new experiences such as education in France, French way of life and all the rich cultural experiences France has to offer. It has also been a fairly international experience as I have made friends with French people and with people from all over the world. Furthermore, with Paris being such an international city, I have got to try lots of new cuisines and inventive food such as an 100% vegetarian restaurant where they prepared your food for you on the table! I also visited many museums such as the Louvre, l’Orangerie and the Musée D’Orsay. I also had the chance to visit a once in a lifetime display of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, most of which had never left Egypt before, and learn about the connection Rameses II and how a Frenchman used his name to crack Hieroglyphs in the 1820s.

    When I embarked upon my study abroad adventure in Paris, I had no idea what challenges it would bring. Learning how the French university system works, making some mistakes (and getting lost!) and learning how to live in a big international city such as Paris. In recent months, there has also been many strikes in the French capital and, at times things have been very chaotic, but through speaking with locals I have come to see it as a quintessential cultural experience! Given all the French history that I have learned while here I really feel that I have a deep understanding of why strikes and workers’ rights are so important to the French People.

    While in France and with the support of the John Speak Language Trust, I was able to travel to lots of different places for the first time.

    Trying French Cuisine!
    In the beautiful village of Eze!

    I was able to visit a friend who was studying abroad in Lyon twice and she showed me round the beautiful city and let me practice my French with her Host Family which was very interesting as they spoke with a different accent to those from the Parisian region. I also visited Dijon and Versailles. At the end of my time in France I organised a trip to the south of France which was amazing! It was lovely to escape the city for a while and see where French people go on holiday. As I felt quite comfortable navigating the French rail system at this point, my friend and I travelled by train almost everywhere and took some buses in order to get to more hard-to-reach places, such as the medieval village of Èze which I absolutely loved.

    All of these experiences which have shaped me, and my knowledge of French and French culture would not have been possible if not for the John Speak Language Trust.

    France, particularly Paris, has a higher cost of living than that in the UK and with the help of the Trust I felt a weight off my shoulders which allowed me to make the absolute most of my time abroad.

  • Case Study: Daniel Osborne – China 2018-19

    Being filmed by Youku (Chinese Youtube) about my life in Beijing

    As part of my undergraduate degree, I spent a year abroad in Beijing where I enrolled at Peking University. The course at Peking University consisted of all key areas of the Mandarin language, including areas such as speaking to newspaper reading, and even advancing our skills in classical Chinese. The excellent teaching meant that I continued to improve throughout the year, and could iron out issues that had previously been causing been problems.

    Getting my haircut in Inner Mongolia

    However, as most students would probably agree, time outside of class was just as, if not more, enjoyable. But also, crucially, I would argue, absolutely vital to my language and cultural acquisition. It was by travelling to various parts of China that I got to grips with the cultural, linguistic and geographical differences of the country.  This oft-perceived heterogeneous nation is in fact bursting with idiosyncratic and dynamic cities and provinces.

    Hotpot with friends!

    Throughout the year, I visited a good number of different cities and areas. I started off visiting the barren ghost city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, in Golden Week, before subjecting to myself to temperatures of -20C in Harbin in December. I then thawed out in Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi during the week of spring break. Here, the chance to escape the concrete jungle of Beijing and discover the breath-taking natural landscape of China was a welcome one: hiking 20km with 2km of ascent/descent in Tiger Leaping Gorge was a favourite memory of mine, closely followed by a 40km bike ride surrounded by the imposing Karst mountains in Guilin. Travelling also proved to do wonders for my aural and oral skills; conversing with locals from all over the country made me practise no end and forced me out of my comfort zone. However, it also showed me the gulf I still need to overcome; the Naxi minority of Yunnan (speaking Mandarin as their second language) was especially tricky to understand!

    This opportunity to travel has been solely down to generosity of the John Speak grant which relieved me of the financial burden this year. The grant also encouraged me to find an internship related to my future career plans.

    At the bottom of the Tiger Leaping Gorge

    Consequently, I worked as an unpaid intern at Trivium China, a political consulting firm, which presented me the challenge of reading policy documents, newspapers and other primary sources in Chinese, as well as contributing to bespoke consulting projects within the team. It has confirmed my interest in the field and has undoubtedly been a great asset to my CV! The monthly reports also served to reflect on my time throughout the year but also help practise my writing skills on the topics that were of interest to me. Funding for year abroad students is still exceptionally hard to acquire, thus I am extremely grateful to the John Speak trust and would recommend any student wishing to study abroad to apply for their grants!

  • Case Study: Jonathan Saad – Germany 2018-2019

    As part of my Engineering course in the UK, I have had the chance to study in Germany for a year. I was keen to do this, as studying abroad would give me the chance to experience Germany’s renowned automotive industry and would give me a great insight into how engineering is viewed outside of the UK, as well as allow me to explore the option of working outside the UK.

    I started my time in Germany and at the Technische Universität Darmstadt with a month-long intensive Germany course, which gave me a great boost when starting my year here. By doing a wide variety of courses I met many students, both Erasmus students from around the world and German students from throughout Germany. This has been the highlight of my experience – meeting so many diverse people, with different life experiences and ways of looking at the world.

    Of course, I have had many great experiences here, from exploring the beautiful city of Heidelberg, to participating in a 3-day hackathon in Mainz, to trying the weird sport that is underwater rubgy.

    My German has improved dramatically over my time here, particularly my reading and speaking. Studying several engineering modules in German has certainly been challenging, but also enjoyable and has taught me a lot. The monthly reports have been very helpful, forcing me to write in German and being a record of my time that I can enjoy in years to come.

    I look forward to another semester here in Germany, with a much more relaxed academic semester, giving me the chance to explore other areas of Germany, improve my engineering knowledge, and of course continue improving my German.

    I have made a few great friends from around the world, and will fondly remember my year in Darmstadt.

    Thank you to the John Speak Trust, whose support has meant I am able to get the most out of my time here in Germany.

     

  • Case Study: Hallie Swanson, India – 2018

    Supported by the John Speak Trust, I spent two months this summer in Lucknow, India, studying Persian. Although the Persian language today is associated with the modern state of Iran, for many centuries it acted as a lingua franca, uniting networks of trade, literary culture and administration all across Asia. India was no exception: not only did it serve as the official language of government and administration, it also had immense cultural and literary importance. Lucknow, a regional centre of power that came to prominence in the eighteenth century, was no exception to this phenomenon, producing poets of Persian as well as Urdu whose verses are still sung and memorialized in the city today. Lucknow’s university departments and Shia religious institutions also are also repositories for Persian knowledge, as well as its libraries and archives.

    I was studying at the American Institute of Indian Studies, which largely trains academics in languages for the study of South Asia. Studying four hours a day of Persian, was intense, especially when it involved deciphering older forms of the language and its transcription, but tea breaks and conversation with our fellow-students and extremely knowledgeable teachers offered welcome respite, as did Lucknow’s famous cuisine – never have I tasted such kebabs.

    Wandering around the city was a magical experience. Lucknow’s many important architectural and historical monuments include the British Residency, the site of a crucial battle in 1857; majestic imambarahs (Shia places of worship) sponsored by its opulent, civic-minded rulers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; tombs of locally-revered saints (bustling places of activity, especially on Thursday night) and of former rulers (much quieter – even eerily so); buildings from palace complexes; and the remains of the city’s famous gardens. Despite the heat, it was easy to spend the whole day wandering from place to place, catching glimpses of the city’s architectural heritage.

    The program’s field trips and sponsored lectures offered further insight into Persian in India: we had talks delivered in Persian about the importance of the language to local Sufi orders; how to do research into Persian-language archival texts in North India; and the tradition of Mughal imperial biography in Persian.

     

    On trips to shrines just outside the city (Kakori Sharif and Dewa Sharif), we read Persian inscriptions and poems, and heard Persian poems sung by qawwals.

    I recently started an MSc in South Asian Studies at the University of Oxford, and thanks to the John Speak Trust’s sponsorship of my studies in India, was able to be placed into second-year Persian – an opportunity impossible on my one-year programme without priot intensive study.

    I am extremely grateful for the Trust for making my wonderful summer possible. Not only was it a fascinating and immensely enjoyable experience, it is also of great value for my future studies and potential career.

  • Case Study: Jacob Lloyd, Germany – 2018

    As part of my International Business with German course at Sheffield Hallam University, I have the opportunity to live in Germany for 18 months: 6 months studying and 12 months on a work placement.

    I received support from the John Speak Trust in the first 6 months during my study semester at the Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Thuringia.

    Here I undertook regular language classes in addition to business modules taught in German alongside native speakers. This allowed me to progress my language skills more rapidly than I have previously experienced. My reading, writing, speaking and listening skills all felt like they were improving as the language became my main focus. Weekends and my free time also provided opportunity to explore the rest of Germany, allowing me to experience the things that cannot be found in a classroom, such as the extensive use of slang and the true variety of German dialect, as it is such a linguistically diverse country. This was most evident when I visited Stuttgart just before beginning my work placement with Bosch, as the contrast in language, dialect and culture compared to, for example, Cologne was remarkable. The Swabian dialect is definitely something that takes a bit of time to get used to, but is a much softer way of speaking and I’m beginning to rather like it. The people I met whilst living in Jena and Stuttgart have only enhanced my experience.

    Finding myself in new cities but feeling so comfortable with a solid group of friends is one of the many highlights that I will always remember.

    I will now enjoy the rest of my time on placement abroad before returning to Sheffield to complete my course.

    I am hugely grateful to the John Speak Trust, as without the funding I would not have been able to explore nearly as much as I have and would have felt much more restricted.

    The monthly reports have also left me with something to look back on and reminisce in a way that would not otherwise be possible.  Thank you.

     

  • Case Study: Megan Robertson – China, 2018

    After graduating with an undergraduate degree in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh in July, I was lucky enough to be accepted onto a Chinese taught Master’s programme in Public Policy at Tsinghua University commencing this September. With the support of the John Speak Trust, I was able to come to Beijing early and take part in an advanced language course at Beijing Language and Culture University for a month before my Master’s programme began. This experience has been invaluable to me – it has not only allowed me to improve my Chinese ability through the language course, getting me up to a standard where I now feel well-equipped to succeed in this Master’s programme, but it also forced me to live in a fully immersive Chinese-speaking environment which has allowed me to improve my spoken Chinese and to fully settle in to my new life here in Beijing.

    A condition of the John Speak Trust was for me to fully immerse myself in the local language – whilst taking the language course, I stayed with a young professional Chinese woman who has helped me greatly with improving my Chinese during my time here. Arriving one month before my Master’s programme began and speaking Chinese everyday allowed me to refresh and enhance my speaking ability. The language classes, taught fully in Chinese, allowed me to connect with other advanced learners from all around the world, many of whom already use their language skills in an occupational capacity, whilst also allowing me to develop my own language skills.


    During the last week before starting my Master’s programme, my flatmate invited me to visit her family home in the north-eastern part of China, a small city called Yichun. This was a great experience that allowed me to use my language skills in a new environment and further my understanding of Chinese culture, family life and values. I was forced to get out of my comfort zone to eat things that I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating in the UK, to introduce myself and use Chinese to tell stories to large groups of her family and to try to communicate using Chinese in response to a regional dialect that I was not familiar with. My flatmate’s family welcomed me into their home and I had a wonderful experience exploring an area of China that I had never been to before.

    I have now just completed the first week of classes here of my Master’s programme and reflecting back on this experience supported by the Trust, I am extremely grateful for the support that I have received, without which I would not have been able to improve my language ability in such a way nor would I have established such a great relationship with my Chinese flatmate. I would not be having such a great experience here so far were it not for the financial support and encouragement to stay with locals given to me by the John Speak Trust, and so I would like to take this opportunity here to thank them once again.

  • Holly Henry: Case Study – Mexico 2017

     

    During the first semester of my year abroad, I spent 5 months studying at UNAM in Mexico City. Looking back, I see in as both a turbulent but very exciting time. I experienced almost the worst weather the world could throw at me: hurricanes, tropical storms and earthquakes, along with a few stormy moments myself when I couldn’t imagine living there for months. Yet also, (as often happens in life) these all cleared up and I ended up having a fantastic time and certainly didn’t want to leave!

    I discovered the John Speak Language Trust in 2015, when I was researching which scholarship options were available to me, and I remember thinking that although I wasn’t eligible at that moment, I should keep it in mind for the start of my year abroad. Luckily, I never forgot about it (it being one of the few scholarships available for language students, and it being based from Yorkshire, my home county).

     Without the scholarship from the John Speak trust I think that my semester abroad would have been very different. I chose Mexico as I feel I have an affinity to Latin America, and without the help from the scholarship I may have not been able to travel to that side of the world.  It made a huge difference to my experience in Mexico, being able to live without the stress of money affecting my studies, and being able to travel to other parts of the country to see centuries old Mexican traditions such as day of the dead, or the beautiful contrasts of nature Mexico has, from deserts to waterfalls, beaches to mountains. With respect to how it helped me in my daily life, it meant I could enjoy what Mexico city has to offer, take part in weekend activities with my wonderful Mexican friends, and study in peace knowing that I didn’t have to worry about not having a job! I think this was one of the most important things, because it can be quite daunting for some people to live in a place and not be able to work for a regular income.

    I must also mention the monthly reports and how they were crucial in tracking my improvements in written Spanish, but they also acted almost like a diary for me. They allowed me to reflect on the previous month which was an enjoyable monthly routine, and they also allowed my family and friends to keep up to date (in detail) about my life in Mexico. It is also great that these will stay on the website for future students to read, and hopefully if anyone is considering Mexico, my experiences can help them!

    I spoke in my application about the importance of communication between cultures, and experiencing different cultures through the people, their traditions, and their way of life. After living in Mexico I do feel that I used my time to improve my Spanish in these ways, and I can’t thank the committee of the John Speak Language Trust enough for their investment into this part of my education. I must add that not only has it been an education of studies, but also of life. I am so grateful to have received the scholarship and will try my hardest to promote its benefits to students in the future, as it is wonderful that it promotes language learning and studying abroad.

    If any future language students are reading this case study, and they are interested in hearing more about how the scholarship helped me on my year abroad, or have any questions about applying etc, I would be happy to be contacted and I’ll try my best to help!
    !Muchísimas gracias a John Speak!

     

  • Case Study: Anam Rahman, China – 2017

    During my second year of university I wrote a paper on the Chinese economy.  It was here where the magnitude of the inevitable global macroeconomic shifts, finally sunk in. Within the next 10 years China will be the biggest economy in the world. By 2050 its GDP per capita will be twice the size of USA’s.  The implications are enormous.  For the last 200 years the world has been governed by Europe and America. In this century, and in my life time we will witness the most extraordinary transition of wealth and power. As an entrepreneurial individual, I also know with great change comes great opportunity. I refused to let this enormous boat sail by. There was only one option. Go to China and learn Chinese.

    I am also one to enjoy a challenge and was determined to overcome the urban myth that Mandarin is impossible.

    After a traumatic experience with French at school, I hated the prospect of learning a language in a classroom. I was determined to prove that I could learn quicker by myself. Before I left, I read several books on memory, language learning and China. I had an exact plan on how to conquer Chinese. Everything from tools such as SRS systems to the exact vocab and grammar I wanted to learn. I built my own extensive curriculum.

    As a mentor once told me ‘Formal education will make you a living.  Self-education will make you a fortune’.

    Words cannot begin to express my gratitude to the John Speaks Foundation. Quite simply, without their help I could not have financially afforded to learn Chinese. I will forever be in debt to the trust placed in me by the committee members.

    Over 60 % of my scholarship was spent directly on my learning; private tuition, books, courses and software.  My experience was the last possible thing from fun and games. There were times I wanted to cry, becoming extremely frustrated with my brain for its inability to process the Chinese language quickly enough.  Perhaps the expectations I set myself were too high.  But looking back, the high expectations were the only reason I had learnt so much so quickly.

    It is an unbelievably satisfying feeling speaking to another person in a language which was alien only several months ago. Without the John Speak foundation, I could not have experienced this feeling.

    I do not use the word ‘alien’ lightly.  Chinese and English could not be more different if they tried.  Although initially stressful to arrange, looking back, the committees request that I live with a local was instrumental in my learning.  My flatmate Brandon was a priceless aid but now a life long friend.

    Because of this scholarship I was able to experience a fascinating ancient culture and language.  I was able to build relationships which will last a life time.  But most importantly, I was able to achieve a childhood dream. Every intellectually curious young person has at some point said ‘I would love to learn Chinese’, although I am not fluent yet, it feels remarkable to say that I have done it and I am doing it!

    I didn’t drive myself to the brink of insanity to only come this far.  My Chinese language learning journey continues until I am fluent.

    Shanghai you were amazing.  The city itself is a bubble and not representative of the rest of the country.  Large parts of China remain poor and rural. But Shanghai is representative of China’s new money and new wealth.  It offers a real glimpse into the future of Chinese development and gives us an idea what tier 2 cities will soon look like; wealthy, prosperous and cosmopolitan.

    For a long time I was jealous of multi lingual people.  Language learning is the most amazing stretch of intellectual ability, just in a completely different way to what we learn at school. Numerous studies show positive changes in neuroplasticity as a result of language learning.  My brain will never be the same as a result of this scholarship!

    Once again, thank you.  I can make a promise to the foundation that your decision to invest in me will not have been in vain.