Steve's sandbox

Tag: Case Study

  • Geoffrey Padgett – Case Study, France 1953

    In 1953 at age 22, I was fortunate to receive a Scholarship from the John Speak Trust to assist with my French studies.  The Scholarship provided a small amount of funding towards my travel, lodgings and food during six months abroad.   I received a mere £30 per month.  I worked in the wool trade (salary £233 per annum, Tax £6 and 4 shillings) and my employers felt time abroad would be beneficial to my career.

    My journey to France began by train from Bradford to London, Calais then to Lille, a city in northern France.  A somewhat dilapidated boarding house in Roubaix would provide my accommodation for the next six months.  In addition to studying French (as a condition of my Scholarship) I worked voluntarily, during which I learned every stage of converting wool into cloth, i.e. sorting, spinning, weaving and finishing.  I recall having to obtain a Visa, provide a ration book and report regularly to the local Police.

    The time I spent in France has proved invaluable throughout my career within the wool export industry.  My first business trip abroad was to Scandinavia travelling by train and boat, spending two weeks each in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark – quite an exhausting two months even visiting a mill inside the Arctic Circle.

    Thanks to my time abroad, I have always been ready to accept and adapt quickly to changes in language and culture in order to facilitate business activity abroad.

    I continue to use French in my daily life as well as speaking German and some Italian.  I have always felt it only polite to attempt other languages when visiting foreign countries.

    Being able to speak French fluently allowed me to converse on many subjects in depth and learn more about other cultures, e.g. North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco where French is widely used.  I have remained in touch with many of the friends and colleagues I have met during my travels and nowadays visit regularly for holidays.

    Learning a foreign language, working and living amongst native speakers has proved invaluable.  I did however find that learning a foreign language within a ‘factory floor’ environment did have its drawbacks too!  Unfortunately in the early days I could not always distinguish those phrases which are not acceptable in polite society. This came to light during a weekend break in Calais with a pen friend, his mother and close friends.  During the conversation,   apparently I had described my accommodation in a very unsuitable manner.  Following my detailed and somewhat rude description my penfriend’s female guests felt obliged to make an untimely embarrassed departure!

    For the 1957 Queen Elizabeth II State Visit to France I was asked to provide a short article about my Scholarship and time in France.  This was published in the official booklet for the Queen’s official visit Le Nord Textile 11 April 1957.  I was very privileged to have my story published and have kept a copy of the booklet all these years.  One of many proud and cherished memories.

    I remained in contact with the John Speak Trust, later serving as a Trust Committee member for 33 years of which 17 as Chairman.  After receiving financial assistance from the Trust all those years ago, it was an honour to be in a position to offer the same help to other language students who were starting out in their careers.

    I would recommend, without any hesitation, the John Speak Trust to UK language students.  Learning a foreign language whilst abroad, amongst native speakers, living and working within another culture has proved invaluable, an experience I shall never forget and an opportunity for which I will always be grateful.

     

    Geoffrey Padgett

    Geoffrey Padgett June 2015

     

  • Anthony Kassapian – Case Study,

    The year was 1960, I was nineteen years old, working in the wool trade for the family business, Kassapians (Combers) Limited.  I applied for a John Speak Trust Scholarship to finance a six month study/voluntary working trip to France to improve my French and broaden my horizons.

    Unfortunately I had experienced a rocky start on the long journey from Bradford to France (via London) having arranged to meet a friend at Earls Court but unfortunately took the wrong tube train upon arriving in London and subsequently got lost!  Fortunately I managed to find my way to our arranged meeting place just in time – not the best start to my adventure.

    I was fortunate to have an Aunt living in France who welcomed me upon my arrival and who I regularly visited during my time abroad. Whilst in France I initially stayed in a hotel and later with a French family in Clermont-Ferrand, an area governed by the factory Michelin.

     

    As well as studying French, I worked long hours (voluntary) six days a week for a travel agency and spent many evenings at the University where the food was cheap and making many new ‘international’ friendships.

    During my time in France (as a condition of my Scholarship) I had to send monthly reports to the Chamber of Commerce written in French.  Once approved, I would receive a small financial contribution towards my board and minor expenses. I believe the Trust still uses the same system today.  In addition, I was also fortunate to receive some financial help from my parents.

     

    In addition to learning to speak French fluently, I experienced a totally different culture and way of life. I met many different kinds of people and formed numerous new international friendships.  I learnt that socially the French were much more outgoing than the English with very elaborate tastes in fine dining and wine. This was a very new and exciting social aspect that I fully embraced during my scholarship.

     

     

    Whilst abroad I kept in regular contact with my parents, family members and friends by letter (copies of which I still cherish today).  Occasionally I would receive a phone call but this was a very rare occurrence due to the cost.  I was also lucky to receive a short visit from my parents. I missed them very much so it was wonderful to see them after spending several weeks away from home.

     

    Six months seemed like a short space of time to learn a new language, culture and experience new friendships, but within that time I learnt a great deal.

     

    I would certainly encourage language students to apply for a Scholarship.  The experience has provided invaluable in my work, career, social life and also allowed me to grow as a person.  I have held four Directorships throughout my career and will always be grateful to the Trust for providing the opportunity to travel, learn another language and for the opportunities this opened up for me.

    I am very pleased that the Trust continues to assist our language students of today providing many with an opportunity to learn, speak and write a foreign language in an environment I personally believe to be much more beneficial than a classroom.

     

    Anthony Kassapian

     

  • Emily Martin – Case Study: China 2014 – 2015

    I’ve just finished my third year of studying Chinese at Cambridge University, spending my year abroad studying at Peking University in Beijing, China. I was lucky enough to have a fairly relaxed schedule at Peking University, so I was able to do a variety of internships and volunteering during the year, from marketing internships and journalism to volunteering at an orphanage. These placements not only helped me improve my spoken Chinese in a real life environment, but also gave me insight into many aspects of life in China. For example, through talking to my colleagues at the orphanage, I learnt far more about the reality of the Chinese healthcare system, and peoples’ attitude to it than I would ever learn in class.

    Travelling around China and East Asia also formed a very enjoyable part of my year. I am currently travelling alone in the more rural areas of southern China. While travelling is great fun, it has also been a very useful way to practice my Chinese and gain experience of different regional accents and dialects.

    While living in China has not always been easy, I have learnt a lot from both the amazing experiences and the challenge I have faced this year.

     

    To anyone considering a spending year abroad, I would while-heartedly recommend it. I have not only gained a better grasp of the language and culture, but feel like it has changed my entire outlook on travel and cultural values.

    Finally, I would like to thank the John Speak Trust for the support I have received this year, it has opened so many doors for me and helped me to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities presented to me this year.

  • Nadia – Case Study – Beijing, China 2014-15

    In August 2014 I set off for Beijing for my year abroad at Peking University to continue with my language studies. I’d spent a month in Beijing the summer before and loved it, so I went back with very high expectations of what my year abroad was going to be like. Somehow, my experiences in China still managed to exceed my expectations.

    Thanks to the John Speak Trust, I managed to spend many of my long weekends and holidays travelling around China and I saw so many more places than I was expecting to, and met so many locals I otherwise wouldn’t have. I have so many stories to share after these last ten months and these memories will stay with me forever. Of course, living in Beijing did have its occasional low moments – like when it was -13 degrees and the pollution levels were off the scales. Despite this, I am still extremely keen to return to Beijing to work after I graduate, not only just to be back in such an exciting city, but also to make sure I keep up my improved language skills. Going on a year abroad was an amazing way to get out of my comfort zone and I would recommend it to everyone who has the chance.

    I’m extremely grateful to the John Speak Trust for granting me this scholarship since it played a significant role in making my year abroad as incredible as it was.

  • Amy Clark – Case Study France and Spain 2014-2015

    I can´t quite believe that my 18 months abroad are coming to an end, it only seems like 2 minutes since I was boarding the plane to Alicante in January 2014 to begin my Erasmus study period! I feel that my time abroad, in France and Spain has been the most beneficial part of my university course so far; not only has it allowed me to greatly improve my French and Spanish but I´ve also developed a variety of skills that are going to help me throughout the rest of my life! As a student from Sheffield Hallam University, now in my 3rd year, I jumped at this opportunity of being awarded a scholarship, as I knew it would be a big help towards various costs that travelling and working abroad would endeavor.

    My scholarship was split between my time in Montpellier, France and Palma De Mallorca, Spain, however during this time I was also able to travel to other places in Europe, making the most of the opportunities that I had. I managed to visit Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse, Nimes and  Geneva whilst living in France, it´s been amazing to be able to travel and see so much in such a short time! As for my time here in Palma de Mallorca, I’ve spent my weekends exploring the beautiful island, hiring cars with new friends from all different backgrounds, visiting remote non-touristic places and generally experiencing the true Spanish culture. I´ve got to say that life on a Spanish island is definitely something I’d think about later on in life and Mallorca in particular is amazingly beautiful!

    Aside from all the exciting travelling, meeting new people and learning new things, there has of course been times when I’ve missed home, my friends and family and even once or twice when I have wished I could be back, but I know that this experience has had a huge impact on my life and on me as a person and I’m so grateful for the opportunity; I have no regrets about moving abroad and leaving my life in England behind as I know the positives have far outweighed the negatives! I’m looking forward to finishing my degree in Sheffield and moving on to bigger and better things!

    Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to the John Speak Scholarship Trust for giving me the great pleasure of being a part of their organisation for the last 10 months and would without a doubt, recommend it to anyone who is eligible to apply!

  • Alexander Arch – Case Study, Paris, France 2014 – 2015

    I am a student of French, Spanish qnd international business at Sheffiled Hallam University.   I have spent my year abroad in Noisy-le-Grand, just outside of Paris. Whilst in France, I worked for a holiday comparison website which allowed me to develop my French and Spanish skills in a professional environment. The placement also helped me identify the areas of business which interest me.   As I was working for a small company I was able to witness how it was run as well as seeing how my contributions affected income and views.

    Whilst living and working in France, I was fortunate to find a local rugby club which allowed me to meet many people from all over the country as well as hearing slang and very familiar French which I don’t encounter at work (or university!!).

    I discovered that spending as much time with locals as possible really helped develop my language skills.  When I arrived I found it difficult to understand many people due to their accents and because they spoke so quickly, but now I find it easier to understand most people- however I still struggle with the southern French accents!

    Over the past year I have had many unforgettable experiences, I’ve learned many things and I’ve made life-long friends.  I have really enjoyed this past year and would recommend undertaking a placement abroad to anybody.

     

    Finally, I would like to thank the John Speak Trust for their support during my time abroad.  The Trust has given me the opportunity to really embrace and make the most of my time in France, an experience that I’ll never forget.

    Alexander Arch – August 2014 to May 2015 (France)

  • Josie Holley – Case Study Geneva, Switzerland (2013-2014)

    After having finished my degree in French and Spanish with Interpreting at the University of Sheffield, I knew where I wanted my career to go. Since the age of 16 I have wanted to be a conference interpreter. I took the entrance exams for the University of Geneva, and I was accepted.

    The only problem was that Geneva is not the cheapest city in the world, to use a good old British understatement.

    The money I received from the John Speak Trust enabled me not only to survive through my Master’s but also to grab as many experiences as I could firmly by the horns.

    Conference Interpreting is a career path which requires deep cultural understanding of the countries whose languages you study. Geneva being a French speaking city, the francophone side was already covered, but the money from the John Speak Trust also allowed me to travel to the south of Spain for two weeks during my Christmas holidays and to travel around Switzerland, both French and German speaking during Easter.

    As it currently stands, I have just passed my second semester and am gearing up to face my third and final semester here in Geneva. This bursary has enabled me to discover a city that I love, and one which I hope will be my home for a few years to come.

    My experience in Geneva has confirmed me as a citizen of the world, as Geneva serves as a cross roads for many languages, cultures and ideas thanks to its International Organisations, including the UN, which I have been lucky enough to work in as a volunteer over the past few weeks. I had already experienced life in a French speaking country through my Erasmus in Bordeaux, but Geneva offers a different, unique perspective, being a town that is French speaking only in name; I regularly hear French, English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and goodness knows how many other languages that I do not even recognise, and that is just on the tram!

    My advice to anybody considering a bursary to travel abroad would be to grab the opportunity while you can!

    It is a unique experience, and one which is not always easy, but it provides you with excellent skills for the jobs market, and more importantly broadens your personal horizons and opens doors that you never knew existed. The most important thing to do is to go native so to speak. Eat where the locals eat, drink what the locals drink, chill out where the locals chill out, and above all, make every effort to speak what the locals speak!

  • Siân Summerton – Case Study Barcelona, Spain (2015)

    Thank you to the John Speak trust for their invaluable support during my time in Barcelona

     

    As I chose to study French, Spanish and EU Studies (MA Hons) at the University of Edinburgh, I was aware that this would involve a year working or studying abroad in 2014-2015. The idea of working had always appealed to me, as ideally I wanted the opportunity to use my languages in a professional working environment.

    From June to November 2014, I spent six months working as the Social Policy and Public Health assistant for Commission 2 of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in Strasbourg, France. Working as part of an international team, my duties included translation, event management, speech writing, building and managing websites, contacting MEPs/ speakers and managing social media. I also conducted research which contributed towards consultations for the European Commission. In this post, I learnt how to prioritise different tasks and successfully worked on a number of high-profile projects simultaneously.

    I cannot emphasise enough just how educational and enjoyable this experience was, and I was delighted to be awarded a lot of responsibility in this post.

    Leaving Strasbourg, AER and a group of wonderful friends and colleagues was absolutely heart-breaking, but I knew that I still had an exciting time in Spain to look forward to!

    I was fortunate to gain a post in the centre of Barcelona from January to April 2015, working for a wine and spirits merchant called ‘Decantalo’, focusing on marketing, communication and translation. This involved communication with English-speaking clients, fulfilling orders, responding to queries and providing detailed advice on a wide number of wines, champagnes and spirits. Moreover, I was fortunate to further my marketing and translation skills through working on the website and the blog, including writing a number of articles. I also became confident using ERP systems and obviously my confidence and Spanish language skills improved immensely.

    I am now commencing my last 2 weeks in Barcelona and simply cannot believe how quickly the past year has gone.

    I have now been away for a staggering 41 weeks, although it seems like yesterday that I was boarding the plane to Strasbourg, terrified at the prospect of a new language, a new country, a new city and a new job!

    Over the past year, I have made friends from around the globe, had a wealth of enriching experiences and developed as an individual, both on a professional and a personal level. I know that the skills gained over the past year will remain with me for the rest of my life.

     

     

    Thank you to the John Speak trust for their invaluable support during my time in Barcelona.

    Without their help, this opportunity simply would not have been possible and I am incredibly grateful to them for allowing me to achieve my goals.

     

    Sian Summerton, Barcelona April 2015

  • Tony Lumb – Case Study, Germany (1959)

    “I would most definitely recommend the John Speak Trust to others. My time spent abroad using a foreign language allowed me to learn a new language and culture in a different environment both physically and spiritually”

     

    In 1959 I was fortunate to receive a six month scholarship from the John Speak Language Trust.  I was eighteen years old when I was released by my English employer (Bradford based) for six months to study and work in Germany. My journey to Germany began by rail and then by ferry. I resided in South Germany and rented a room in a residential property from a German family. I travelled extensively on a daily basis with Sales Representatives from my English employers undertaking light office duties. During my six month scholarship I recall having to write monthly reports in German for the Managing Director of the firm in Bradford for which I worked. I initially worked as a trainee, later taking on the role of a salesman abroad for the two Bradford based textile exporting companies where I stayed for six years.

    My passion for the German language eventually led to a radical change in my career. I became a teacher of foreign languages (mainly German) at three English independent Grammar schools. My language teaching career spanned over thirty years.

    Now retired (age 73), I continue to correspond with my many German acquaintances. I regularly write letters, read fiction and non-fiction and listen to music in German. I continue to use my German regularly as the language has been a part of my being since I was first taught it at the age of 13. Learning foreign languages as a youngster has certainly been beneficial to my career in sales and essential in my teaching.

    The John Speak Trust scholarship was, in retrospect, the third rung on the ladder which made me into a life-long teacher and disciple of German. As a thirteen year old pupil attending Grammar School in the North of England I was taught German by an inspirational teacher from Vienna. At sixteen I spent several weeks on an exchange holiday in South Germany and then came the scholarship when I became fluent in the German language. I subsequently studied German language and literature for one year at the University of Erlangen followed by six months at the University of Vienna and a further three years at an English University.

     

    Initially, as an eighteen year old living abroad I was emotionally immature. I had to become stronger spiritually and more independent in my new foreign environment. After spending three months in a rural setting in South Germany, I moved to the large industrial city of Essen. It was here that I met many urban people, many from other countries. Even today, as an adult volunteer dealing with teenagers from abroad, I draw upon those early experiences I had as a John Speak Award recipient, when encouraging young, homesick volunteers to persevere, overcome isolation and succeed in an enterprise abroad.

    I would most definitely recommend the John Speak Trust to others. My time spent abroad using a foreign language allowed me to learn a new language and culture in a different environment both physically and spiritually. The broadening of my mind (thanks to the Trust and my experiences) has enabled me to travel to other countries and discover further cultures especially during my retirement years, when I became an adult volunteer for a company dealing with youth global work and travelled to Argentina and Mexico using my second foreign language, Spanish.

    Michael Anthony Lumb

     

    Essen is a city in the central part of the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the River Ruhr, its population of approximately 567,000 (as of 31 December 2012) makes it the 9th-largest city in Germany. For the year 2010, Essen was the European Capital of Culture on behalf of the whole Ruhr area.

  • Jo Dawson – Case Study, France (1992)

    Looking back, I can probably say that the 3 month scholarship from the John Speak Trust was one of the key defining points of my life – something for which I am extremely grateful.

    One of the many memories that I have of my John Speak Scholarship time in France was talking to the lorry driver I was travelling with one day who was trying to explain to me that the workings of the braking system on his truck was based around magnets.  You can imagine the difficulty trying to work out what he was trying to tell me whilst driving around the country roads in the area around Rheims.  However we got there in the end and, 23 years later, I can still picture the moment that I worked out the key word ‘Aimant’ meant ‘Magnet’.  Such is the power of learning a language from the native speakers of a country and without any possibility of help from Google Translate or Phoning a Friend.

    My scholarship lead me to France in the summer of 1992.  I was still at UMIST University in Manchester, studying International Management  and French when I applied to the John Speak Trust having secured a place at the Ecole de Commerce de Grenoble where I was to study from September that year.  Having accepted the place,

    I was worried that the level of my French would not allow me to fully understand and participate in the lectures that would be held in the local language throughout that year.

    Through my father’s business I managed to secure a 3 month work placement with one of their French wool suppliers, Ets Vromant SA, run and owned by the very kind Jacques Vromant.  The scholarship from the John Speak Trust allowed me to cover my living costs which were meagre as I lived in a ‘Foyer de jeunes travailleurs’ – an eye-opening place to live which housed an eclectic group of young French people. My placement started in Lille where I worked in the Vromant foam factory, glueing foam together.  A strange start which improved my vocabulary of words such as ‘Baby changing mattresses’, ‘Double foam sofa’ and ‘glue guns’.  Words that I don’t use every day now (other than baby changing mattresses when my children were born – more of that later), but were exceptionally useful and intriguing during those first few weeks.

    Having mastered the French words for ‘foam bathmat shaped as a foot’, I moved onto the next location of my placement – Rheims, where I travelled around the French countryside helping the team collect wool from the local farmers.  I learned that this was the area where Champagne was grown in amongst a surprising number of sheep as well as the word ‘Pavot’ which describes a beautiful white poppy-like flower that lives in the French hedgerows.  To this day I don’t know the English translation for this flower, but to me it is a ‘Pavot’.  This was a short part of my learning journey as I moved the following week to spend the remainder of my time in Limoges from where I joined the wool collecting team, making forays into the Massif Central to buy wool from farmers.

    In amongst the farm visits where we would be welcomed at 10am at a farmers kitchen table with a glass of ‘Berger Blanc’ or similar (an aniseed-based 45% alcohol designed to descale the kettle) I learned the word ‘Andouillette’.  This is an offal-filled sausage, the smell of which to-this-day reminds me of that fateful lunch when the ‘Plat du Jour’ comprised what I thought of as an innocent looking sausage.  Oh how I was mistaken, yet some of my French friends today see it as a delicacy.  Much like the way my wife still struggles even now to understand the concept behind Pork crackling…

    When we were not out in the truck collecting wool, I spent time sorting that very wool with some really interesting characters – one of whom I remember was called Pascal.  He taught me the essential words such as ‘bale press’, ‘fleece’, ‘dags’ (the dung that we were removing from the back end of the fleece) and other very choice but essential words that I can’t repeat here.  However, once he got bored with this, he tried to teach me the local Patois, though with limited success.  Though they did laugh when I tried to speak in their local accent – great memories.  It was during my stay in Limoges that I remember starting to dream in French – a clear sign that all was starting to click into place.

    Massif Central, France

    Armed with this wide-ranging and essential vocabulary and a far greater ability to understand many of the people I met, I drove diagonally across France towards Grenoble to start my new academic year.  During this journey, after a frustrating time following caravans crawling their way through the windy mountainous terrain of the Massif Central, I was stopped by the French police for speeding down the hill the other side.  Having established the fact that I had no money in order to pay the fine, the Gendarme took me into the police van whilst he decided what to do with me.  I explained where I was going and why I had been frustrated going so slowly behind the caravans and awaited the verdict.  Having pondered this for a while he let me go with the words ‘seeing as you speak such good French and have no money to pay the fine I will let you off this time.  But don’t think that if you get caught later in the journey they will be so kind to you!’.  John Speak saved me from a fine that day.

    My scholarship story ends as my new year in Grenoble started.  I was able to speak French fluently – something I am sure helped me to complete a fulfilling year at Grenoble and not least meet my wife and start a new era of my life.  My wife and I now live in England where French is our home language (including ‘baby-changing mattresses’) and our bi-lingual children choose whichever word fits best into the sentence.

     I use my French language regularly in my business where I export wool around the world.

     

    I am convinced that the deep understanding of the French language and culture that I gained by being dropped into an intense learning situation at that time has lead me to better understand and appreciate the many different cultures that I deal with in my day to day business.  This cultural appreciation was one of the key aims of the visionary John Speak when he left the funds for our use so many years ago.

    Looking back, I can probably say that the 3 month scholarship from the John Speak Trust was one of the key defining points of my life – something for which I am extremely grateful.

    Jo Dawson 

    Jo Dawson, JST Committee member