Steve's sandbox

Tag: French

  • 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

     

  • Amy Clark – Palma de Mallorca – June 2015

    friends

    Debido al hecho que este es la última vez que estaré escribiendo sobre mis experiencias extranjeros me gustaría expresar mi gratitud a John Speak Languages Trust para darme la ocasión para aprovechar de mis estancias en Francia y en España. Esta beca me ayudaba mucho durante esos diez meses, me ha permitido hacer cosas que no hubieran sido posibles si yo no fui elegido para recibir la beca.

    Tengo que decir que Mallorca es un lugar tan bonita y definitivamente yo recomendaría que organizar una visita. Durante mis tres meses aquí he tratado de viajar lo tanto que posible para descubrir toda la isla. Me aprovechaba mucho de visitando los lugares más bonitos y me parece que ahora, después de pasando todo este tiempo en el extranjero aprendí como apreciar más las cosas.  Creo que las experiencias que he disfrutado quedarán conmigo para todo mi vida; por ejemplo, toda la nueva gente que conocí de diferentes origines y países, las diferencias entre la cultura francesa y española y finalmente que he mejorado mucho mis conocimientos de la lengua francesa y española que estaba el objeto principal de este tiempo en el extranjero.

    Me siento que sobretodo mi confianza ha aumentado más, ahora puedo  ir a un lugar desconocido y hablar en francés o español a personas que no conozco, ya no tengo miedo. A mi parece que es esta experiencia que me ha ayudado de mejorar mucho estas competencias y me alegro mucho que he tenido estas ocasiones como parte de mi curso universitario.

    Sin duda, me gustaría continuar viajando en el futuro, creo que el mundo es tan grande para quedar en el mismo lugar y que viajando se ayuda a ver el mundo en una manera diferente. Después de mi ultimo ano de universitario espero que encuentre un trabajo que puedo realmente disfrutar y además uno que me permite de viajar en Francia o España para que pueda continuar aprender más de las culturas, los países y utilizar mis conocimientos de las dos lenguas.

    Calvía

    English Translation:

    Due to the fact that this is the last time that I will be writing about my  abroad experiences I would like to say a big thank you to John Speak Languages Trust for giving me the opportunity to make the most out of my time in France and Spain. This grant has helped me a lot during these 10 months, it has allowed me to do things that wouldn´t have been possible if I wasn´t chosen to receive the grant.

    I have to say that Mallorca is such a beautiful place and I would definitely recommend that you  organize a visit. During my 3 months here I have tried to travel as much as possible in order to see the rest of the island. I have made the most out of visiting the most beautiful places and I think now, after spending all this time abroad I have learnt how to appreciate things more. I believe that the experiences I have enjoyed will stay with me forever; for example, all the new people that I have met from different origins and countries, the differences between French and Spanish culture and finally that I have improved my knowledge of the French and Spanish language which was the main objective of my time abroad.

    Views

    I feel that above all my confidence has increased the most, now I can go somewhere new and speak French or Spanish to people that I don’t know, and I´m no longer scared. It seems to me that this experience has helped me to greatly improve these skills and I´m so glad that I have had these opportunities as part of my university course.

    Without a doubt, I would like to continue travelling in the future, I believe that the world is too big to stay in the same place and that travelling helps you to see the world differently. After my final year at of university I hope that I find a job that I can really enjoy and furthermore one that allows me to travel in France or Spain so I can continue to learn more about the cultures, the countries and to use my knowledge of the two languages.

  • Amy Clark – Montpelier, France

    Amy Clark, Montpelier, France – October 2014

    During my two months in France I have been immersed into the French culture and language, my language skills have vastly improved.  Each day, I have a little more confidence when I’m speaking to other French speakers and I feel that people are becoming friendlier, especially at work! ​

  • Frank Clayton – Case Study, 1949 (Tarn, France)

    Frank Clayton, France 1949

    “Thanks to the language skills I gained following my scholarship and my time in France, I was involved in the export trade for many years throughout my career”.

    At my school it had been compulsory for ‘A stream’ students to study French and Latin.  Ideally, I would have preferred to study French and German but this was only available at ‘B stream’ level.  I do, however, now speak basic German and Italian after studying both languages later in life at night school and on my travels.

    After leaving school, I began working for a local Wool Merchants.

    To enhance my employment opportunities, in 1949 at the ripe old age of eighteen, I applied for and was lucky enough to receive a John Speak Scholarship (I had to wait until I was eighteen before I could apply as stipulated in the Terms and Conditions).  My family were very supportive of my decision to travel and study French abroad in order to further my career opportunities.  My journey began with a train journey to London, train to Dover, ferry to Calais, train to Paris, train to Toulouse and finally a Michelin rail bus to Mazamet in Tarn, France.

    I spent six wonderful months in Tarn, France living in ‘digs’ with full board.  I was lucky to have my own room with a wash basis but no hot running water.  The room was very basic with no television, radio or telephone.  The toilet was located at the very end of the garden!  Although the amenities were very basic to say the least, I loved it, I really did!

    As well as studying the language I worked full time (unpaid) to help improve my French.

    In 1949 there had been restrictions in place which only allowed those leaving the United Kingdom with a maximum amount of £25 in their pocket.  The Scholarship (approximately £30 per month) provided enough income to pay for my ‘digs’ and food but during my stay the Government devalued the Pound Sterling to the French Franc meaning my monthly allowance was reduced to £25 per month!

    Thanks to the language skills I gained following my scholarship and my time in France, I was involved in the export trade for many years throughout my career.  French proved to be an essential language for negotiating with Countries such as Algeria in my work.  My French also came into its’ own many years later when spending time holidaying in France with my wife and family.  Very useful when booking caravan sites and negotiating a fair price!

    I will always be grateful to the John Speak Trust for the Scholarship I received all those years ago.  My career would have definitely taken a different path had it not been for the opportunities it provided.

    I am very pleased that the Trust continues to live on after all this time.  The Scholarships have assisted many language students such as myself pursue a career in helping the export trade of the United Kingdom and may it continue to do so for many more years to come!

     

    Frank Clayton

     

    Tarn, France

    Tarn is a department in the Midi-Pyrenees region in the southwest of France, named after the Tarn River.  It was formed in 1790 of the three dioceses of Albi, Castres and Lavaur, belonging to the province of Languedoc

    st. chely-du-tarn, france

  • Derek Platts – Case Study, Brussels (1954)

    Derek Platts, Brussels 1954

    “It was wonderful to see that the Trust is still going and providing the same opportunities to young people after all this time.  May it long continue to do so”, Derek Platts. 

     

    Sixty years ago in 1954, I was 23, had recently completed my national Service in the RAF and was working in my first job in the export department of a large tool manufacturer in Sheffield when I saw an advert in the local paper inviting applications for a language scholarship with the John Speak Language Trust (it was called the John Speak foundation in those days). As I met the criteria of working in export and having a basic understanding of a foreign language – French – I decided to apply. After a rather scary interview at the Bradford Chamber of Commerce with a group of gentlemen who I understood were all involved in the wool trade, I was fortunate to be selected.

    My employers agreed to give me 6 months leave of absence and arranged for me to work with one of their agents abroad. I was hoping to go to France, but in those days there was very little export business done with France due to restrictions imposed by the French government, so they arranged for me to go to Brussels.

    The first thing I had to sort out was how to get there. That will seem an odd thing to say now, but back in 1954 there were no budget airlines, and normal airlines were far too expensive. One way would have been to get the train to London, then to Dover for the ferry to Ostend, but again this was quite expensive, so my firm came up with an alternative. We shipped a lot of tools from UK ports to Antwerp, so they fixed it for me to go as a passenger on cargo boat . I was the only passenger and we sailed late one night from Goole bound for Antwerp. I awoke the next morning somewhere in the middle of a very rough North Sea and did not feel good at all. Around mid-day I was invited to join the captain for lunch. I managed to sit down at the table with him but that was as far as I got before I was finally overcome with sea sickness, much to his amusement.

    Brussels, 1954

    Eventually we got to Antwerp and I made my way to Brussels and found the office where I was going to work. I stayed the first few days in a youth hostel until I found a room with a lady who also provided full board. She had a shop with rooms above it in the Chaussee de Waterloo which was 10 minutes walk from the office and the centre of Brussels. Couldn’t have been better.

    Also staying there was a German chap a Belgian student and also the landlady’s son, all like me in their early twenties. The only problem was that we didn’t have a language in common. The landlady and her son only spoke French, the student only Flemish & French, the German English & German but no French. So we had some very interesting conversations when we all sat down for a meal together!

    In the office I found that although Belgium is bi-lingual, the business language used was French although the staff was a mixture of native French and Flemish speakers. It was interesting to note that the native Flemish speakers all could speak French, but very few of the native French speakers could speak Flemish, and even in those days it was not unusual to find that some native Flemish speakers would not speak French even though they could. I even had one occasion where a Flemish speaker would not speak to me in French but was quite happy to do so in English. Sadly I understand that the division is even more marked nowadays than it was then.

    Everyone in the office was instructed to speak to me in French which was hard for some of them who could speak English as they wanted to practice it. However, it all worked out very well and at the end of my six months I was able to carry out a reasonable conversation and also found it fairly easy to read anything written in French. I must admit however, that I was not very good at actually writing in French which was only to be expected considering that I had been learning by listening to people speaking without any actual tuition.  Not long after my return to the UK I had to accompany a senior executive of my company to Paris to act as interpreter as they had appointed an agent there in the hope of starting some business. I thought I was doing quite well but the French people I was talking to seemed to find it amusing which was a bit disconcerting, until one of them told me the reason. He said he had never heard an Englishman talking French before – with a Belgian accent!  I was quite pleased actually as it was a lot better than being obviously an Englishman trying to speak French and proof indeed that the best way to learn a language is by living and working with people who speak it.

    I continued in the export trade for a number of years after that where my French continued to be of use until I had a change of career and went into the advertising business. At first there was no opportunity to make use of it until I got the job of organising a photographic shoot for a major car manufacturer. A basic requirement was to find a location where the weather was better than the UK, not too far away, with a variety of interesting scenery and locations and where it was possible to find places with not to many people about. Where better than France? So that is what I did, and it was so successful that over the years I repeated the exercise several times. Needless to say my knowledge of the language was invaluable.

    I eventually retired and found that without regular use my French became more than a little rusty, but now I have found it returning again as my eldest daughter has been living in France for the last 7 or 8 years and I spend quite a bit of time there so I get plenty of practice.

    I will be forever grateful to the John Speak trust for that scholarship so many years ago as my life has been so enriched by the opportunities it gave me.

    It was wonderful to see that the Trust is still going and providing the same opportunities to young people after all this time. May it long continue to do so.

    Derek Platts, 2014

  • Alexander Arch, France – September 2014

    Alex Arch rugby training in France

    Je suis devenu plus stable en France ce mois, je me suis inscrit une salle de gym et joint une équipe de rugby, donc j’ai une routine maintenant, je fait quelque chose tous les jours. J’ai eu la chance d’acheter le billets pour les matchs de PSG dans le Ligue des Champions, il m’excite parce que je n’ai jamais été à un match du Ligue de Champions. Je pense que mon discours s’améliore, je suis timide quand je parle à des inconnus mais je parle avec plus de confiance avec mes amis, mon entraîneur de rugby, a dit que je m’améliore aussi. J’ai remarqué quelques similitudes et les différences entre l’Angleterre et la France. Les similitudes sont les files d’attente du médecin et le prix des transports publics. J’avais besoin d’un certificat de santé de jouer au rugby et à ma grande surprise, j’ai dû attendre 2 heures!! En outre, les coûts de transport publics sont élevés ce qui est similaire au Royaume-Uni (à l’exception 80p autobus à Sheffield), cela me coûte environ 4 euros pour un billet de retour au travail sur le RER (3 minutes dans chaque direction) heureusement, je vais au vélo normalement. Les différences que j’ai remarquées sont; la vitesse de la parole et la gentillesse des gens dans la rue. Je trouve la vitesse que certains parlent est phénoménal et difficile à comprendre, mais ce n’est pas un problème que je dois apprendre à comprendre la languen’importe comment elle est parlée. Aussi dans les rues les gens ne sourient jamais ou dire bonjour qui me manque de vivre à Sheffield!

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    I have become more settled in France this month. I have joined a rugby team, joined a gym and basically got into a routine where I am doing something all day, every day. I have also been lucky enough to get my hands on tickets to go and see PSG in the Champions League, which I am really excited about it as I’ve never been to a game in this competition before. I feel as though my language is progressing well, I am still quite shy when speaking to strangers but I feel as though my conversations with friends are flowing much better, my rugby coach has also said that my language has improved quite a lot in a month. I have experienced many differences and similarities between the UK and France recently. The most significant similarities which I encountered were the queues in the doctors and the price of public transport; I needed a medical certificate from the doctor which enabled to play rugby and to my surprise I was waiting for 2 hours to see him! Also, public transport costs are high which is like the UK (except 80p buses in Sheffield), it costs me around 4 euros for a return ticket to work on the RER (3 minutes each way), fortunately I normally bike!! The differences that I’ve noticed are; the speed at which the French talk and the friendliness of people on the street. I find the speed at which some people speak phenomenal and hard to understand, but this is good as I need to learn how to understand the language no matter how it is spoken. Also, in the streets the people rarely smile and say hello which I miss from living in Sheffield!

    Alex Arch with family in Paris