Welcome to the opportunity to widen your horizons!
The John Speak Languages Scholarship can provide you with complementary funding to assist you to travel overseas to study a language.
Mastering one or several languages provides enjoyment and a wider understanding of the world in which we live. In addition, language speakers are in demand by employers. By applying for a John Speak Language Scholarship, you are stating that you would like to use your mastery of languages in a manner that will benefit the UK economy.
The John Speak Languages Trust was set up in 1924 when a Bradford visionary left significant funds for the purpose of helping students to improve their language skills in order to support the export trade of UK goods and services. This visionary was John Speak, a leading figure in the Yorkshire textile industry.
John Speak anonymously donated these funds to the Bradford Chamber of Commerce as he recognized that whilst English is a widely-used language, long-lasting and strong commercial relationships are more often born by genuinely understanding other languages and cultures.
The trust has funded many scholarships to countries such as wide-reaching as Argentina, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, France, Germany and Burma to name but a few.
Successful applicants will benefit from an average award of £1,870 each. Scholarships last between three and twelve months and can be tailored to individual circumstances.
Interested in applying? Then check out the criteria
“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.
Manchester University are currently recruiting alumni who use languages in their career to take part in our Love Languages careers panel event. You can find details of our previous events here. If you are interested in getting involved fill in this short survey or email richard.screaton@manchester.ac.uk
The year was 1986; I was 21 years old and had just finished a Business Studies Course at Bradford College.
I had taken a linguistics option with advanced French and beginners Spanish so when I learned about the John Speak Language Scholarships I was eager to go to Spain to bring both languages to a similar level. At the time, I think the scholarship was mainly given to people working in companies with European ties. I was told I could have the scholarship if I could find a company who would employ me on for the six months.
My father was a printer and one of the printing ink suppliers told him they had connections to a Spanish ink company. I wrote to the Spanish company and they agreed for me to work there for a six month period.
Michelle Dalgety, Spain 1986
The Spanish company was based in Bilbao, northern Spain. I travelled by train, through France and onto Bilbao. I stayed in a hostel for the duration of my six month scholarship.
It was quite difficult at first as this was my first full time job and I was doing it in a foreign language. It was also the first time I had left home, so I was growing up in a sense too. My Spanish was very basic and I thought I would never become fluent. I was lucky to have landed in Bilbao as historically it had many connections with England due to the iron ore mines and people tended to like the British. They are fiercely proud of their football team which was set up by the English so right from the start everyone was extremely helpful, welcoming and eager for me to learn.
Bilbao was in a period of industrial unrest when I went over, the ship builders were due to close and there were lots of street protests and barricaded roads. It was also politically tense and there were fights between police and masked demonstrators most weekends. The Basque government were negotiating the devolution of more powers which later resulted in the astounding transformation of Bilbao from a dirty industrial city into a vibrant modern city.
Just as my scholarship was ending, the Spanish company I was working for was bought by a US multinational and my English became vital to the company, so they asked me to stay on a further 6 months. This turned into a permanent contract and in the end my six months became twenty three years! I worked in the same company until 2009 when recession hit and I was made redundant.
I am obviously bi-lingual and still use Spanish when Skyping my friends in Spain and I often read Spanish newspapers too! Unfortunately I have not used my Spanish professionally since I moved back to Bradford.
The John Speak Trust was a complete life changer for me, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to live and work in another country. I am astounded that the United Kingdom gives such low importance to foreign languages. People should leap at the chance to take up this opportunity, not only to learn the language but for understanding other cultures too!
Michelle Dalgety – November 2014
Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft).
I am now almost in the final week of my John Speak scholarship. I have been enjoying reading in Urdu a lot of late, perusing literally anything I can get my hands on (discarded flyers, road signs, food packaging…you name it). I find reading in any language a very empowering experience. Often I read something in Urdu that I like; something poetic, grammatically idiosyncratic or eye-catching, and I’ll find an opportunity to slip it into a casual conversation the following day! I sometimes think of a language as an ocean: You can paddle in the shallows, but there’s nothing better to dive in. It’s vast, it’s rich, it’s bottomless…
