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
An opportunity has arisen for the John Speak Language Trust to offer a language Scholarship to one lucky student. To apply for this scholarship you must be studying textiles/fashion design with direct connections to the UK wool industry.
Are you/do you employ/do you teach a British-born citizen currently learning another language who has aspirations for a career in the wool industry?
Would you/your colleague like the opportunity to study abroad?
Have a desire to work in the export wool trade or related service industry?
If the answer is “yes” to all the above questions, please read on……
The Trust
The Trust, which has been in existence since 1924, was created to assist students to improve their language skills and to further the UK export trade.
For the past 85 years, thanks to the fund, successful students have travelled all over the world to study (and/or work) and learn the language and culture of our trading partners.
The History of the Award
In 1924 Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Industry received an anonymous donation to be used to provide scholarships abroad for suitable students. Many years later the donor was identified as Mr. John Speak, a well-known figure in the Bradford textile industry. Following his death the Fund was renamed The John Speak Foreign Languages Scholarship Trust Fund.
Over the years scholarships have been awarded, many to students from UK Universities who have studied abroad and returned to take their place in the export markets of the UK.
The Trust has funded many scholarships with students based in places like Argentina, Spain, Italy, Japan, China and France, benefiting from an average award of £1,870 each. Scholarships last between three and 12 months.
Applicants for scholarships are interviewed by the Committee (most of who are past recipients of the scholarship and work in the Yorkshire area within export related industries). All are fluent in at least one language and enthusiastically continue to carry on the work of the Trust in accordance with the wishes set out by John Speak in the original Trust Deed.
The Fund also has a Financial Committee, experienced in the Financial Sector and who meet bi-annually to review investments and ensure the continuance of the work of the Trustees.
The Scholarship
The scholarships are awarded following a satisfactory interview with the committee of The John Speak Trust and interviews will be held at Bradford Chamber of Commerce or via Skype. The period of the scholarship can be anything between three months and a full academic year. The grants are usually sufficient to cover reasonable living expenses and in some circumstances, an amount towards the cost of travel.
Application Criteria
Natural-born British Citizen
Over 18 years of age
Have a basic knowledge of a foreign language (Minimum GCSE / A level)
Have a desire to work in the export wool/textile trade or related service industry
Would like to spend time abroad, studying the language, learning the customs and gaining valuable experience to help with your chosen career connected to the wool industry.
To keep in contact with the Foundation during time abroad by sending monthly reports (written in your chosen language and English) detailing your activities and achievements
To obtain suitable employment whilst abroad (within the wool/textile trade) and to find accommodation within the local community rather than with other English speakers.
Submit a monthly report of not less than 250 words to the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Successful candidates would receive:-
A financial Award ranging from £500 up to £2,000 towards living expenses
An opportunity to improve language skills and learn new customs
Experience living abroad whilst studying a foreign language
Gain valuable experience to assist in a career within the wool/textiles industry
An individually assessed application by the John Speak Trust Committee
Enquiries to
Debra Patchett – Trust Administrator
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry
I had studied Arabic as an extracurricular course, during my undergraduate degree at Oxford University. These weekly classes had given me a good grounding in Arabic grammar but I knew my spoken Arabic needed some work.
The support of The John Speak Trust enabled me to devote three months to improving my Arabic, through an intensive course in Jordan.
I had previously lived in Cairo and so I was interested in living in another Arab country. The reputation of the Qasid Institute in Amman attracted me to Jordan and that reputation was quickly confirmed once I had arrived. The tutors took no prisoners and I was straight into daily classes of three hours, entirely in Arabic. I had to brush up quickly on my knowledge of grammatical terms in Arabic!
The scholarship from the John Speak Trust also enabled me to sign up for an additional evening course focusing on the Jordanian dialect. Sentences in regional dialects can have a different structure, and even different words, to a sentence with the same meaning in Modern Standard Arabic. Modern Standard is the language of newspapers, official documents and professional work but dialects are the language of everyday life. My morning classes focused on Modern Standard, developing my knowledge of complex grammatical structures and my ability to read, write and speak about academic, political and professional topics. Meanwhile this additional evening course introduced me to the Jordanian dialect. I may have been able to have a conversation in Modern Standard about the history of Arabic newspapers but at last I was learning how to direct a taxi driver to turn left, or how to buy a kettle!
The most satisfying aspect of my time in Jordan was the development of my Arabic. I was surprised at how quickly my confidence and knowledge improved. Studying Arabic in an immersive environment provided limitless opportunities to practise whilst enjoying memorable experiences. Floating in the Dead Sea, visiting a Roman city almost entirely still standing, wandering around desert palaces and castles from the Crusades, camping out in the desert, and of course marvelling at Petra, made famous by Indiana Jones, were all fantastic experiences.
The John Speak Trust gave me the opportunity to improve my Arabic considerably and I am grateful to the Trust for their support.
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!
At age 72, looking back and having studied several foreign languages I have learned that language learning is similar to a jigsaw puzzle; learning one foreign language certainly helps when learning another. “Once you start dreaming in a foreign language it means you must have learnt it”. I was fortunate to have an Italian Professor who provided one hour tutoring before work; no books, no dictionaries, just conversation in Italian. He was a wonderful teacher and I was fortunate to have him.
In 1963, age 20, I was travelling to Italy by train to start a six month John Speak Trust Scholarship to help improve my Italian. At the time I was working for a Bradford Wool Merchants. My accommodation was provided by the Biella family who kindly allowed me to stay at their family home in Biella. Upon my arrival, I recall the cultural differences were a real shock although I found the Italian people to be very welcoming and very reassuring, this being a major factor during my first few weeks abroad. I discovered that absorbing the different culture came hand in hand with learning to speak the language. As a condition of the Scholarship, in addition to my language studies, I worked voluntarily for the largest wool combing company in Italy,Pettinatura Italiana, Vigliano Biellese. Working and living with the locals certainly improved my Italian; I learnt a lot of the local dialect and colloquial Italian too!
Upon completion of my Scholarship and now fluent in Italian, I remained in the wool trade and joined H Dawson Sons & Co (Wool) Limited in 1965 and returned to Biella, Italy in a new management role. I later became a Company Director taking on the responsibility for Dawson’s office in Italy and travelled extensively to Spain, Portugal, Middle East, Iran, Pakistan and India. My Scholarship definitely helped in my preparation for the change in career and the additional responsibilities that came alongside that.
My philosophy in life has always been to look forward, not back. The wool trade is a way of life, not just a job. I have made many wonderful friends around the world, many of whom I have revisited following my retirement. Travel in the Middle East in the 1960/70s could be lively and exciting to say the least, with many countries undergoing social conflict and political upheaval; however I found that not everything you hear and see on the news was always correct and the reality on the ground was often different.
I am also very proud to have been an active member of the John Speak Trust Committee for 25 years,17 of which I was Chair, standing down in 2010.
Being a keen skier, I am regular visitor to Italy and have kept in contact with many friends and colleagues overseas throughout my international career. I continue to use my Italian regularly and also speak reasonable Spanish which I learnt after retiring from Dawsons in 2002. One of my passions is singing (choral music mainly) and it is an unexpected bonus to be able to sing in the above and other languages.
I am very pleased that the John Speak Trust continues to provide financial assistance to UK language students.
I would definitely recommend any students considering studying abroad and intending to go into the export (of UK goods and/or services) trade to go ahead and apply for a John Speak Scholarship.
Accepting the Scholarship was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The process is simple and uncomplicated – a no brainer!
The benefits speak for themselves. I have enjoyed a very long and successful career in the export trade and will always be grateful for the opportunities the John Speak Trust provided.
During my studies at Sheffield Hallam University I undertook a year abroad in Germany from June 2014 to March 2015.
I began my year abroad in Munich, Bavaria working for Robert Bosch GmbH then for the second half I moved to Berlin to work atSiemens AG. The scholarship from the John Speak Trust afforded more freedom during my time abroad and assisted towards my day to day living and travel expenses.
Me and Münchner Gaudiblosn a Bavarian band that play at, among other places, Oktoberfest
The opportunity to work abroad in a different environment was full of advantages both personally and professionally. There was so much to organize like accommodation, bank accounts, registrations and paperwork and all this in two of the three largest cities in Germany. It was a lot to deal with, I was on my own, but I managed to sort everything out single handed!
Not knowing anyone in a city when you first arrive can be difficult and daunting, and ironically I personally found it more difficult meeting people in larger cities! But it’s very rewarding when you finally make new friends and more importantly some good friends. Persevering with the language can also be difficult, especially if one is living in a city where many speak English and always try to use it when they find out you are a native speaker.
Brandenburger Tor
Being in Germany didn’t only help me immerse in the German culture but also the cultures of other countries and the people, which I found extremely interesting, a positive side effect of trying to improve my German language skills.
The Reichstag, Berlin
I’m pretty sure that anyone who spends some time studying abroad would recommend the experience to others, I certainly would! If you were offered such an opportunity I would definitely recommend you take it; I cannot think of any reasons not to. Many of my friends in England think it’s unbelievable that I have lived and studied another language abroad.
I would certainly encourage others to apply for a John Speak Trust scholarship and take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity.
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 somewhatdilapidated boarding house in Roubaixwould 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.
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.
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.
