Steve's sandbox

Tag: thank you

  • Hasta Luego España: Rebekah Willett, Spain – January 2017

    Durante los últimos seis meses he trabajado en una empresa de turismo en Palma de Mallorca, España y porque este tiempo ha casi terminado, quiero reflexionar sobre mi tiempo aquí y las cosas que he aprendido.

    Cuando llegué, ya tenía una opinión sobre la vida en la isla. Sabía que es un destino de vacaciones para muchos turistas británicos, así que me pareció que la isla sería muy turístico y comercializado. Es cierto que en el centro de las grandes ciudades este es el caso, sin embargo, no tiene que viajar muy lejos para encontrar algunos pequeños pueblos que son menos turísticos. También pensaba que no sería la oportunidad de practicar mi español, a causa de la cantidad de turistas, pero no fue el caso. La gente estaba impresionada cuando intentaba a hablar en español y me alentaba a seguir hablando y practicando el idioma.

    También he aprendido mucho en la empresa donde trabajo. Cuando empecé a trabajar allí me pareció muy difícil de hablar español porque me faltaba la confianza, pero cuando pasé más tiempo allí, encontré que mi confianza aumentaba y ahora intento hablar más en español con mis colegas. También he aprendido mucho sobre la manera en que una empresa multinacional trabaja en el sector del turismo y mejoré mis habilidades de computación y comunicación.

    En mi tiempo libre tuve la oportunidad de visitar diferentes partes de la isla, incluyendo Soller, Alcudia y Valdemossa. Estos pueblos tienen muchas atracciones fascinantes, incluyendo el tranvía tradicional en Soller y el monasterio en Valdemossa. También tuve la oportunidad de visitar Barcelona para un fin de semana y vi muchos de los edificios increíbles de Gaudí. Fue genial a ver estas ciudades interesantes y ver las muchas atracciones únicas.

    He tenido un momento increíble aquí en España, tanto en Mallorca como en León, y todo el mundo me ha hecho sentir bienvenido en este país. He tenido la oportunidad de aprender español, conocer gente nueva, viajar, y trabajar en una empresa multinacional. Quiero terminar esta entrada del blog con un enorme agradecimiento a John Speak Trust por ayudarme a tener esta oportunidad de experimentar este país y su cultura diversa. Espero volver en el futuro y ver mucho más del país.

    ENGLISH VERSION

    For the past six months I have been working in a tourism company in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and as this time has nearly ended, I wanted to reflect on my time here and the things I have learnt.

    When I arrived, I already had an opinion of what life on the island would be like. I knew that it is a holiday destination for many British tourists so I felt that the island would be very touristy and commercialised. Admittedly, in the centre of the big cities this is the case, however you don’t have to travel very far to find some little villages which are far less touristy.  I also thought that I wouldn’t have the opportunity, because of the amount of tourists, this was not the case. People were impressed when I spoke Spanish and would encourage me to continue speaking and practising the language.

    I have also learnt a lot at the company where I work. When I started working there I found it very difficult to speak Spanish because I lacked the confidence, but as I spent more time there I found my confidence increasing and now I try to speak more in Spanish with my colleagues. I have also learnt a lot about the way a multinational enterprise works in the tourism sector and improved on my computing and communication skills.

    In my free time I had the opportunity to visit different parts of the island, including Soller, Alcudia and Valdemossa. These villages have many fascinating attractions, including the old-fashioned tram in Soller and the monastery in Valdemossa. I even had the chance to visit Barcelona for a weekend and saw many of Gaudi’s incredible buildings. It was great to see these interesting cities and see the many unique attractions.

    I’ve had an amazing time here in Spain, both in Mallorca and in León, and everyone has made me feel so welcome in this country. I’ve had the opportunities to learn Spanish, meet new people, travel and work in a multinational enterprise. I want to finish this blog post with a huge thank you to the John Speak trust for helping me to have this opportunity to experience this country and its diverse culture.

    I hope to return in the future and see much more of the country.

  • Peter Horton :My last month in Cadiz, Spain – June 2016

    Mi último mes aquí en Cádiz

    Por estar mi último mes en Cádiz pensaba que sería una buena idea a hacer un resumen de algunos aspectos de lo que he aprendido y desarrollado durante mi tiempo aquí en España. Algo que no habría sido posible sin este respaldo.

    Primero, creo que he mejorado mi español no sólo hablado sino también escrito porque he trabajado en un medio ambiente en que sólo podía hablar español. Cada día tenía que hablar con gente de registros diferentes; he tenido la oportunidad hablar con agentes y clientes muy importantes con los que tuve un registro muy formal. Además he hablado con la gente de mi equipo de rugby, mis compañeros y amigos con los que podía hablar menos formal y con refranes coloquiales. A mí me parece muy importante a entender la diferencia entre las situaciones formales e informales porque me permite más autenticidad y sinceridad en el otro idioma y a los extranjeros les agradece cuando intentamos a aprender y utilizar su idioma correctamente.

    Con respeto al español escrito, he tenido muchas oportunidades de escribir correos electrónicos a clientes y inversores potenciales para crecer nuestra ganancia y entonces mejorar nuestra empresa. Normalmente los escribiría por mi mismo y después los mandaría a mi responsable antes de que se los mandaba a los clientes; mi responsable siempre me avisaba de los errores, por eso he visto mi propio desarrollo a través de unos diez meses aquí en España.

    Segundo, yo diría que he aprendido mucho sobre la cultura española particularmente la de Andalucía y el sur de España. Lo que me parece muy interesante es que tienen mucha autoestima con todo lo que hacen si sea trabajo o divertido, los gaditanos no les gusta cambio. Eso me ha causado algunos problemas en trabajo porque a veces pensaba que podemos haber hecho algo mejor o diferente pero tenía que mostrar la diferencia con ejemplos y estadísticas antes de cambiarlo. Ahora me vale muchísimo investigación rigurosa y presentaciones claras con detalles y ejemplos para demostrar mis opiniones y ideas. Por un lado puede ser un problema que no quieren cambiar sino por otro lado me ofrece la oportunidad a explorar una idea enteramente antes de cambiar algo.

    Tercero, pienso que ahora tengo un conocimiento mejor de marketing en los redes sociales, algo que hoy en día ha llegado a ser cada vez más importante. La gente no quiere un montón de información, quiere los hechos importantes en una manera fácil de comprender y acceder. Se pueden utilizar los redes sociales para apoyar una empresa porque nos ofrecen contacto directo con las empresas a través de los “comentarios” y “me gustas”. También diría que reconozco ahora la diferencia entre los diferentes redes sociales: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc,. y las ventajas de cada uno.

    Espero seguir utilizando estas habilidades cuando vuelvo a Inglaterra y quiero seguir creciendo para que pueda ofrecer mis empleadores futuros mucho más que sólo un graduado.

    Muchas gracias a todo el mundo que me ha apoyado este año, estoy seguro que mantengamos en contacto para seguir nuestro desarrollo mutuo.

    ENGLISH:

    My last month here in Cádiz.

    Because it is my last month here in Cádiz I thought it would be a good idea to make a summary of some of the things I have learnt and developed during my time here in Spain. Something that would not have been possible without this sponsorship.

    Firstly, I believe that I have improved not only my spoken but also my written Spanish because I have worked in a solely Spanish speaking environment. Every day I have had to speak with people in different tones; I have had the opportunity to speak with agents and very important clients, with whom I have a very formal tone. Additionally, I have spoken with the people from my rugby team, my friends and teammates, with whom I have been able to speak less formally and use colloquial expressions. To me it seems very important to understand the difference between formal and informal situations because it allows me a sense of sincerity and authenticity in another language and it pleases foreigners when we try to learn and use their language correctly.

    With regards to written Spanish, I have had numerous opportunities to write emails to clients and potential investors in order to increase our profit and thus improve our business. Normally I would write them myself and then send them to my supervisor before they were sent to the clients; my supervisor always advises me of the errors, therefore I have been able to see my own development over my ten months here in Spain.

    Secondly, I would say that I have learnt a lot about the Spanish culture, particularly that of Andalusia and the South of Spain. What seems particularly interesting to me is their enormous amount of self-respect with everything they do whether it be work or fun, those from Cádiz don’t like change. This has caused me a few problems in work so far because I have thought that we would be able to do something a little better or in a different way but I have had to show the difference with clear and reliable examples and statistics before changing it. Now I really value thorough research and clear presentations with details and examples to demonstrate my opinions and ideas. On the one hand it could be a problem that they don’t want to change but on the other hand it offers the opportunity to explore and idea in its entirety before changing it.

    Thirdly, I think that I now have a better knowledge of social-media marketing, something that has become more and more important nowadays. People don’t want a mountain of information, they want the important facts in an easily understandable and accessible way. The social networks can be used to help a business because they offer us direct contact with the businesses through the “comments” and “likes” Also, I would say that I now recognise the difference between the different social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc,. and the advantages of each one.

    I hope to keep using these abilities when I return to England and I want to continue growing in order that I can offer my future employers much more than just a graduate.

    Many thanks to everyone that has helped me this year, I am sure that we will stay in contact in order to continue our mutual development.

  • 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.

  • Josie Holley – Case Study, Geneva (Nov 2013 – May 2014)

    Alhambra

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

    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!

    Cordoba Skyline at Night

  • A final report to say “Muchas gracias y hasta luego” – by Hannah Phillips

    My John Speak scholarship took me the capital of Spain, Madrid, to support me as I took part in a year’s internship within the Spanish multinational company NH Hotels. After previously studying in the North of Spain for 5 months, my year working as a trainee Buyer within the International Purchasing Department of NH was about perfecting my use of the Spanish language and getting real experience in an International company.

    The John Speak scholarship was a huge part of my experience abroad, giving me the financial ability to be able to submerge myself in the Spanish way of life and also travel the country that I was lucky enough to be able to call home. My time and travels here has opened my eyes to the Spanish culture, something you don’t see through the text books at University, and has made me appreciate even more how useful a second language is and will be for my future career.

    I recently read a quote which really summarises how I feel about learning such an important second language such as Spanish and it says “The limits of your language are the limits of your world”. This is something I totally agree with and thanks to this year, and thanks to John Speak, my world has been opened to the 350 million people that speak Spanish as their native tongue in 21 countries over four continents.

    Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you to John Speak and everyone involved in the scheme for letting me have such a memorable experience in Spain. I thoroughly recommend to anyone who is in a similar position to me to also apply! The next stage involves me returning to the UK to finish my University degree and I will keep the trust updated as to where my future takes me!

    Thank you again,

    Hannah Phillips

  • Goodbye and Thank You

    I have recently returned to the UK, having completed my ten-month John Speak Scholarship.

    I can sincerely say it was one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever had.  I have learnt so much, not just in terms of my language learning and cultural knowledge, but also about myself.  Do feel free to get in touch with me if you would like to hear about my Scholarship experience in more detail, and I encourage everyone who reads this to submit an application if they haven’t done so already. Now is the time to say thank you once again to the John Speak Committee for their generous support, and goodbye or, as they say in Pakistan…Khuda hafiz.

    This is a photograph of myself with a lovely Pakistani family I befriended.