Spain, Colombia, Sicily… and back to Stirling again

Yesterday’s blog catch-up came from Erin who graduated earlier this year with a BA Hons in French and is now at the end of the first semester her MSc in International Conflict and Cooperation with us. Today, another opportunity to catch-up with one of our graduates but this time someone who has been away from Stirling for much longer. David graduated in 2017, with a BA Hons in French and Spanish, and has been a regular blog contributor over the years (we’ll link to some of his previous posts in this update so you can read more about his adventures). From January, he’ll be back in Stirling, starting his PhD under the supervision of Fiona Barclay:

“Last time I posted something on here was at the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic, when I had to return to Paris from Glasgow, to finish up my PGDE and graduate online – a very strange reality in which I started teaching in August 2020. After three years of teaching full time, I decided to return to studying and complete a PhD at the University of Stirling, almost 10 years after having left! Let me just rewind a little.

Born and raised in Paris, I was always attracted to living in Scotland as I used to go there regularly as a child (I am getting old…) to visit family. Scotland was always, and still is, renowned for its innovative, modern and forward-looking approach to higher education. I chose to attend the University of Stirling from 2013 as I would have had the opportunity to become a dual-qualified language teacher in just four years. However, the course was under review (it is now very much still in existence!) and I ended up graduating with an honours degree in French and Spanish. During my second year at Stirling, I was asked if I would be interested in completing a PhD after graduating. While I was flattered that I had been asked, I was quite taken aback, as I did not feel that I had the skills or knowledge… I had imposter syndrome! Thus, I declined the offer and focused on my undergraduate studies (although I did sometimes think “what if..?”).

However, during my third year at university, I was able to live, study and work in Spain for a full academic year as part the Erasmus+ programme and this is where I found a renewed passion for language learning but also academia as I had the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects in Spanish: sociolinguistics, heritage conservation as well as mythology! From then on in, I was hooked.

Upon graduating, I decided to work abroad in Colombia as part of the British Council language assistantship programme. To optimise my chances of being selected, I ticked the “send me anywhere” box. I was chosen to teach at a university in the coffee region of Colombia and it was life-changing from an academic point of view: I was treated like a university lecturer although I was only 21 years old and had only graduated one month previously! I discovered the research side of teaching and was given the opportunity to research and improve my teaching through interdisciplinary academic discussions, collaboration and conferences. 

Nevertheless, I was still sceptical about my academic ability and wanted to see if I could perhaps gain more experience as a secondary school teacher to, not only challenge myself further from a teaching standpoint, but also apply the skills I had learnt in Colombia while simultaneously developing my own interpersonal skills through my own language learning. So I applied for a second year as a language assistant to work and live in Italy. Once again, I ticked the “send me anywhere” box and was sent to… Sicily! I taught in two local high schools there and, while I did not speak a word of Italian when I first arrived, after a few months my Spanish slowly turned into Italian (including a bit of Sicilian slang apparently, unbeknownst to me!). Having studied at the University of Catania to improve my grammar, I then came back to Scotland, confident that I was ready to teach at high school level (although higher education had been at the back of my mind since Colombia…). 

My PGDE year was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic which is when I first experienced the advantages and challenges of online teaching as both a student and a teacher! As a newly qualified teacher applying for my probationary year I could choose 5 different local authorities and as an international student I did not have a specific school in mind. I therefore ticked the “anywhere” box (does that sound familiar?), hoping to go somewhere new and ironically I was appointed to a school in the southside of Glasgow – I did not even have to change flat!

There were no permanent posts available at the end of my year teaching at St. Ninian’s and so I applied to several schools across Scotland. It was a very stressful time as I was in competition with my PGDE peers as well as teachers with a significant amount of experience. There are an incredible number of social codes and professional expectations which teacher training does not prepare you for! Indeed, interviewing is a skill in itself, regardless of one’s teaching ability. 

After a few awkward online interviews and Q&A sessions, I was offered a permanent position at Lomond School in Helensburgh. There, I was able to further develop my teaching while also completing my provisional registration in Italian by following an evening course at the University of Strathclyde. However, I missed academia and research. Thus, I decided to complete my Masters in Education while teaching full-time. After lots of coffee, complaining and maybe two (or three?) late nights, I submitted my thesis, expecting the worst! 

One month later, I received a notification informing me that I had been awarded a first class in my thesis and the University of Glasgow asked me if I would be interested in publishing it. I think that publishing my masters was a key moment last year for me as it enabled me to shake off the imposter syndrome which I tend to carry around with me! 

Finally, I was invited this year to apply for a PhD at the University of Stirling, in collaboration with the language organisation SCILT, to investigate the effect of the 1+2 Initiative on language uptake. I was delighted when I was selected and while it is strange to think that I will be leaving teaching in December, I am looking forward to returning to the University of Stirling where I was first introduced to Higher Education and challenged academically.”

Many thanks to David for having found the time to send us this blog post – we’re looking forward to welcoming you back in the New Year!

Catching up with last year’s graduates

One of the great things about this blog is that it gives us a means of keeping up, not only with what colleagues in French at Stirling are doing, but also with what our students and our graduates are up to. As we get closer and closer to this year’s graduations, we thought it’d be good to catch-up with some of our graduates from last year so, with no further ado…

Shannon studied for a BA Hons in French and Spanish at Stirling and as a 2022 graduate moved on to pursuing her PGDE in primary education: “I am now working full time in a nursery setting in Liverpool as the curriculum practitioner. And my languages have not been completely forgotten. My pre-schoolers enjoy having a Spanish lesson once a week and we may add French to their curriculum soon! Wishing this year’s graduates all the best in the future no matter how you do or what you do!” Sophie also graduated with a BA Hons in French and Spanish and, since graduating, has started another degree studying Theology and Christian Leadership: !I’ve loved using the skills I learnt at Stirling to help this degree and next year I have chosen to study New Testament Greek which makes me excited to be able to use my language skills again.”

Meanwhile David, who graduated with a BA Hons in French and History, spent time in the US after he graduated but has since returned to do an MSc in Heritage at Stirling, and is currently researching and writing his thesis: “You will also be happy to know I have been able to make use of my French skills I acquired at Stirling, in my capacity as a volunteer at the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum. As a guide, not only can I assist French tourists, but behind the scenes I have also been able to translate material into French to help the Museums accreditation and be more welcoming to foreign tourists.” Our other David, who joined us as a mature student, and graduated with a BA Hons in French, explains that “after 7 years of re-education which concluded with four unbelievable years of involvement with French at the University of Stirling, I promised my wife and my three grandchildren that I would devote more time to them which I have done but that has not stopped me for continuing to learn and practice French.” In the year since graduation, David has kept on reading French books (including re-reading some he’d studied with us!), revising French grammar, listening to podcasts and regular news bulletins and trying to speak as much as he can through websites such as Language Exchange: “My appetite for learning has not waivered or reduced in any way. I have always had the will and motivation to continue although, I do miss being a student on campus and the camaraderie of my peers and being able to have the skills of our tutors to hand for advice when required.”

Lara, who completed her BA Hons in French and Spanish last June, has just finished working for a year as an English Language Assistant in a secondary school in Madrid with the British Council: “It’s been a very enriching experience and I plan on returning for a second year.” Ceinwen, having graduated with a BA Hons in French last year, has stayed on at Stirling for postgraduate studies on our MRes Humanities programme carrying on the research she did during her undergraduate degree and “When I’m not doing that I’m making full use of the Institut Français’ cinema programme in Edinburgh.”

Valentina, who graduated with a BA Hons in International Management with European Languages and Society, she has spent the past year working for Global Voices, our local translation and interpreting company, as a credit controller: “I call and email every day in French as I look after the debt for the French and Swiss market, as well as the Italian one. So, naturally my languages skills have improved, I now feel comfortable to speak on the phone to a native speaker which is great! I’ve also learnt all about chorus pro which is the public administration invoicing system in France!” And Muirne, who completed her BA Hons in Business Studies and French last year, has been doing an International Business Master’s here at Stirling this past year and is starting work on her dissertation now: “I’ve really been enjoying this programme and it has opened up lots of different routes I can take to start my career journey. I was also one of the programme reps for the course as I wanted to have a bit more responsibility and show more leadership. I have still been keeping up with my French as I think that will be a useful tool in the future for me. I have also been able to keep in touch with a French pen pal I made in 3rd year which has been helpful for practicing French.”

Sofia, who graduated with a BA Hons in French and Spanish last year, has almost finished her MA in South Asian Area Studies and is currently working on my dissertation, which is focusing on the legacies of trauma stemming from Partition and how this has affected the diasporic descendants of the Partition. Sofia was also recently accepted into a summer programme for Our Shared Cultural Heritage which is a programme that experiments with ways for museums and heritage organisations to work better for young people. Their focus is on the South Asian diaspora in the UK and young people in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh: “I’m not quite sure yet what the programme will entail but it will be interesting to look at heritage, culture, and of course language and to look at the Scottish South Asian community.” Vasiliki, having graduated with a BA Hons in Business Studies and French, moved to Madrid after graduation to do a Master’s in International Trade and Business: “Classes are finishing at the end of July, then I have to submit my thesis by mid-September, so in the meantime I am looking for an internship in the field of marketing or HR mostly, and I am really just looking across Europe, as I don’t want to limit myself. I would also be very much interested in moving back to the UK.”

And Morgan, who graduated with a BA Hons in International Politics and Languages, is currently in Belfast where she has just started writing her Master’s thesis exploring who is responsible for the deaths of displaced persons who drown while attempting to cross the Channel: “While I no longer directly study French, my knowledge of the language and the country have been particularly helpful when conducting research for my thesis. I work part-time as a hotel receptionist where I regularly get to talk with guests from French-speaking countries who always love to be able to chat in their native language.” Brendan, graduated with his BA Hons in French and Spanish last summer, and applied for a Masters in TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) here at Stirling Uni and started that at the end of September. He hopes to complete that, including his final teaching portfolio/dissertation project by the end of August at the latest: “Afterwards, in September and October, my programme may offer an external placement in various countries, one of them being France, where I would be asked to observe and do some English teaching in a language school. However, it is not clear if that will materialise yet so right now I’m just taking each day at a time and focusing on what I have to do at present. If everything goes according to plan, I will officially graduate in November. My reasoning for doing this Masters was to prepare me to be able to teach English and get employment more easily when living in France and Spain in the future. If I’m to be completely honest with you all, this has been the most challenging year in my academic journey so far (even more so than third year of undergrad when everything was online due to covid, which says a lot!). However, I’m hopeful that it will bear some fruit in the not-too-distant future in my pursuit to become a languages teacher, which is my dream job.”

Pauline, who graduated with a BA Hons in International Politics and Languages, is just finishing up her Master’s degree in Applied European Governance and Policymaking: “I will have written and oral exams throughout June. I am doing last revisions for my master thesis on the economic impact of integration of migrants in Germany and I expect to graduate at the beginning of July. I am also applying for traineeships and jobs, mainly in Brussels, for EU policy positions, with hopes to not be unemployed in August. We shall see how that goes. I’ve also been involved with a new volunteer network (Generation Climate Europe) and have moved up to now being the Network and Outreach Lead, which I am quite excited about.”

And finally (for the moment… if you’re a 2022 French at Stirling graduate reading this and you haven’t been back in touch yet, there’s still time!) Fiammetta, who graduated in Modern Languages and Business Studies says that her life has completely changed since graduation in June 2022: “After graduating, I was unsure which path to follow for my career. I wasn’t happy with my life and I almost decided to go back to my home country. I started a job in Edinburgh as a customer service assistant in a travel agency. The team was great, however after only 3 months I realised that it wasn’t the job for me so I decided to apply for a job I thought I would never get.

In February I applied for Emirates cabin crew and a few days later I received an email asking me to go to one of the company’s assessment days. Being cabin crew for Emirates has always been on my mind but I always thought it would be really hard for me to get that job. The day after the interview I received the “golden call” and after less than a month I moved to Dubai. I have now been living in Dubai for more than 3 months. It was hard to leave my friends again (I had left my family and friends in my home country 6 years earlier) but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Now I get to travel and visit so many countries and I get paid for it! I am in contact with so many cultures and during my flights I can use my language skills to interact with customers. The best advice I can give to the graduates of 2023 is to always pursue your dreams, even if it’s not easy or if you have to leave everything behind, it will always be worth it. Now I’m having the best time of my life!”

It’s always lovely to hear from our graduates and to learn where life has taken them after their time as undergraduates at Stirling. Thank you very, very much to all of our 2022 graduates who have been back in touch and who have contributed to this blog post (and to Joanna whose earlier post started off this particular catch-up) and do keep in touch and keep us posted on what you go on to do next. Bon été to you all!

Confidence, savoir-faire and future plans !

In yesterday’s post about our fantastic finalists, we mentioned that there would be a few longer, individual articles coming over the next little while. We’re really pleased to be able to post the first of these today, with Stuart’s reflections on his time at Stirling and his plans for the future, now that he has successfully completed his BA Hons in French and Spanish:

‘Salut tout le monde,

Very cliché to say, I know, but with my time at Stirling now at an end, these 5 years have seriously flown past! Especially the last year as it was slightly different as you may have noticed yourself! One very quick warning I would give everyone coming up for their 4^th year is: DO NOT believe anyone who tells you 4^th year is a nice wee breeze after 3^rd year! Both years are serious défis in their own right, and that’s even without a dissertation! Still, no pain, no gain as they say (on n’a rien sans rien, comme on dit) and reflecting back on my time at Stirling I would definitely say that I’ve gained plenty.

Stirling was my second chance at higher education, and I can safely say now that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only in terms of all the friends I’ve made along the way, but I definitely owe my proficiency in French and the decision to pick up Spanish from scratch to the excellent and engaged professors and fascinating and relevant modules. This decision also ultimately led to my opportunity to be an English Language Assistant in Quebec, something which I’ll always remember.

Naturally, without any real certainty around travel abroad at the moment, you have to get somewhat inventive to try and keep your languages topped up, and for me, inspired by the French Crime Fiction module I took last semester, this has taken the form of trying to read Fred Vargas’ Commissaire Adamsberg series, as I absolutely loved Sous les Vents de Neptune and would recommend it to anyone as a great test of how far your French has come along (especially when it comes to the québecois expressions!).

I’m tentatively planning (which is the best any of us can do at the moment!) to undertake another ELA placement in Spain next year, possibly followed by a postgraduate in France if luck is on my side, but my time at Stirling has definitely given me the confidence and savoir-faire to manage once I finally get there!

Merci et adieu

Stuart’

Many, many thanks to Stuart for sending through this great blog post and for the kind words about his time at Stirling. On behalf of everyone in French at Stirling, we wish you all the very best for the future, Stuart, and hope you’ll keep in touch.

[Note from the blog: Stuart’s post also gives us a chance to add that, obviously, we thoroughly recommend Fred Vargas’ books in French but this gives us an excellent opportunity to remind you that the translations of them into English are the work of our own Professor Emerita of French, Siân Reynolds… Bonne lecture!].

Seeing what’s beyond the horizon…

Only another couple of weeks before teaching comes to an end for this semester at Stirling but there are plenty of blog posts to keep us going, starting this week with another profile of one of our Year 1 students, Marta, who started her BA Hons in English Studies and French in September:

‘I was born in the Canary Islands, Spain. ‘Canarian’ or ‘Spanish’, as equal terms or with different values, suit me well. I identify as both. But I’ll have to recognise that being Canarian comes with some specific aspects that being Spanish does not cover. And one of them is clear: Canarian means I grew up in an island, which have always made me conscious of the limits that surrounded my reality, as well as curious and hungry for discovery beyond those limits. However, my Spanish heritage is very prominent is most of the things that I do, and one of them may be my writing style. So hopefully this post is enjoyable despite that.

It is well known that the Canary Islands serve as a touristic destination, and tourism is their main economic driver. Because of that, language learning is key skill for life for Canarian children. We all start with English, but I discovered in my early study that I loved languages passionately, and I decided I wanted to learn more. My journey with French started when I was around 8 years old. My school offered extra lessons for French in order to prepare for the compulsory subject that it would be in two years, and my parents, being very interested in my desire to learn languages, decided that it would be a master move for me to already have a basic knowledge in French beforehand. However, the lessons weren’t memorable, and I didn’t really learn good French until I started attending my city’s School of Languages. I learned very fast how to speak French and became quite fluent thanks to the marvellous teachers that I had there.

When I was 15, I decided that I wanted to go to university able ,at least, to speak two languages fluently, as well as my mother language (Spanish). By investigating a little bit, I found a programme for the Baccalaureate called “Bachibac” (Spanish bachillerato + French baccalauréat), a bilingual programme between Spain and France that permitted its students to obtain two certificates at the end of their school journey: Spanish and French Baccalaureate. And I finished it, so I have both diplomas. During this last stage of my education I got into much more than French as a language, but French as a cultural meaning. I had to learn about French literature and history, as well as philosophy both in French and Spanish. I grew more interested in literature than I already was (a lot) and it gave me a more global perspective about cultures (since ‘la Francophonie’ carries much more cultures apart from metropolitan French, many others all over the world), as well as new inspiration for my writing. Plus, I was quite lucky to win a scholarship and I lived in France for three months with a family in Toulon (nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I bonded with them and I miss them quite a lot). I integrated with the culture for a while and I obtained first-hand experience of French life. And it meant a lot for a small island girl to see what’s beyond the horizon.

I already knew I wanted to study English for my degree since it was my first foreign language and I wanted to develop my knowledge in any way I could. French, however, became a last-minute option (in some ways at least, though I actually thought about it the minute I entered the Bachibac), so I integrated both in one. I had both personal and professional reasons to continue with French. I believe that the key to improvement of humankind lies in communication and understanding each other, and learning how to speak a language well, as well as the culture and history it carries, makes us better human beings as better communicators. Plus, I love French, and I wanted to make it part of me the best I could. And, well, French teachers, translators and other jobs similar to these are always going to be needed, because French is a very influential language in the world.

This is my first year in Uni studying English and French Studies and, to be honest, I guess it’s not what I expected (but don’t worry. It’s Covid’s fault!). It’s hard to learn a language without communicating (languages are communication mechanisms; it’s like learning how to run while sitting down), but I have to recognise that the effort that is being made makes this experience of online learning easier. But I still want to meet people (in person, please) and be able to speak French again.

Hopefully this was interesting. Bonne journée!’

Many, many thanks to Marta for this great post and I think many of us will recognise the image of learning to run while sitting down as it applies to some aspects of online language learning. We look forward to meeting you – and all this year’s First Years – in person as soon as possible and, in the meantime, we wish you all the best for the rest of this semester and beyond.

My Journey at Stirling

Bonne année to all blog readers and welcome back to the French at Stirling blog! Our teaching semester starts again next Monday and we’re really pleased to be able to start our blog year with a couple of lovely posts, first this one by Nela, who is currently in her 3^rd year of her International Management with European Languages and Society degree, and then an article by Charlotte who graduated last year:

‘Salut! When I was just 18 years old, I was unsure about my future. All of my friends back home in Spain were heading right to university after finishing A levels, without even questioning the degree that they were going to be choosing. This was not my case. In fact, I was too lost to decide and commit to a career. At that age, I was simply not ready. Today, I am glad I made a break to travel and explore the world. As part of a gap year, I travelled and worked abroad. The Netherlands was one of my destinations, where I worked at an organic greenhouse which helped me discover one of my passions: sustainability.

When I visited Scotland, I started exploring options for my university studies, and I decided to use this gap year of travels to complete the application process for Scottish universities. In the end, I chose Stirling because of the flexibility of the courses offered. The beautiful campus was a plus, as it has encouraged me to join a hill running club that allows me to explore the wild hills that you can see around Stirling.

Moreover, this university offered the possibility of combining my degree on International Management with the French language. “This is fantastic!” I thought. Languages have always been appealing to me. Additionally, joining this course has allowed me to enhance both my linguistic skills while testing my cognitive abilities. Learning French following classes in English, which is not my main language, wasn’t too easy in the beginning! But it all took practice, and discipline. So far, while I complete my 3^rd year, I am proud to say that I have learnt a lot about the fascinating Francophone culture, as we have studied numerous sources such as the Quebec nationalism, the contemporary issues around the Muslim population, etc.

The University of Stirling is also helping me test my managerial and leadership aptitudes which are key on my degree. Directing the Stirling University Environmental Enterprises Society as the Vice-President has provided me with the opportunity of coordinating conferences, committee meetings and engaging members to support the local community, as well as planning events and activities to learn about sustainability, such as last year’s successful tree plantation in collaboration with the NGO I work with, We Are One! Read more about it here.

Overall, I feel enormously thankful for all the personal and academic growth that I have made during this period of my life, and I am beyond excited to see what the future awaits! What’s for sure is that understanding French will open many doors… Belgium, Canada, France, or even Africa! Qui sait…’

Many, many thanks to Nela for such a brilliant start to the 2021 blog and we wish you all the very best for the rest of your 3rd year, and look forward to updates over the semesters that lie ahead.

Living and working abroad: ‘Be open to change!’

Another week, another chance to catch up with one of our students. Caitlin is about to start Year 3 of our BA Hons in French with Spanish and Professional Education (Secondary) and spent part of the past academic year on a British Council Language Assistantship in France:

‘Almost six months after returning from my placement in France, I reflect on how much can change in one year. This time last year, I was between placements and convincing myself for my upcoming trip – “okay, if I can spend six weeks abroad, I am sure that I can spend six months abroad”. Meanwhile, honestly, I was slightly in panic mode about what would happen in a month’s time. Where will I stay? Do I have enough money? Have I brought enough books to last me for my time away? Trivial matters, yes, but when you feel that you are moving so far away for longer than a typical week’s holiday, you do tend to overthink things.

Nonetheless, I set off at the end of September to begin my foreign placement in Montpellier, France. The first few weeks were vital to organising accommodation and paperwork (e.g. bank accounts). This was daunting initially as, having been living in Spain for almost 8 weeks, my mind, as I always say, was in ‘Spanish mode’, and even the basic French words and sentences were confusing at first. Whilst this sounds like a bad thing, this motivated me more to push myself to speaking and learning French in day to day interactions.

During my time in Montpellier, I would be working as an English Language Assistant with the British Council, based in two primary schools in a small town called Lunel, 31km east of the city. I worked every Tuesday and Thursday teaching English to children from aged six to twelve. This was a great experience, although different to my own previous experiences of teaching. Firstly, because I study French and Spanish with Professional Education, my experience so far has been in teaching in Secondary Schools. However, the tables had turned with my position here as I was teaching my own language to younger children.  I felt that this was a beneficial way for me to learn how to plan lessons and activities to keep the pupils engaged. It has also given me an insight into how second languages are taught at a ‘primary’ school level and this will be most help to my professional career as a Secondary School teacher.

Having been placed in Lunel, a smaller town, I decided that I would benefit from staying in the smaller town to immerse myself in the localities. After all, I could always get the train to Montpellier which only took 20 minutes. Having considered my options, I was lucky enough to find the perfect accommodation in living in a private studio which belonged a lovely French couple who always made me feel so welcome. This was a fantastic decision for me – I had the perfect balance between having my own private space but I was able to converse in French with my landlords whenever I wanted. This really did help to improve my French and made me feel at ease, knowing I had support. I enjoyed the perks of a small town also – the local cinema where I would go and watch the latest films (La Fille au Bracelet was a favourite of mine!),

Whilst living in a small town had its perks – the local supermarket was a five-minute walk, the train station was a straight fifteen-minute walk through the old cobbled, traditional centre ville, I found in certain times there were also challenges. In December 2019, the people of France organised one of the country’s largest and longest protests that it has seen in years. Due to the government’s pension reform, millions throughout the country participated in strikes from their daily job s- including teachers and SNCF train workers. During this time, I found myself stranded in Lunel for eight days just before Christmas. This was difficult at times. However, it made me discover other parts of the town, study and live life normally as I would in Scotland.

Working as an English Language Assistant is also a great way to make friends from different parts of the world – the friends I made were from different parts of America and the first friend I made was from Kenya. Although you learn about French culture, it is a great way to learn about other countries and to share your own. As you settle into a country on your own, if you really want to make the most of the experience, you really have to push yourself out there: make friends, learn and speak the language, try to live like a local but travel like the tourist that you are.

In addition, whilst I was in France, I participated in the Stevenson Exchange Scholarship, which meant I was able to travel and to learn more about aspects of French culture as part of my project. Due to this, I have so many unforgettable experiences from my time spent in France, including the many long weekends I made the most of by travelling (Toulouse, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Sète…). In addition, the drastic weather on some occasions, learning about French culture by trying out new dishes such as fondue, raclette, pain au chocolat (or ‘chocolatine’ as they say in the Southern France) and enjoying a café gourmand sitting at Place de la Comédie in the centre of Montpellier, made my experience memorable. The English Language Assistantship is not only a fantastic way to gain professional experience but for me, I found it has made me become a more culturally aware, sociable and independent person. And of course, I feel that my French has improved!

Unfortunately, my time in France was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I was on the bus to the airport for a long weekend at home in Scotland when the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced that the schools would not open again and unbeknown to me, I would not return to Lunel- to see my friends, to pack all my belongings and to see the teachers and pupils I had spent the last six months with. I came back a month earlier than anticipated and did not get to travel to certain places. However, I see this as an excuse to return in the future! A quote I have read states that “experience is the teacher of all things” and this is the perfect way to sum up my Assistantship experience.

For future English Language Assistants, I have some advice:

-ensure that you are prepared before you go- do you have all your paperwork? Birth certificate, passport, statements, student card? This is all vital for you to settle in and arrange accommodation and opening your bank account. I would also recommend that these are copies- you don’t want to risk losing the original!

-Accept that you may have to travel more: the train/bus from the smaller town, and a regular journey for me- the night bus from Montpellier, via Toulouse to Barcelona- to catch an early morning flight back to Scotland due to the flight schedules. For me, it made the journey more of an adventure!

-Make the most of the days you are not working- travel, meet up with friends, visit tourist attractions, find a little coffee shop you can frequent to read and study. I found that keeping busy kept me motivated!

-Be open to change. You are in a different country- not everything will be as you expect but take that as an opportunity to learn!’

Many, many thanks to Caitlin for sending through this great post and pictures. We hope you’ll get the opportunity to return to Lunel very soon and wish you all the best for the new semester ahead.

From French at Stirling to teaching English in Japan

It’s always great to follow the journeys our graduates embark on after they leave Stirling and, in some cases, those journeys take in an impressive range of destinations. For Susan, who graduated with a degree in French and Spanish in 2011, the travelling had started well before University, continued throughout her studies and, since graduating, has remained a key feature of her life. For us, this has meant updates recounting tales of everywhere from Kenya and Kazakhstan to Spain and the Czech Republic. With a new semester about a month away at Stirling, new cohorts of students about to join us and last year’s finalists starting life after graduation, it seemed like a good time to get in touch with Susan and to find out how things are going:

‘I returned to Japan in January 2019 and have been working for a private language school in Tokyo. My students are children from age 3 and adults up to 80 years old! I teach general English and Business English in three different schools, so plenty of variety. We have small classes of no more than six students and I teach many 1-2-1 classes, so it’s very relaxed and gives me the opportunity to really get to know my students and find out about their lives. Japanese people are very welcoming and I have had dinner/lunch invitations and have enjoyed days out with some of them.

Obviously, just like the world over, coronavirus has brought new challenges and although Japan hasn’t seen the high numbers of cases other countries have, we have had to adapt and cleaning and sanitising the tables and chairs after every class is our new normal. Mask wearing is a part of daily life here anyway so there hasn’t been any resistance.

At the moment (August) it is the Obon national holiday. It’s a Buddhist festival when the spirits of the ancestors come to visit and Japanese people visit the temple and the graves of their relatives. Unfortunately, no gatherings are allowed so this, and all the other summer festivals, have been cancelled this year.

Hopefully we can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon!!’

 

Many, many thanks to Susan for sending through another great update and we hope things continue to go well for you in Japan. More updates from our graduates to come over the next few weeks so watch this space…

Support for the British Council

Not only was that last blog post from Louise well-timed because it made for a great start to the month but its timing was also particularly good because it coincides with a campaign in support of the work of the British Council and gives us an opportunity to lend our support to that campaign.

And, for a change, I’m going to write this one in my own voice (Cristina Johnston, that is, with some help from colleagues and links to other posts along the way!). Every year, at Stirling, both in French and in Spanish we encourage as many of our students as possible to apply for British Council English Language Assistantships, whether between the end of the 2^nd year and their return into 3^rd year or as finalists thinking about opportunities that are open to them after graduation. Some of our students apply for assistantships because they are studying French and/or Spanish with Education and the ELA is a great way to fulfil the language residence requirement for school-level language teaching. However, many other students also apply, across a range of subject backgrounds and combinations and often without any specific intention of going into teaching after they graduate. Rather, for many of the students, this is a paid opportunity to spend time living and working in another country, in another language environment and they seize the opportunity to travel, meet new people and adapt to new environments.

As with any job – and we do always remind the students that they are in paid employment, with the responsibilities that brings, and that the application process is not a foregone conclusion – unfortunately not everyone has an overwhelmingly positive experience and we try to support students through any difficulties as far as possible. However, in many, many instances, a year as an ELA becomes a key turning point in a student’s life, whether in terms of their career plans or in their personal lives. They may not always notice the changes but, when they come back and rejoin us for their Year 3 and 4 classes, we notice the differences in them, in their confidence, in their openness, not to mention the excitement and enthusiasm with which they recount their year when they come back to Stirling. And the same goes for the finalists who undertake ELAs after they leave Stirling.

For many of us teaching in French at Stirling, the enthusiasm is not only great to see in our students but it also serves as a reminder to us of our own experiences of English Language Assistantships, whether as something we’ve undertaken ourselves or as we remember assistants in our own schools. My own year as an ELA came in 1995-96 when I was lucky enough to get an assistantship at the Lycée Marie Curie in Strasbourg. I’d spent time living in France before and was lucky enough to have travelled and spent time elsewhere in Europe, too, but I didn’t know Strasbourg or Alsace, other than via a very short school trip years before. When I think back, lots of things stand out. I remember nervously turning up in the staffroom on my first day, opening my little locker and finding that a colleague-to-be had left me a jar of home-made jam as a welcome present. I remember some truly awful conversation sessions I tried to deliver with no real sense of how on earth to get the pupils to actually talk to me and then the sense of satisfaction, as the weeks progressed, at kind of figuring it out. I remember my flat there – a tiny studio right, just outside the old town, opposite a fantastic pâtisserie.

Mainly, though, what stands out is one particular group of pupils who were in terminale and doing the European Bac, with extra English classes during the week, as well as History and Geography lessons in English. I spent more time in class with them than any other group and was invited to accompany them on a school trip to Northern Ireland, among other things, and have very positive memories of their enthusiasm for languages and for learning which, in turn, I associate with the opportunities offered via the British Council assistantship scheme.

Other colleagues at Stirling have similarly positive experiences and memories. Hannah Grayson, for example, first came across British Council assistants in 6^th form: ‘I benefitted from 1:1 sessions with both a French and German language assistant at my school. Our German language assistant was so enthusiastic that she persuaded me to enter a British Council competition, producing a leaflet all about the benefits of the language assistantship programme. We ended up winning and I was awarded my certificate at the top of Canada Square in Canary Wharf by none other than Sir Trevor McDonald! 

After those dizzying heights, my own language assistantship took me to Laval in Mayenne for 9 months of teaching in two collèges. I had wanted to be in Montpellier teaching lycée but it turned out to be one of the best years of my life. I lived with people from all around the world, travelled across France, and got the bug for teaching that still excites me over a decade later. When on my first day, the girl at the front of the class queue looked at me disdainfully and said, “I (h)ate English,” my naïve optimism was somewhat crushed, but the year turned out to be a wonderful experience and I am still in touch with the friends I made that year.’

Nina Parish’s experience also spans her own school days and time as an assistant while at University: ‘At school, we were lucky to have French and German assistants – I can remember the German assistant in particular being so helpful when we were studying for A-level. Having access to someone closer to our age was just brilliant.

I was an English assistant on my year abroad in Marseille – I think it has to be the best year of my life – still now – many years later! I worked in two collèges (and lived free of charge in one) and the English teachers were so welcoming – they really made me feel part of the team. I returned to Provence once I graduated studying for a Maîtrise and DEA at the university in Aix-en-Provence. It’s here in an Art History class that I discovered Henri Michaux – and the rest is history!’

This year has, of course, been more challenging than most for our students who were away as assistants when Covid-19 hit but, whether as students or staff, we are clear about the importance of the benefits that can come thanks to English Language Assistantships, in particular, but also more widely in terms of the work carried out by the British Council. If you want to find out more about the campaign of support, please do read the information available on the UCML’s website here, and add your voice to the statements of support.

And if you want to read about our students’ and graduates’ experiences of British Council assistantships, there are loads of examples on the blog but you could start here or here or here!

2020 French Finalists and their plans

Following on from Mira’s reflections on life as a Public Service Interpreter, the second of today’s blog posts give us our traditional annual opportunity to get a sense of the hopes and plans of this year’s French at Stirling finalists. To say it has been a difficult few months for them would be a tremendous understatement but, first, like the French at Stirling teaching team, they made the rapid adjustment from classes on campus to online learning. And now, despite the extremely challenging backdrop, many of them have taken the time to reply to a request for reflections on their plans for life after graduation.

We’ve been putting a similar post together for a few years now (see 2019’s here, 2018’s here…) and we were all a little anxious about asking the same questions in the current circumstances but, having spent the past few days reading through the replies, looking at the photos of their travels, reading the good wishes that also came in their messages, I can honestly say this has been an unexpectedly uplifting experience. So, with no further ado, and in no particular order, here goes:

Mairi, who will be graduating with a BA Hons in French and Spanish, is planning to embark on postgraduate study next year, either with an MSc in Gender Studies at the University of Strathclyde or at the University of Stirling: ‘When I started 4th year I thought I would have been going into a graduate job after I finished my degree but due to the impact of Covid-19, it has been really difficult to find work. I have always wanted to do a postgrad in Gender Studies but I had thought it would be a few years down the line after some time in the working world. But things rarely happen in the order we expect them to. Here’s to the future and whatever it brings.’

Eilidh, who has just completed a BA Hons in International Management with European Languages and Society, attended a 2-day assessment centre in London back in February, following which: ‘I was successful in my application for the commercial, sales and management graduate programme for Bakkavor. The company is an international food manufacturer, supplying meals, desserts and snacks to all major retailers in the UK and overseas. The programme lasts for 2 years, where I will be promoted to a manager after the programme is completed. Despite the job not being directly related to French, I fully intend keeping up with the language, and encouraging the company to work with a French bakery company so I can get back to France!’

As for Martina, who has completed a BA Hons in French and Spanish, ‘as a final year student during the Coronavirus pandemic, I find myself ending my undergraduate studies in some of the most unexpected circumstances in Stirling University’s history. I started my Joint Honours in French and Spanish in 2015 and spent a gap year between the second and third year of my degree working as an English Language Assistant with the British Council in a small ski town called Briançon, in the French Alps. After this incredible experience I was also fortunate enough to spend a semester living in Seville, Spain. Both these experiences greatly helped me develop my proficiency in these languages as well as my confidence overall.

As I have been learning Spanish for almost 11 years, I have always felt very passionate about this language and, as such, I decided to apply for a place on the Masters by Research in Hispanic Studies course at the University of Edinburgh. After producing two pieces of research work at undergraduate level, I am now hoping to develop my skills and hope to be accepted on this course to work on the topic of Latin American and Caribbean feminisms. I have also applied to their prestigious Literatures, Languages and Cultures Masters Scholarship, awarded to 4 outstanding students undertaking a Masters Programme within this division. I also applied for a second scholarship, the Muriel Smith Scholarship. I am now waiting for an update on these applications, but I am very hopeful for what the future holds for me! While I may not have ended my undergraduate studies the same way previous students have, I still had an enjoyable, albeit stressful, year and I am very proud of everything I have accomplished.’

Stephanie, another soon-to-be BA Hons French and Spanish graduate, is also clear that Covid-19 is having an impact on her plans but in a different way: ‘As is the case for a lot of people, my plans are in a sort of limbo at the moment. I have accepted a position, though, with the JET Programme as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan. The scheduled departure date is in September, but obviously I’m not sure if it’ll actually go ahead as planned, and what will happen if it can’t go ahead as planned… Despite the uncertainty, I am excited about the prospect of living and working abroad for a while. The JET Programme allows me to have that break from studying that I want whilst also affording me the opportunity to discover a new country and learn a new language.  As far as longer term goals go, I am looking into getting into teaching. Right now, I’m leaning towards primary teaching but I’m not yet ruling out secondary. The ALT position will give me some valuable experience in a classroom which is something that I’m lacking at the moment.’

Like Stephanie, Laura, who has just finished her BA Hons in English Studies and French, also has travel plans for the coming year: ‘My plans for September are going to Finland for a Master’s degree. I have received three offers from three Finnish universities of Masters’ programmes in educational sciences based on teaching languages as a foreign language. I have not chosen yet which one I will specifically choose but I am sure I will spend my next two years in Finland.’

In some cases, the impact of the current situation is such that original plans are having to be rethought as is the case for Evelyn who is graduating with Single Honours French: ‘I don’t actually have any post-graduation plans as yet. Coronavirus has thrown a bit of a spanner in my job hunting as well as my hopes of getting some work experience this summer. I am hoping to go into publishing or copyediting but unfortunately, work experience opportunities are currently fairly thin on the ground at the moment. As such, I am using this time to brush up on skills that will come in handy when looking for a job in this sector. I have also set up a blog to review the books that I am reading during lockdown, so I’m throwing myself into that at the moment as well as keeping the job search active!’

Another of our Single Honours French finalists, Rhiannon, finds herself in a similar position: ‘My final year didn’t quite go as I had planned, and I feel like I’ve not really had the chance to say goodbye to my time at Stirling University. However, I have had some of the most amazing times there and met some of my best friends. I plan to go to university much closer to home in Glasgow to do a post-grad but I’m still a bit unsure what I want to do. I’m a bit undecided between doing translation (which is what I’ve always originally wanted to do) or doing something completely different. I’m currently interested in doing Gender Studies at Strathclyde but again I am still quite undecided. I’m also extremely interested in doing something related to history or museum-related as I love learning all about the past.  The future is so undecided and scary right now so I am using these months of lockdown to have a really hard think about where it is I would like to go.’

As for Caitlin: ‘After four years studying BA Hons in French and Spanish, I made the decision this year to apply for PGDE primary teaching in order to pursue a career as a primary teacher. I have just recently accepted my place at the University of Aberdeen on this course. This career is what I have always wanted to do, and so I am delighted and excited to have been offered a place. I am also looking forward to moving to and discovering both a new city and a new university. The experience I obtained working as an English Language Assistant in France between my 2nd and 3rd year at University helped me to realise that this was what I wanted to do.’

The teaching route takes many forms and, like Caitlin and Stephanie, other finalists are also planning a year (and possibly more) than involves language teaching in different forms and different places. For Lily, who completed her BA Hons in English Studies and French with us: ‘My plan for the coming year – if all returns to some semblance of normal – is to work in Spain as an English Language Assistant with the British Council so that I can get my Spanish up to a similar level of fluency as my French. Still figuring out what comes after that!’

Jack, who is graduating with a BA Hons in French with Spanish and Education, is also taking a teaching-related route in the first instance: ‘Everything changed very quickly as the countdown to graduation approached. Lockdown for me, like everyone else, changed all my plans and added to the uncertainty of what I would do once I finished my degree. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, it has been really nice spending time with my family, going on a daily bike run and having time to read for pleasure regularly. In the spirit of the times we live in, I begin work next week teaching Chinese children English online. I have already started my ESL training and it’s already evident that my degree is coming in handy.

I’m still looking for something more permanent starting later in the year, and I’ve applied for many different jobs so fingers crossed. It’s proving particularly challenging this year as the jobs market has suffered greatly. Living in Dumfries and Galloway where there are few job opportunities at the best of times I’m looking further afield, so who knows where I’ll end up.’

And Kirstie, a BA Hons French and Spanish finalist, is planning to move to Belgium and ‘Brussels specifically. I’m going to teach English, either as a language assistant with the British Council or with another language school, and I’ll also to continue to work on my travel blog. Brussels is a great hub in Europe and I plan to do a lot of travelling around the continent in the coming years!’

Last but not least for the moment, Jack, who has also completed a BA Hons in French and Spanish, reflects that: ‘Near-future planning has become more difficult amidst the current uncertainty in the world, but I am now looking to focus on my backpack business, Cancha, as well as advancing my tennis career. This does not come without challenges. Lockdown has hindered my tennis training routine for quite some time now, and the fact that national borders continue to close and flights are sparse paints a bleak picture for the professional sport scene. However, I am confident that the world will return to normal and, when it does, I want to make sure I am as prepared as possible to take full advantage of this. The same goes for Cancha: buying backpacks for travel and sports is almost certainly not on people’s minds at the moment, but I am using this ‘down-time’ to make more subtle changes in the company, such as refining our message, and the ways in which our company can both endure this episode whilst also giving back to the community and the environment.

Although many graduate students at Stirling are unsure of their next steps, especially during this world crisis (which has stopped almost everyone in their tracks), there are ways in which each one of us can improve and make progress in our ambitions, albeit in an untraditional way.’

We’re always grateful to our finalists for sharing their plans and hopes with us as they reach the end of their degrees but this year, it would be fair to say that we are particularly appreciative of the thoughtful, helpful and positive responses. Many, many thanks to you all, not to mention congratulations on having reached the end of your degrees! And, of course, we wish you all the very, very best for the months and years ahead and hope that you will keep in touch with us in the future.

(And, as ever, if you’re a French at Stirling finalist reading this and wanting to add your contribution, please do just send me an email (cristina.johnston@stir.ac.uk) and I will very happily update the post!)

From Tour-Guiding and TEFL to International Marketing: ‘Language Skills and Cultural Knowledge’

Time for another great update from one of our former students – after Paul’s tales of financial crime analysis, this time, we’re delighted to have news from Kitti who graduated just over two years ago:

‘My name is Kitti and I studied French and Global Cinema and Culture between 2013 and 2017. I really enjoyed my time at Stirling, I met some wonderful people, I learnt so much and I had a lot of fun. I spent a semester in the South of France studying at Aix-Marseille University. I was having a hard time with the accent, so I promised myself I would move back to a different part of France once I graduated.

Shortly after graduating I moved to Bordeaux. I loved this gorgeous city from the moment I arrived. Everyone was kind and welcoming and I found the accent much more understandable. I started working on the reception of a youth hostel, and soon a local tour company hired me as one of their guides. I enjoyed every minute spent tour guiding. I learnt so many interesting things about the city and I met a lot of different people. I spent six months in Bordeaux, after which I returned to Scotland and started thinking of going into French teaching, even though I wasn’t 100% sure it was for me.

I completed my application, but I already had a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate, so I thought why not make some use of it and gain some experience before starting the PGDE course. I applied for a few TEFL jobs and I landed in a role in Madrid, Spain. I worked in two schools, a nursery and a so called ‘business vocational school’, which is similar to colleges in Scotland. I loved both of these jobs. However, I started giving evening classes for teenagers in a language school, which I didn’t enjoy as much. I found working with teenagers much harder than working with any other age group, and I started asking myself if teaching French in high schools is really the right path for me.

After returning to Scotland five months ago, instead of going for the PGDE, I decided to give myself a little more time to figure out what I really wanted to do. Since I have teaching experience, I got a job in a primary school, where I support children with learning difficulties. In the meantime, I kept wondering and asking myself what should my next step in life be. I do love working with children but I felt like there might be a more suitable path for me, so I kept searching for career options.

Recently I was accepted to study for a Masters at Edinburgh Napier University. The course is called International Marketing with Tourism and Events and it starts in September. I am over the moon and cannot wait for it to start. All modules sound as if they had been tailored to my interests. When I first read about the course, I couldn’t believe how perfect it all sounded. The year is split into three trimesters, two will take place in Edinburgh while the third one in Nice at IPAG Business School. I am most excited about studying festival management, as I hope one day I can work on film and music festivals. I am equally looking forward to working in settings where I can use my language skills and cultural knowledge. In the end I am happy I decided to take my time to figure out what I truly wanted, I am certain it will pay off. I just hope I will find the southern French accent easier to understand this time round.’

Many, many thanks to Kitti for finding the time to send us through this post and photos. We wish you all the best for the Masters next year and look forward to updates over the months and years ahead.