Archive for 2023
Abbie Yallop – Seoul Garden Festival – October 2023
It has finally become Autumn here in South Korea! People say that the best time to travel here is around this time as the weather is perfect, not humid like in the Summer. There are many beautiful sights to see and this period is well known for having many flower festivals, as this is when…
Read MoreLucas Evans: Mon arrivée à Lyon : Arriving in Lyon – September 2023
Je suis arrivé à Lyon le 26 août. C’était le dernier jour de la canicule. J’ai hélé un taxi qui m’a emmené sur les pentes de la Croix-Rousse, mon quartier pour les prochains six mois. J’ai été bien accueilli par ma famille d’accueil, Fred et sa fille Collette. Ils habitent dans un joli appartement qui…
Read MoreJenna O'Flynn: Bienvenue à Paris – September 2023
Bonjour à tous! J’ai terminé juste ma deuxième semaine à Paris et donc j’ai pensé que dans ce poste, je parlerais un peu de certaines de choses que j’ai fait jusqu’à maintenant! J’habite dans le 16e, alors la seine est sur le pas de ma porte et non loin de moi se trouve la magnifique…
Read MoreCase Study: Max Jenkins – Valencia 2023
Firstly, I would like to thank the John Speak Trust for helping finance my study abroad in Valencia. This really helped further fund different activities and nights out that I would not have originally been able to afford! I was really spoiled during the five months I was in Valencia. I think that before my…
Read MoreCosmo de Bono: First Month in Taipei, September 2023
2023/09 – 陳白宇 我來台灣已經三個星期了。在這裡的時間過得很快，我現在已經適應了這裡的新生活。我住在台北，在國立台灣師範大學（NTNU）學習 10 個月。我每天上午有兩個小時的現代漢語課，週一、週二和週四下午還有專業語言課 – 古代漢語、文學和翻譯。我的所有課程都有一個語言誓約，就是老師和學生只能說中文。課程並不輕鬆，因為老師們教得很快，老師也給學生很多作業。每週還有筆試和口試，是為了檢查學生的進步。然而，這些都很有趣，而且我看得出我的中文已經有了明顯的進步。 雖然我必須花很多時間學習，但我也發現課外時間對提高我的語言能力同樣有用。我現在是北師大合唱團的一員，每週一和週五晚上都要排練三小時。雖然這是一項很大的投入，但我每周可以花 6 個小時用中文跟台灣學生聊天兒，讓我練習口語。我發現聽別人說中文是提高發音和語調的最有效方法。 在教室外面，我在台灣最難事情的是天氣。每天的氣溫都30 度以上。再加上潮濕的天氣，讓一切都變得有點累。但是到了十月份，天氣會變得涼爽很多，所以我打算到時候再開始去參觀台北有名的地方 我和一對寄宿夫婦住在一起，他們是Greg和Risa（他們更喜歡用自己的英文名字）。他們非常友好，還養了一隻小狗。 因為來台北的時間不長，所以我沒有更多的消息可以報告，但目前一切都很順利，我很高興能在這裡生活 10 個月！ I’ve been in Taiwan for three weeks now. The time here has gone by very quickly and I’m now well settled into my new life here. I’m living in Taipei and studying at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU)…
Read MoreJed Martin: Graffiti: Kunst oder Vandalismus – September 2023
Guten Tag an alle Leser, ich möchte heute herzlich willkommen heißen zu meinem neuen monatlichen Bericht! Da ich mich gerade in den Semesterferien befinde, hatte ich die Gelegenheit, Rostock ausgiebig zu erkunden, insbesondere seine verschiedenen Stadtviertel. Jedes dieser Viertel hat seinen eigenen einzigartigen Stil und eine ganz besondere Atmosphäre, aber es gibt etwas, das sie…
Read MoreJoshua Winfield: I have arrived! – Canada, September 2023
I have arrived! After a long journey, I am finally in Canada! During my first week, I explored my district (the pretty borough of Notre-Dame de Grâce/Hampstead) and settled into my new life in Quebec. Before returning to university (I am studying at the University of Montreal), the student body had organised a welcome week…
Read MoreMaisie Palmer: La rentrée! Paris – September 2023
Cette semaine, je suis revenue à Sciences Po Paris pour la deuxième fois. Il y a cinq ans, j’y ai étudié pendant mon échange Erasmus et maintenant je suis en train de faire un master en politiques publiques. L’université est située dans le septième arrondissement de Paris, près de Saint-Germain-des-Prés où des intellectuels célèbres, comme…
Read MoreAbbie Yallop: Chasing Sunsets In Seoul – September 2023
These days the weather in Seoul has been really great since the rain season has pretty much ended, so I have made many plans and ideas of beautiful places to visit. Actually, I noticed that the sunset has been a really lovely pink colour, so I decided to try to find a location where I…
Read MoreSimon Watson Новый день – новый город! – Kazakhstan, September 2023
Привет, друзья! Я уже третью неделю изучаю русский язык в Казахстане, и я расскажу вам о том, как прошёл мой первый день в Казахстане. Я приехал в Астану очень рано утром в субботу. Здесь было очень прохладно, что было приятно после полета из Турции, где была очень жарко. В Астане, столице Казахстана, климат гораздо прохладнее,…
Read MoreCase Study – Rosalind Lane: Hamburg 2022-23
Rosalind Lane Hamburg Case Study My year in Hamburg has had a huge impact on me. I want to start off by saying thank you to the John Speak Trust, who have sponsored me throughout this year. The charity enabled me to travel around new Germany, meet new people and make the most of the…
Read MoreAbbie Yallop: Hot Day In Seoul – August 2023
요즘에 서울 날씨가 정말 더워졌습니다. 날씨가 더워진져서 수영을 할 수 있는 아름답고 쉴 수 있는 지역으로 가야겠다고 생각 했습니다. 저의 한국친구가 최근에 한국에서 높은 산중인 북한산 근처에 있는 강옆의 예쁜 카페를 소개해줬습니다. 그래서 다른 친구도 함께 그 카페로 가기로 했습니다. 우리는 좋은 경치를 보면서 강가에서 물놀이를 했습니다. 물놀이 중에 작은 물고기들도 보기도 했습니다. 사람들이 너무…
Read MoreMaisie Palmer: Une visite au Père Lachaise – August 2023
Bonjour à tous ! C’est ma première semaine à Paris et je veux partager une de mes expériences jusqu’à maintenant. Je suis arrivée avec mes bagages dans le 20e arrondissement de Paris où je resterai pendant mes études en France. Il a fait tellement chaud sur ce jour parce qu’il y avait la canicule s’est…
Read MoreRosalind Lane: Ein Tagestrip nach Kiel – August 2023
Ein Tagestrip nach Kiel Wie ich in meinem letzten Post geschrieben habe, bin ich mit meinen Prüfungen fertig und habe daher eine Menge freie Zeit! Ich habe mich entschlossen, das Deutschlandticket zu kaufen, eine Monatskarte für 49 €, mit der ich alle regionalen öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel im ganzen Deutschland nutzen kann. Leider waren meine Träume, die…
Read MoreJed Martin: Die Semesterferien haben endlich begonnen! August 2023
Moin an alle Leser, endlich ist die Zeit gekommen in der mein Prüfungs- und Lernstress vorbei ist. Alle Klausuren sind nun geschrieben und ich werde über die nächsten Wochen die Ergebnisse langsam bekommen. Ich bin mir sogar ziemlich sicher, dass alle bestanden sind, da die gewissermaßen gut liefen. Die Klausuren waren alle schriftlich, eine Tatsache die…
Read MoreJed Martin: Warnemünde – Der breiteste Strand Deutschlands – July 2023
Moin an alle Leser, da die Sommerzeit nun begonnen hat nutze ich die Gelegenheit, um euch ein bisschen über einen der schönsten und beliebtesten Strände Deutschlands zu erzählen. Der Strand in Warnemünde ist der breiteste an der gesamten deutschen Ostseeküste mit eine Breite von 150m und eine Länge von über 3km. Seit 1323 gehört das Ostseebad…
Read MoreAbbie Yallop: Songpagu Baekje Moonlight Trip – July 2023
이번주에 성파구에서 열리는 문화축제에 초대를 받아 참여하게 되었습니다. 전 세계사람들이 모인 축제에서 새로운 국제 친구들을 사귈수 있었습니다. 축제에서는 여러 활동을 분담 하였는데, 다문화 활동과 뜨개질, 등 같은 만들기도 있었습니다. 그리고 전통 의상을 입어 보는 체험도 하였고, 춤과 아크로바틱 공연들도 보았습니다. 축제가 시작할때는 성파구 의원님이 오셔서 사진도 다 같이 찍었습니다. 축제를 통해 새로운 서울의 지역을 여행하고…
Read MoreAbbie Yallop – 25th June – Birthday celebrations!
나의 생일이 있는 6월을 한국에서 보낼 수 있게 되었습니다. 저는 6월 25일에 24살이 되었습니다. 나의 생일에 나는 한국어 학당 친구들과 같이 한국인들이 일반적으로 하는 재미있는 것들을 하기로 결정했습니다. 예를 들면, 우리는 한국 길거리에서 흔히 보이는 노래방을 갔는데, 노래도 부를 수 있고 저렴한 음식과 음료를 친구들과 즐길 수 있는 곳이었습니다. 영국에 있었을 때도 팥은 항상 내가 제일 좋아하는 맛이여서…
Read MoreRosalind Lane: Exam Season and Deciding to Stay in Germany, July 2023
Prüfungszeit und die Entscheidung, in Deutschland zu bleiben Ich kann gar nicht glauben, wie schnell dieses Jahr vergeht! Es ist bereits Juli, was bedeutet, dass ich mich mitten in der Prüfungszeit befinde. Da mein Masterstudiengang ungewöhnlicherweise nur ein Jahr dauert (in Deutschland sind die meisten Masterstudiengänge zwei Jahre lang), bedeutet dies, dass ich nun auch…
Read MoreCase Study: Nathaniel Jones, France 2023
These past 10 months in France have changed my life, I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this. All the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the moments I connected with is something I wouldn’t have been able to feel back home, and learning this foreign language has been such a…
Read MoreCase Study – Marianne McCready, France 2023
I would first and foremost like to thank the John Speak Language Trust for supporting me during my experience in France. Thanks to your support not only have I been able to cover living costs, but I have also been able to explore more of the country and live new cultural experiences. The opportunity to…
Read MoreNathaniel Jones: May 2023 monthly report
As my exchange comes to a conclusion, this month consisted of so much, firstly it was my 22nd birthday and I had the best time celebrating it in France with all the friends I had made which I was extremely grateful for, it made me reflect and realize all the great experiences I’ve had with…
Read MoreNicholas Aien: April in Bologna, Italy (2023)
Italiano: Ad aprile, ho trascorso tanto tempo esplorando Bologna e altri luoghi circostanti. Ho fatto un po’ di trekking nelle colline a sud di Bologna, a Marzabotto, scalando il Monte Sole e alcune altre colline. Mi sono messo in viaggio un po’ d’improvviso e senza molti piani e ho incontrato molte sorprese lungo il cammino.…
Read MoreNicholas Aien: May in Bologna, Italy
Italiano: Maggio è stato caotico in molti modi diversi. L’Emilia-Romagna è stata devastata da inondazioni senza precedenti che hanno causato stragi nella zona e purtroppo anche la perdita di vite umane. Fortunatamente, la città di Bologna non è stata colpita gravemente come le aree circostanti. Sono rimasto colpito dalla vista di coloro che tornavano dalle…
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