Case Study: Eve Duffy, Latvia, 2025-2026

Studying abroad this year has been by far the most formative experience of my university career. I have had the incredible opportunity to live, work and study in three countries, and develop my language skills in three different languages. The most recent semester I have spent studying in Daugavpils, Latvia, and this is the section which the John Speak trust scholarship helped me with, enabling me to make the most of every opportunity and experience which the program had to offer. When I arrived in Daugavpils four months ago, I was thrown into a completely new environment and was confronted with a big culture shock. Living with a host family who had no knowledge of English forced me to actively use my Russian language skills constantly which led to a massive improvement in both my fluency and confidence. The Russian language lessons taught in the language school were very intense and for the first time since I started at university, I was able to focus on just Russian and nothing else.

A lot of my free time was spent playing with my host mum’s 5-year-old granddaughter after school. At first, I really struggled to understand what she was telling me – her language was very different from anything we had learned at university! With time I started to recognise the language patterns and words she was using and became much more confident interacting with her. On the weekends our language school organised trips to different regions of Latvia and the Baltic states. We were lucky enough to visit Tallin, Kaunas, Vilnius, Trakai, Riga and several places in the Latgale region. These trips were incredibly enriching and presented a unique opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of the Baltic countries. Most recently the language school organised a fantastic trip to a traditional banya just outside of Daugavpils. We spent time in the banya, where we were shown the traditional ritual Parenie, before running outside to swim in the lake under the sunshine.

I have been so lucky to live in an environment so well suited for language development. Living in Daugavpils has improved my fluency, accuracy and sophistication when speaking Russian. I have gained a deeper understanding of the city’s culture and have developed my cultural sensitivity. I have met people from all walks of life and had incredibly interesting conversations with people who have very differently lived experiences to myself. Thanks to the support from the trust I have been able to fully immerse myself in life abroad without worrying as much about the financial implications that come with travelling.

Now that I am back in the UK and my year abroad is complete it is wonderful to reflect on all the memories I have made and the things I have learnt this year. This year I have been forced out of my comfort zone almost every day. These experiences have left me with no option but to grow, develop and improve not only my language skills but also essential life skills. I am confident that the experience I have gained whilst studying abroad has provided me with an excellent foundation for the final year of my degree. As I prepare to head into the workplace, I feel assured that I am able to handle myself in stressful situations speaking a language which isn’t my mother tongue. Studying languages has provided me with fantastic opportunities which I believe should be available to all. The work of the trust helps to increase accessibility to opportunities like these at a time when modern languages departments across the country are suffering greatly due to a lack of funding.