Case Study
Case Study: Daniel Osborne – China 2018-19
As part of my undergraduate degree, I spent a year abroad in Beijing where I enrolled at Peking University. The course at Peking University consisted of all key areas of the Mandarin language, including areas such as speaking to newspaper reading, and even advancing our skills in classical Chinese. The excellent teaching meant that I…
Read MoreCase Study: Joshua Hillis , Amman, Jordan – 2018-2019
I had studied Arabic as an extracurricular course, during my undergraduate degree at Oxford University. These weekly classes had given me a good grounding in Arabic grammar but I knew my spoken Arabic needed some work. The support of The John Speak Trust enabled me to devote three months to improving my Arabic, through an…
Read MoreCase Study – Molly Jeffs, Paris 2018-2019
As part of my BA in French and Linguistics at Queen Mary University I was required to complete at least 6 months at a French speaking university; and for me there was only one option, Paris. The university of the Sorbonne represented French culture to me, and to get the chance to study here was…
Read MoreCase Study: Megan Gouw – Japan, 2018-19
Following my undergraduate degree in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh, I was lucky enough to secure the support of the John Speak Trust in continuing my language studies at a language school in Tokyo for three quarters of a year as the next step towards pursing my long-time dream of studying animation in Japan.…
Read MoreCase Study: Jonathan Saad – Germany 2018-2019
As part of my Engineering course in the UK, I have had the chance to study in Germany for a year. I was keen to do this, as studying abroad would give me the chance to experience Germany’s renowned automotive industry and would give me a great insight into how engineering is viewed outside of…
Read MoreCase Study: Hallie Swanson, India – 2018
Supported by the John Speak Trust, I spent two months this summer in Lucknow, India, studying Persian. Although the Persian language today is associated with the modern state of Iran, for many centuries it acted as a lingua franca, uniting networks of trade, literary culture and administration all across Asia. India was no exception: not…
Read MoreCase Study: Jacob Lloyd, Germany – 2018
As part of my International Business with German course at Sheffield Hallam University, I have the opportunity to live in Germany for 18 months: 6 months studying and 12 months on a work placement. I received support from the John Speak Trust in the first 6 months during my study semester at the Friedrich-Schiller University,…
Read MoreCase Study: Megan Robertson – China, 2018
After graduating with an undergraduate degree in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh in July, I was lucky enough to be accepted onto a Chinese taught Master’s programme in Public Policy at Tsinghua University commencing this September. With the support of the John Speak Trust, I was able to come to Beijing early and take…
Read MoreCase Study: Selina Short – France 2018
This summer I did a 2 month translation internship at the fashion broadcaster Paris Modes Tv. It had always been a dream of mine to move to Paris so as soon as I saw the Paris Modes internship advert I knew that I wanted to spend my summer working in Paris. After going through the…
Read MoreAlexander Johnstone: Case Study – Beijing, China 2017-18
As part of my undergraduate degree in Chinese Studies, I set off to Beijing in August 2017 to spend a year living and learning in China’s capital, enrolled in an exchange programme at Peking University. This year has been a vital stage in the journey of my language learning and has offered me so many…
Read MoreHolly Henry: Case Study – Mexico 2017
During the first semester of my year abroad, I spent 5 months studying at UNAM in Mexico City. Looking back, I see in as both a turbulent but very exciting time. I experienced almost the worst weather the world could throw at me: hurricanes, tropical storms and earthquakes, along with a few stormy moments myself…
Read MoreCase Study: Anam Rahman, China – 2017
During my second year of university I wrote a paper on the Chinese economy. It was here where the magnitude of the inevitable global macroeconomic shifts, finally sunk in. Within the next 10 years China will be the biggest economy in the world. By 2050 its GDP per capita will be twice the size of…
Read MoreCase study: Mercedes Jaskolka, St Petersburg, Russia – 2017
I was full of nerves when I landed in St Petersburg. I thought I’d feel somewhat comfortable in a new environment, having had spent 5 months living in Paris. But nothing could prepare me for the culture shock that came with living and breathing Russia’s culture capital for 5 whole months. The first month I…
Read MoreCase Study: Gavin Vine – China 2016-2017
I began my year in China working at the British embassy in Beijing, before starting university at Peking University, one of China’s top universities, as part of my year abroad. It was at this time when my John Speak scholarship started, providing me with extra money that enabled me to make the most of my…
Read MoreCase Study: Charlotte McGarry – China, 2016 – 2017
The third year of my university degree took the form of a year abroad spent studying Mandarin in Beijing, China. Along with eight other classmates from Cambridge, I moved to Beijing’s student district of Wudaokou in September 2016, ready to embark on a ten month journey of cultural immersion and language learning. The core of…
Read MoreNathan Randerson, Case Study: Spain 2016-2017
John Speak Trust Report – 2017 Its been an incredible last 18 months, my experience in Spain has surpassed all my expectations and is something which I will never forget. I’ve spent six months studying in Córdoba and one year working in the Corporate Procurement Department of NH Hotel Group in Madrid. Both experiences have…
Read MoreSinead O'Connor: Case Study, China – 2016
I began receiving the John Speak travel grant in September 2016, when I began my third year abroad in China as part of my university degree. As there is very little in way of any other monetary help for students choosing to study abroad, especially in this part of the world, it was with great…
Read MoreMatt Hattam: Case Study – Madrid, Spain 2016
For the final four months of 2016 I worked for a translation company in Madrid. The scholarship from the John Speak Trust really enabled me to maximise the experience in the Spanish capital as well as providing me the chance to explore other cities in the region. As a city, Madrid is unique in many…
Read MoreGrace Partington: Case Study – Portugal, 2016
Case Study: Grace Partington, Portugal (2016) Receiving a John Speak Trust Scholarship was extremely helpful in easing financial pressure whilst abroad (including cost of travel, accommodation and social activities) which aided me in improving my Portuguese. In January I arrived in Portugal (in Lisbon airport to be exact) to fantastic weather. The sun was shining…
Read MoreGeorgia Dolan: Case Study – Colombia, 2016
In April this year, I was fortunate to receive a John Speak Scholarship. I initially arrived in the capital, Bogota, to begin my four month Scholarship in Colombia. Having been heavily influenced by the media and western perceptions of Colombia, and particularly that of my parents’ generation, I landed in the airport slightly terrified. The…
Read MoreJack Davies – Case Study: Liaocheng, China 2015-2016
Firstly let me start by saying ……………….. Thank you to the John Speak Language Trust for the support it offered me during the semester I spent at Liaocheng University in Shandong China. With being a recipient of the funds, I was able to focus much more on my studying of Mandarin and as a result…
Read MoreEleanor Winstanley – Case Study: Berlin, Germany 2015
My name’s Ellie Winstanley and I am a 21 year old language student in Manchester, although following my period abroad I am currently living in my home town of Worcester. For the German side of my year abroad I spent 4 months in Berlin working in a nursery. In late August I travelled to Berlin.…
Read MoreCase Study – Richard Freeman Germany 1961
In January 1961 (age 20) I boarded the train from Harwich via London followed by a short ferry journey to Holland. Another train journey took me to Breman Germany where I would stay for six months. On arrival in Bremen I was very homesick having never been away from home before. I arrived in January…
Read MoreChristopher Wilson – Case Study, Germany 1969
“The John Speak Trust Scholarship was of great benefit to me personally and also to my career; a very useful and informative six months” At the age of 18, I was fortunate to receive a John Speak Language Trust Scholarship for six months. This allowed me to travel to Germany to improve my study of…
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