Monthly Reports
Alexandra Spencer – Spain:November time!
November truly solidified the seasonal transition in Madrid. The beautiful, intense sunshine of early autumn disappeared, replaced by shorter days and a chilling air that demanded the use of heavy coats and scarves, bringing that beautiful, crisp European winter feeling. This shift naturally pushed my activities indoors, concentrating my social life around the warmth of…
Read MoreAlexandra Spencer: October reflections, Spain – October 2025
October brought a definitive, welcome shift in Madrid’s climate. The brutal, unforgiving heat of September finally gave way to a crisp, cool autumn air, the kind that calls for a light jacket and makes the granite buildings feel cozy and contemplative. This sudden change in atmosphere perfectly mirrored my necessary shift in focus: away from…
Read MoreAlexandra Spencer: A September to remember – Spain, September 2025
September was a whirlwind of intense firsts, a blur of new sounds, logistics, and continuous motion. The initial part of the month felt like a solo mission to achieve basic operational status: I secured my Abono Transporte, the key to unlocking the city, and spent days mastering the intricate web of the Metro and Cercanías…
Read MoreCaitlin Manchester: 풍성한 한가위 보내셨기를 바랍니다! I hope everyone had a wonderful Chuseok~ October 2025
눈 깜짝할 새에 또 한 달이 지나갔습니다! 요즘 너무 즐겁게 지내서 그런지, 시간이 정말 빠르게 흐르는 것 같습니다. 그래서 저는 수업과 다양한 경험으로 가득한 하루하루 속에서, 한국을 탐험하는 한순간도 놓치지 않으려고 노력하고 있습니다. 강원도로 떠난 여행이야말로 이번 달 제일 보람이 있는 일이었습니다. 웰빙과 전통문화를 중심으로 한 여행이었는데, 말로 표현할 수 없을 만큼 소중한 경험이었습니다. 저희는 먼저…
Read MoreChloe Salmon: Octubre en Sevilla – October 2025
El primer mes del mi año de extranjero ha sido el mejor tiempo de mi vida! He conocido a personas increíbles, he comido la mejor comida, y he aprendido mucho mas de lo que pensé que aprendería en tan poco tiempo. Durante la semana de bienvenido, conocí a muchas personas de países diferentes, incluyendo irlandeses,…
Read MoreNatalie Smith: October in Spain and Portugal – October 2025
The following weekend was a long one, as we had no classes on Friday or Monday. I decided to take advantage of this and travelled to Porto, Portugal which is one of the cities with a direct bus from Salamanca. Despite being in Portugal, I had the opportunity to use my Spanish such as taking…
Read MoreHannah Smith: Mise à jour d'octobre (October 2025)
Je rédige ce rapport mensuel après avoir passé près d’un mois en France ! Bien que chaque jour ait apporté des défis différents, je crois que j’ai progressé dans plusieurs domaines, notamment en ce qui concerne la confiance à l’oral et les interactions en français, l’adaptation aux différences culturelles ainsi que le début de m’intégrer…
Read MoreCase Study: Grace Dawson, Germany 2024 – 2025
Hamburg has become more of a home to me than I could ever have imagined. Reflecting on the past year I have spent there highlights just how quickly the time has flown by since I arrived at Hamburg Airport, dragging a cumbersome bike box and far too many bags. I have immensely enjoyed the opportunity…
Read MoreHannah Smith: Ma première semaine en France, September 2025
Ce premier de mes reports mensuels est écrit à la fin de ma première semaine en France. Je suis installé pour six mois à Sallanches, une commune de la région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. C’est un lieu d’une beauté naturelle magnifique et, depuis les fenêtres de mon appartement en centre-ville, j’admire les vues panoramqiue sur le massif du…
Read MoreCaitlin Manchester: 한국 생활에 점점 익숙해지고 있다! Becoming more used to life in Korea! September 2025
한국에서 보낸 첫 달은 즐거웠지만 조금은 힘들기도 했습니다. 산이면 산 궁이면 궁, 서울의 모두 다 쓰러질 정도로 매우 흥미로웁니다. 어느 날에는 수업 끝난 후에 저랑 제 친구들이 같이 동대문 디자인 프라자를 구경하려고 했습니다. 동대문 프라자는 서울에 있는 엄청 유명한 관광거리입니다. <Everflow: 움직이는 장>이라는 라이트 쇼는 열리고 있었고 다양한 빛과 미디어 아트로 외벽에 펴쳐져서 아주 흥미로운…
Read MoreCaitlin Manchester: 한국에 도착했어요! 첫 주는 이렇게 보냈어요. I’ve arrived in Korea! – August 2025
저는 8월27일에 한국에 도착했어요! 이 신기한 나라가 이제 내 새로운 집이 되었어요. 이런 새로운 시작은 나에게 큰 기회가 되고 다양한 경험이랑 도전을 엄청 기다리고 있어요! 저는 오후 네시에 인천 공항에 도착해서 바로 버스를 타고 대학 캠퍼스에 갔어요. 서울대학교에 도착하자마자 제 방이 어디인지 물어봤어요. 방 열쇠를 받은 후에 새로운 방으로 이사했고 옷이랑 물건 다 정리했어요. 저는…
Read MoreChloe Salmon: Mi Primera Semana en Sevilla – Sevilla, España – September 2025
Hola, me llamo Chloe, y desde hace seis días, volé a Sevilla, España. He encontrada la experiencia muy interesante, pero muy difícil. Es difícil ya que el acento en Sevilla es muy fuerte, y diferente a lo que he aprendido a la universidad en Inglaterra. Por ejemplo, en Andalucía (el región de Sevilla), en vez de…
Read MoreNatalie Smith: My First Two Weeks in Salamanca – September 2025
After arriving in Salamanca on September 2nd, I had the opportunity to explore the city before my classes began in the Department of Filología, where I will take classes in linguistics and Spanish culture. I spent time walking around the city and admiring the historic streets and buildings. One of the highlights was visiting the…
Read MoreGrace Dawson: Die letzten Tage in Hamburg – September 2025
Während der letzten Tage meines Aufenthalts wurde deutlich, dass meine Deutschkenntnisse spürbar verbessert sind. Neulich habe ich mich bei variierten Situationen fließend und ohne Zögern ausdrücken können, wohingegen ich am Anfang des Jahres mit diesen Fällen nicht vertraut war.Der auffälligste Fall trat beim Flughafen auf, als ich den Rückflug nach GB gemacht habe. Um mein…
Read MoreCase Study: Bryony Heaviside – La Belle Province 2024-2025
My time in Quebec, Canada, has finally come to an end. After spending a few weeks back in the UK, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on what this experience and being a recipient of the John Speak Bursary has meant to me. When deciding where to undertake my placement year, Quebec seemed the…
Read MoreBryony Heaviside: Road-trip au Nouveau-Brunswick! – August 2025
Ce mois, j’ai fait un road-trip au Nouveau-Brunswick pour deux semaines. Le Nouveau-Brunswick est la province voisine du Québec, et c’est la seule province officiellement bilingue du Canada. À mon avis c’est une culture unique qui a un mélange d’influences françaises, britanniques et autochtones. L’un des aspects les plus intéressants de mon voyage a été…
Read MoreLauren Maslin: Case Study – Land of the Morning Calm: South Korea 2024 – 2025
I chose to go to South Korea because I was fascinated by its history and very different culture than my own. I also believed that living there would be the best way to learn the language in its natural context, beyond the classroom. “Going to South Korea as a language exchange student showed me that…
Read MoreLauren Maslin- August 2025년 9월 언니와 즐긴 한국 관광 A tour of Korea with my sister
요즘 모두 잘 지내고 계신가요? 어느새 여름도 어느덧 끝을 향해 가고 있네요. 저는 8월 내내 정말 바쁘게 지내면서 다양한 경험들을 하며 뜻깊은 시간을 보냈어요. 먼저, 친구와 함께 부산으로 당일치기 여행을 다녀왔어요. 하루 종일 비가 왔지만, 오히려 그 덕분에 색다른 분위기를 즐길 수 있었어요. 벽화가 가득한 작은 마을을 천천히 걸으며 사진도 찍고, 바닷가에 앉아 조용히 바다를…
Read MoreGrace Dawson: Auf Wiedersehen Hamburg! August 2025
Mit dem August kommt mein Jahr im Ausland zum Schluss, was mich gleichzeitig trauert und freut. Wenn ich an meinen Aufenthalt in Hamburg denke, stehen die vielen Freundschaften und spannenden Erlebnisse neben meinen verbesserten Deutschkenntnissen im Vordergrund. Ich wusste diese Chance vom Anfang an zu schätzen, auch wenn ich mich nie darauf hätte vorbereiten können,…
Read MoreElodie Sparrow: Case Study – Over and out! – Beijing 2024 – 2025
A year studying in Beijing has been incredible. Getting off the plane and walking into the late August heat feels like a lifetime ago – so much has happened since then. This last year, I have had the privilege to study at Peking University (PKU), supported by John Speak Language Trust. I went out to…
Read MoreGrace Dawson: Der sonnige Juli
Trotz der ermüdenden Hitzewellen konnte ich den Juli mit Hilfe eines Schwimmbad Besuchs und vieler Rennrad Tours genießen. Es ist ein glücklicher Zufall, dass das schöne Kaifu Bad sich ganz in der Nähe von mir befindet. Mit einem 50m langem Sommerfreibad, Winter-Außenpool und einem Hallenbad bietet die Anlage eine beeindruckende Auswahl an sportlichen Erlebnissen. Der…
Read MoreCase Study: Jack Beeching – France, 2024 – 2025
I can still remember my first morning in Paris. I was tired, having arrived late and spent the night in a cheap hostel, and anxious – not sure what I was doing there. I stood, in line for a pastry, clumsily rehearsing the words “un pain au chocolat, s’il vous plait”: desperate not to fail…
Read MoreBryony Heaviside: Le phare à la Renommée – July 2025
Ce mois j’ai fait un voyage à la pointe à la Renommée, sur la côte de la Gaspésie. Ce phare est célèbre pour de nombreuses choses, principalement pour contribuer au développement de la communication marine. Quand j’ai fait ma visite, j’ai fait un tour en français pour découvrir l’histoire du phare. Le guide était incroyablement…
Read MoreJack Beeching: La culture en France – July 2025
Jusqu’il y a quelques mois, le gouvernement français versait 300 euros à chaque jeune de dix‑huit ans, sans poser de questions, à dépenser en billets de cinéma, de musée ou de théâtre ou encore en matériels artistique. Je me souviens avoir entendu parler pour la première fois de ce « pass culture » (qui a désormais été réduit…
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