Elodie 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…
Case Study: JJ Daniel – Taiwan, 2025
From starting in Shanghai and ending up in Taiwan, I am grateful to the John Speak Trust for supporting me in my language studies, despite the interruption and change of plans! Coming back to where I spent my university year abroad two years ago, Taiwan, has been a fantastic opportunity.…
Case Study: Kelly Huynh – Spain, 2024 – 2025
I had the incredible opportunity to spend nine months studying abroad at the academically rigorous Complutense University of Madrid, taking classes in the Economics and Business Science Faculty. It was without doubt one of the most intense and rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve grown personally, linguistically, and culturally, and…
Case Study: Jules Chadderton – Japan, Nagoya 2024 – 2025
Having arrived in Japan in September 2024 and spending just under a year in the country, I’ve come to feel surprisingly at home. Unlike many others embarking on a year abroad, I wasn’t starting from zero—I already had friends in Japan and some existing connections, although not many in Nagoya,…
Case Study: Joanna Bowman – France, 2024/25
As I come to the end of my time in Lyon, I marvel at how comfortable I am in my life here. I regularly catch myself slipping into the normalcy of daily life, and often remind myself how abnormal it actually is! For example, I sometimes go days without speaking…
Case Study: Gabriel Anderson – Croatia 2024 – 2025
My time in Zagreb has come to an end and what an amazing time I have had during this 6 month period. When I first received the news that I would be able to study Croatian language at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, I was overjoyed. After attending…
Gus Freeman – Case study Lisbon
My time in Lisbon has come to an end, and what an amazing 3 months in turned out to be. Firstly, I cannot thank the John Speak Trust enough for the scholarship I received. It was a big part of why my time in Lisbon was so successful. The money…
Case Study – Maisie Palmer, France – July 2024
My time in France has allowed me to develop in so many ways, and I want to thank the John Speak Foundation bursary for playing a huge role in keeping me on top of my language-learning whilst studying my Master’s. The monthly blogs have kept me focused and allowed me…
Amelia Walker: Case Study, Italy 2022
I am writing this final entry to the John Speak Language Trust from Milan, Italy, two and a half years after I was first awarded the scholarship. Back in 2022, this foundation helped me to move from Sheffield to Florence in order to complete a yearlong Master’s degree in Fashion…
Joshua Winfield Case Study Canada 2023-24
I moved to Canada in August 2023 and was lucky enough to spend the next 10 months living and enjoying Montreal and the wider province. My French level before coming to Quebec was high, having studied the language at university for 2 years, but this stay in Montreal still allowed…
