It's been a while...update time!

In October, we had a meeting to start everything off, and I found out that I did not have to go to Spain for my year abroad as I'd previously thought. So...choices! Do I choose France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain or Latin America?!

Well...

I chose Austria!

My reasons?
1. Austria is beautiful, naturally.
2. I've been learning German for eight years now and I feel like my spoken language is not where I would like it to be, and so I feel I will benefit most from time in a German-speaking country.
3. The Germans and Austrians are very organised and welcoming, and I think this is what I need on my year abroad.

So, I will hopefully be spending nine months in Austria as an English Language Assistant through the British Council starting in September/October 2015! The application is sent off, and now all I have to do is wait and see - and this time, I will actually post about it in time!

Thanks for reading!

Laura

Salamanca 2014 - Introduction

This Sunday I am going to Salamanca, Spain as part of my degree with my course mates. We will be staying with a Spanish family and learning Spanish in a school there from 9am-1pm every day for two weeks. I am excited about the trip, and I know it will be fantastic for my Spanish, however it is also very scary because I've only been learning it for a year!

My university booked the flights for us and organised the accommodation, however we were then told we had to book a bus from Madrid Airport to Salamanca and would then be taking a taxi to our family. We have to make our own way to the airport as well. So the first hurdle was booking the bus through a Spanish website - WordReference was very helpful! I eventually got this sorted, and then we received another email to say that we had to book the bus for a later time than originally planned and from a set terminal - our lecturer then redid our bookings for those of us who had the wrong bus, thankfully! Next was getting to Gatwick. I am going by train as I live quite a long way from London, and I booked my train tickets well in advance. However I checked the timings again more recently and the train I was booked on to no longer existed! I had to get in touch with the train company and luckily I was able to get the train closest to the original one in time as I had booked an off-peak ticket - phew!

Thinking I'd sorted all the travel arrangements, we then discovered that we had only been booked onto the flight with hand luggage, despite being away for two weeks. We had to get in touch with a man from the company in charge of our trip and pay separately for hold luggage. Finally having sorted this only a week ago, all I have left to worry about is getting a taxi or walking to my family's home - but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

I've also made a list of all the important information and documents I need to take with me; health and travel insurance, travel information and confirmation, passport, family address and information and maps of the area. It's scary having to think about all of these things - I just hope I get there safely and don't get ill while I'm out there!

Map of Salamanca

While I am in Salamanca, I will hopefully have lots of free time to explore the city and surrounding area after our mornings in the school. I would like to visit the University of Salamanca, the Cathedrals and the parks and river. We are just over two hours from Madrid as well, and on the border with Portugal, so there may be some opportunity to explore further afield as well!

The family I am staying with is a mother and her daughter who is a similar age to me. I am staying on my own with the family, while others on the trip are in pairs, so I'm quite nervous but I know it will be good for my Spanish and I hope that I will be able to bond with the family well. Plus, I will see my course mates every day at the school. I am going to take a present for the family to thank them for having me, and I have been brainstorming about what I might take. I want to give them something typically British, so my ideas are shortbread biscuits, teabags, English sweets or an English book/film. I haven't decided yet!

Having just had quite a long summer holiday, I haven't used my Spanish very much, so this week I am trying to swat up on some vocab before I go! I am trying to watch Spanish YouTube videos and read short Spanish texts online as preparation, but I know it's still going to be hard!

Overall, the weather looks pretty good for the trip...

...and I'm pretty excited for that! The next few days will be frantic summer clothes shopping, packing and making sure I have everything I need for going! I'm nervous about the challenge but so excited for the opportunity to explore Spain for the first time, improve my language and bond with a Spanish family and my class mates.


Thanks for reading!

Laura

The first meeting and initial plans!

A few weeks ago we had an introductory meeting to our year abroad. There was a lot of information thrown at us for 6pm on a Monday, but I just wanted to get started on planning where I was going to go and what I was going to do! Unfortunately though, not much can be done until October, other than researching and considering where would be best for me to go.

Technically, I have the choice between a French-speaking, German-speaking or Spanish-speaking country, however I am studying accelerated beginners' Spanish, and, at my university, in order to continue with this course next year, you are supposed to go to a Spanish-speaking country for your year abroad - not that I'm complaining! My initial thoughts are that I would like to go to Spain over Latin America, as I feel that would be a very big step and a long way away from home and everything I know...and plus, spaces are limited!

I also feel that a British Council teaching placement would be my preferred option, instead of studying at a university or finding my own work placement, as I have in the past considered teaching once I graduate and I think this would help with that decision, and also with my Spanish in general!


In order to get us to the level of Spanish we need, the university run a trip to Salamanca in September, the start of your second year. It is a two week intensive course, all expenses paid, studying in a Spanish school. To go on this trip, you must get over 60% over the year in Spanish, and yesterday I discovered that I had achieved this! So now, I am very excited for this trip, especially as it is now confirmed and only three months away! I have never been to Spain before, and I think it will be a great opportunity for my Spanish, and to learn about the Spanish culture in preparation for my year out.

¡Hasta pronto!

Laura :)