Going abroad gives you the chance to see the world, experience a culture (or cultures) different to your own and meet friends from all over the world. It is an opportunity to discover yourself and others and make lifelong memories.
The English Speaking Cultures department of the University of Bremen requires bachelor students to attend university or complete a work placement in an English-speaking country for at least eight weeks.
I decided very early on that an internship would bring more benefits to my personal goals than a semester at an international university. I wanted to use my time abroad to gather experience for my future work as a primary school teacher.
Great Britain was my destination of choice. I had spent a high school year and my au pair experience in the United States and I felt like it was time for something different.
Preparations
Definite planning for my experience abroad started in November of 2015 when I attended the yearly “Auslandsmesse” at my university. I got in contact with several agencies that offered work placements in different countries. However, many of them did not provide placements in primary or secondary schools. Therefore I was stuck for a while.
Since I already knew where and what of my adventure I know had to decide on a when. Due to exam schedules and other internships I did not have a definite time window for my work experience until April 2016 when my exam schedule was finally set.
As there was no agency for back-up, I now completely relied on my own persuasive skills to find an appropriate institution for my internship. I was harder than I had thought.
Since I planned on going abroad during the months of July, August and September I would not be able to complete my work experience in a school because the English summer holidays, which last six weeks, fell right into that time window. I therefore started to research and contact different nurseries and day care centres that would be open throughout the summer.
I first concentrated my search on the London area but it quickly became apparent that I would need to expand my quest to other areas. The response rate for my emails in which I inquired about a potential work placement was very low. Those who did reply turned me down.
Having lost almost all hope, I sent out my last emails in the beginning of June. Time was running out. If I wanted to leave by mid-July I would need to start looking for accommodations and book flights soon. And since I still didn’t know whether or where I would go, my hands were tied. I had the semester break in February and March of 2017 as back-up but I didn’t know whether I would have the time between exams to go abroad.
And then, suddenly, I received a positive response to one of the last emails I sent out. It came from Newquay, Cornwall. Sarah from Kneehigh Nursery had great experience with international students and had been thrilled when reading my email.
When my work placement was finally official, the next point on the agenda was to find accommodations for my time in Cornwall. I contacted several churches in and around Newquay and asked them whether there was anyone in their parish with a free room and who was willing to take in a student over the summer. I also researched different hostels in the year in case the search for a host family proved fruitless.
Only one church responded to my inquiries. Maureen from the Newquay Christian Centre had found a family that was willing to host me.
By the time everything was official and I had exchanged some emails with my future host family, it was almost time for me to leave Germany and embark on my adventure.
Arrival in Cornwall
I arrived in Newquay on a Friday evening, the last day of school before the English summer holidays, after flying from Bremen to Stansted and catching a bus from London Victoria.
Newquay is a small town on the Northern Coast of Cornwall. It is famous for its great waves and is known as Britain’s surfing capital. There are several beaches surrounded by high cliffs, including the world-famous Fistral Beach (which is shown in about every Rosamunde Pilcher film).
Debbie, my host mum, and my host dad Simon picked me up from the coach station. Despite the late hour I was also introduced to the family’s two cats Marley and Jackson.
On my first weekend in Cornwall Debbie and Simon helped me get acquainted with the town and its many beaches. They also introduced me to various Cornish traditions such as pasties and cream tea (first the jam then the cream!). I accompanied them to church where I was warmly welcomed and experienced a very different and modern approach to faith and worship.
My Internship
Two days later I started my work placement at Kneehigh Nursery. The nursery was founded in the early 1990s by the current owner Sarah and offers flexible hours of childcare and preschool services to children from two to five years of age. The adult to child ratio is around 1:4 and there are up to 24 children at the nursery during a session. One of the features I really liked about the setting was the fact that, except for lunch time and hello and goodbye circle, the children were allowed to venture outside and play in the garden no matter the weather. Exercising and playing outdoors is a key feature of children’s development and I was happy to see that Sarah and the other adults took this so seriously.
Due to the summer holidays the nursery often only had a few children at a time which gave me the chance to get to know each one personally and become familiar with the different procedures at the nursery. By the time the holidays were over I was confident in my work and was therefore able to assist the teachers with the large number of children that came back from holiday or attended the nursery for the very first time.
The first week I observed the teachers in their work to familiarise myself with the activities and the children. I gradually started assisting the other adults as I became more acquainted with my surroundings and the work.
My work at the nursery included providing “letters and sounds” or maths activities. I also participated in craft or drawing exercises and offered chances to listen to stories or read a picture book. I assisted the children with dressing (when they wanted to go outside etc.), during lunch and whenever they required assistance throughout the day.
Towards the end of my work placement I was also asked to observe and identify a child’s developmental stage in language, mathematics, social skills etc. and provide activities that would help them improve their skills and reach the next stage of their development. I took notes on my observations and extended their learning journals that are regularly shown to the parents.
Experiencing the English Way of Life
While I gained valuable experience for my future profession at the nursery, I also made lifelong friends and precious memories with my host family. Simon and Debbie, despite the shortness of my stay, became almost became like a second set of parents for me and I am looking forward to staying in touch with them for the rest of my life.
I am so thankful that they opened their home and their hearts and were willing to take in a stranger from another country without really knowing what they were in for. They made it very clear that I was a new member of their family and was therefore welcome to share in their everyday life in every way possible.
We went on long walks along Newquay’s beaches, enjoyed beautiful sunsets together and shared a cup of tea in front of the telly after a long day. Simon and Debbie introduced to several of their friends and other members of their church. They all made me feel welcome and invited me to join them at beach parties, football golf and other fun activities. One of them even attempted to teach me how to surf (because that’s what you do in Newquay).
My host family gave me the chance to experience Cornwall not as a tourist but from a local’s perspective and I feel like I had a great insight into the life of a typical Cornish family.
Saying Goodbye
Too soon my time in Cornwall came to an end and I was forced to leave not only my host family but also the children and teachers at the nursery behind. Saying goodbye is always hard and it took some time for me to accept the fact that my adventure was over.
Debbie and Simon, the kids at the nursery and the friends I made along the way have a special place in my heart and I am already looking forward to seeing them again next summer when I will go back to Cornwall. This time, as a tourist.
Neueste Kommentare