Can College trips be fun and educational? Oui!
29 Jul 2022While many students were getting ready to celebrate the end of the school year and take a well-earned summer break, three language students from New College Swindon were taking their studies to a new level and a new country! Vilmar Pestana Armas, Bryony Argrave and Eddie Fleisch headed to the city of Rouen in France for 13 days with French lecturer Anne Lamb.
Anne said “It has been fantastic to see the impact this experience has had on Eddie, Vilmar and Bryony. It has really broadened their horizons and given them the opportunity to improve their French language skills in a way that is only possible by immersing yourself in a culture and day-to-day life. It will also be a great addition to their CV, giving them vital transferable skills that will help them to stand out in the global job market and boost their employability.”
The three students have been busy in France, not only taking in some of the sights, but getting stuck into their language school lessons and work placements as part of The Turing Scheme, a government programme that provides funding to UK organisations to unlock life-changing opportunities for their students to study and work abroad.
They were placed into different shops for their work experience, to test out their language skills with real people in real working situations. Eddie did a placement at ABC bookshop; Vilmar worked at Boutique TBS Rouen, and Bryony helped out at Les Aubaines.
Vilmar really enjoyed her work experience, and felt it was very beneficial “I was able to speak with a great deal of French locals and my efforts really paid off. Every day was better than the previous one. There’s always plenty of new things to learn.”
The employer, Corrine, from Boutique TBS Rouen, was also very impressed by Vilmar’s language skills and working attitude: “She was always willing to speak French (unlike quite a few previous students from other schools/colleges). It was a pleasure to have her here and I would love to have her back again for another work experience!”
New College were keen to apply for funding through the scheme in order to provide additional enrichment for their language programme and provide 'real-life' work placements, carefully selected for each individual student, combined with study each morning at a language school. Work placements and study is undertaken in partnership with the College’s partner organisation, Blue Stamp Travel. The scheme is a perfect fit for the College’s holistic approach to learning.
Carole Kitching, New College Principal, commented
“We know learners do better when they have a study programme that is varied and provides opportunities to expand their experience beyond the classroom. Our goal is to make sure that they leave us confident and best prepared for their next steps into university or employment. With lecturers who are specialists in their subjects, many with real industry experience, our learners have access to a wide range of work experience, enrichment activities, social groups, and national schemes.”
Find out more about our the language courses available at New College - HERE
