Iman
Tell us about where you came from and how you ended up coming to The Academy at Shotton Hall...
My name is Iman Hambali, I am 23 years old and I come from the South of France in a city called Saint-Raphaël. As part of my studies, I had to do an internship in the field of European Project Management. This is why I applied for the post of an intern in the Erasmus department.
How long will you spend at The Academy at Shotton Hall and what will you be doing?
My internship lasts two months and finishes at the end of July when the school year ends. I'll be helping with the coordination, creation and management of European projects in which the school is involved. And I will also assist the French teacher during her classes.
How are things different here from back home?
There are a lot of differences. The weather is massively different as I come from a part of France where it's usually sunny. And also, the type of food we eat is different.
Schools are also different, in fact, the pupils in England are far freer in comparison to French schools. There is less communication between students and teachers in France. What I found really interesting is that in English schools, there is an emphasis on pastoral and citizenship which French schools don't do as much.
What do you plan on doing after you finish here at Shotton Hall?
After my internship, I will finish the last year of my Masters Degree in Foreign Applied Languages and European Project Management. After the acquisition of my Masters degree (fingers crossed) I will make my first steps into the working world.
Is there anything interesting about your culture that you think our students might be interested in?
The French culture is really rich and there are lots of aspects that are really interesting. Everyone associates France with Paris but each region has its own traditions landscapes and culture. I would suggest everyone visit the rest of France which, for me, would represent the beautiful and diverse country France is.
Miriam
Tell us about where you came from and how you ended up coming to The Academy at Shotton Hall...
Hi everyone! My name is Miriam and I'm from Italy, precisely from Apulia. I find myself here thanks to the Erasmus+ Traineeship project, which gives me a chance to experience a post-graduate internship abroad.
How long will you spend at The Academy at Shotton Hall and what will you be doing?
I'll be here until the end of July. My tasks will be the following: to support language tuition in school, help Erasmus coordinator in all aspects of Erasmus+ projects with other partners as well as accompany teaching staff on a wide range of activities.
How are things different here from back home?
I am sure that there are a lot of differences between England and Italy. First of all weather. As I wrote earlier I live in Apulia and today it's 35 degrees. Therefore it's really hard for me to adapt to your temperatures. With regards to the field of teaching, I sense more organisation, motivation and collaboration among the teaching staff here. I firmly believe that English people are really ambitious in their job.
Is there anything interesting about your culture that you think our students might be interested in?
As is well known, Italy is famous for its food. Yet when we speak about it we don't mean "simple food". Italian plates are one of the essential pillars of our culture because the variety of our culinary delights reflects always our traditions and spirit. It would be nice to teach English students different aspects of our culture in a gastronomic way.