Welcome to
NICLALS'BLOG
in English with love
the purpose of our blog is to spread the study of English
what are the benefits of learning English?
Some pictures of English-speaking countries!
Washington, USA
Dorset, England
Las Vegas, USA
Blue Lagoon, Abereiddy, Scotland
Our school projects
#1 An Erasmus project
TODAY WE HAVE INTERVIEWED GIOVANNA, A STUDENT OF OUR SCHOOL WHO IS WORKING WITH STUDENTS OF FOREIGN SCHOOLS ON AN ERASMUS PROJECT ABOUT GENDER VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
1 The topic of this project is gender violence prevention. Were you already familiar with this topic? Have you learnt something new?
Gender violence has always been a common topic as we know that there are plenty of inequities between men and women so I was already familiar with it although, throughout the project, I have learned lots of things I didn’t know before. I learned better in detail about the different forms of violence which is not only physical but it could also be emotional and economical.
2 Which languages do you use to interact?
I mostly use English to interact as the different countries that have taken part in the project are Portugal, Spain and Latvia and I am not able to speak neither Portoguese nor Latvian. English is the easiest language to use to communicate with foreign people. Apart from English, though, I also use Spanish with Spanish people as I’m learning it at school and it is a great opportunity to improve my communication skills.
3 Thanks to this project, have you improved your English language skills or other skills?
I actually wouldn’t say I improved my English but for sure, this is a great opportunity to learn how to have a proper conversation with someone who doesn’t speak your language. I guess in this way we are forced to speak so we have to be quick to say what we want to communicate to the other person and this surely improves your communication skills, your fluency and gives you motivation to keep studying the language.
4 What kind of activities have you done so far?
I remember doing very interesting activities when I was in Spain. Apart from visiting many stunning places, we also collaborated in school doing activities such as the "escape room" one, related to a story of a girl who had been murdered by her boyfriend or the bag creation in which we had to write phrases and where we learnt about new useful things about gender violence such as the different numbers a woman can call to if she’s in danger in each country. At the moment every country is working in groups on some presentations as regards the topic so that we can have an online meeting in the future and have a final product of the whole project.
5 Have you visited other partner countries?
I visited Almeria, in Spain and it was a wonderful experience! It was really interesting because it reminded me of why I chose to study languages in the first place and to not give up when things get hard while studying one. I also met amazing people and I feel lucky to have had this experience.
6 Have you met new people?
Yes, I have. I met wonderful people and I love the fact that this project also gave us the opportunity to make friends apart from giving us the chance to make a new experience while learning new things. My host family was amazing and I would love to meet them again. They had even invited me to go on holiday with them but because of Covid we couldn’t. I hope one day we will be able to do that though!
7 Do you keep in touch with the other participants of the project?
I became friends with my host sister and some of them so we still keep in touch. We text sometimes and I also met two of them when they came to Italy last summer. It was really great to see them again and I hope I can meet my host family again because they were absolutely amazing to me.
8 Is it interesting to interact with foreign students and teachers?
It really is! I didn’t think it was possible for me to interact much since I’m usually shy but going to Spain actually made me become sort of more extroverted. I interacted with lots of people and even with some of the teachers! It was lovely!
9 Do you enjoy this project? Would you recommend it to other students?
I enjoyed the project more in the past, before the whole pandemic, since we had the chance to physically visit places and have more social interactions. I don’t really like that we just have online meetings now because I think the most interesting part is to have a new experience in a new country while still learning something important like gender violence. All in all, I would still recommend it to other students because it is a unique experience and it is really worth it!
10 What is the most difficult thing you have to deal with?
Since I’m introverted, I thought the hardest part would have been how to communicate with people but I discovered it is something that comes out naturally and it is not a problem at all! It was actually the best part and gave me more motivation to keep studying languages! Right now, the most difficult thing that we have to deal with is to organize the things we have to do for the project while still studying for all the subjects which sometimes can be a little bit overwhelming.
#2 The exchange program -
Studying a year abroad
TODAY WE HAVE INTERVIEWED GIULIA, A STUDENT OF OUR SCHOOL WHO
IS ATTENDING THE FOURTH YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL IN GERMANY
1 Why have you decided to spend a school year abroad?
I have always been attracted by experiences abroad and it was exactly during a summer
program when I took the decision to spend a school year abroad. In my opinion these
moments are perfect in order to grow as a person, both linguistically and humanely.
At first, I wanted to leave with a friend of mine just for a few months, like a trimester, but
unfortunately that friend wasn’t accepted for the program and then I wasn’t sure myself to
take the opportunity as I had passed the sekection. Luckily my friend instead of being annoyed or
offended by it, gave me the necessary push and I steeled myself.
2 How is living in Berlin?
I have to admit that it was a huge change at first. I was used to live in a small town of 13
thousand inhabitants and now I spend my days in the German capital city inhabited by 3,6
million people. Personally, I find it a great improvement. I can easily reach each part of the
city by using public transport or just a bike. Berlin is rich in culture, monuments and people:
despite the pandemic I still have plenty of opportunities.
3 Do you speak only German or also English?
Since the beginning I challenged myself into trying to only speak German. I couldn't
understand a single sentence at first, but my host family and my friends always tried to
explain it again in an easier way and then if necessary also in English.
Currently I speak English during my English classes or with a friend of mine who is also an
exchange student, but doesn’t know enough German to have a conversation.
I reckon it is fundamental to strive to speak German. If I wanted to improve my English, I
wouldn't have left for Germany.
4 Has your German level improved? What about English?
My German level has certainly improved. I remember how sad it was when in September my
family and I were eating dinner together and I couldn’t understand what they were
talking about so I used to remain silent. Now I’m really proud of my improvements. It isn’t
complicated at all to take part in a conversation now and the fact that I can watch films in
German without the need of subtitles is just satisfying.
Talking about English, I have to say that it has also improved, but in a different way than if I
had studied it in Italy. The main importance during English classes in Germany is the ability
of speaking and understanding. We don’t really spend whole hours doing grammar; we
watch videos about recent events like the BLM movement or the elections and then comment
on these themes. Reading is also important, in fact we’re currently reading the book “The
Hunger Games” and after that we’ll do a project about it.
5 Have you had any problems communicating with your host family?
Communication was never a problem. We understand each other very well and when
someone has a problem, they have just to tell about it and that’s all. Sometimes we
misunderstand due to the language barrier, but luckily, it’s not that common anymore.
In case of need we can always use a translator or try to explain what we want to say in
another language. I’m really lucky because my host family also speaks other languages like
English, Spanish and Portuguese and one way or another we find the way to communicate.
6 What is your daily routine? (what time do classes start? Do you have lunch in the
canteen or at home? What do you usually eat? What do you usually do in the
afternoon and in the evening?)
On a typical day I wake up at around 6:45 am and after a big breakfast I take my bike and ride
to school. Classes usually start at 8 am and finish at 1 pm or 3 pm, we have pauses of 15
minutes every two classes. We have a canteen and it is possible to buy something and eat
there when we have classes until 3pm or also in the school yard as my friends and I prefer to
do. Personally, I don’t like the food from the school, for this reason I always take with me my
own box with some fruit and bread.
After school I usually go back home and have lunch with my host sister and then I do my
homework. Once or twice a week I like meeting friends and spending the afternoon with
them playing games or riding somewhere.
In the evening I help my host mum cook dinner, always a vegetarian one and after that we
have a meal together with the whole family. Sometimes we play cards or watch films/TV
series.
7 What are the main differences between the German education system and the Italian
one?
The education system is pretty different in the two countries. A class lasts about 45
minutes and in my school I have a pause of 15 minutes every two classes. At 13 it’s lunch
time and there is a bigger pause of 40 minutes.
I go to school from Monday to Friday and it’s awkward for them knowing that in Italy we have
school on Saturday.
During common weeks we have short tests of 20 minutes and the grade of them isn’t really
important. At the end of a semester we have the “Klausuren”, we have one and a half hours
of time because this test is the longest and the most important.
In German schools there isn’t the idea of “oral tests” like in Italy, so the participation during
classes is fundamental for a good grade in the report card.
In my opinion in Germany there is not so much pressure on the students and they don’t have
as much to study as in Italy. In addition, here you can find subjects like Music and Art
(they’re practical subjects), or Ethic and Politics.
The school is mandatory until 10th grade and after that students can decide what they want
to study by choosing courses for the following 2 years.
The schools usually offer “AGs”, they’re like extra optional courses of sports or other things
like that.
8 What do you expect at the end of this experience, do you have any special
expectations about language improvement and personal experience?
In less than two months I’ll be in Italy again and I certainly expect a language improvement,
but I think that this is not the only thing I’ll always remember about my experience. Being a
year long far from home has changed me as a person. I think it can help someone to really
understand what is important to them and what they really need. You learn how to become
more open minded and proactive to new things. Personally, I also learned to appreciate my
home country Italy. I’ve really missed it.
9 What is the most fascinating memory that you will always keep in your heart?
I believe that one of the most fascinating memories that could seem obvious or predictable is
the first time someone asked me to hang out. It’s hard to explain it to someone who hasn’t
experienced something like this, but you have to keep in mind that all these people have
friends already and they've known each other for ages, so being asked out meant a lot for me
because it was the proof that we are actually friends.
10 Would you recommend this kind of experience to other students? Why?
Of course I would recommend this kind of experience to other students. As I said before, it is
a great opportunity to experience personal growth. You get to know new people that can turn
into lifelong friends and a different culture from yours. In addition, you can develop your spirit
of adaptation and tolerance.
Last but not least, during a year in a foreign country you have the time to improve your
language skills becoming part of a community.