Modern languages student William was able to travel to Kiel in Northern Germany to work as a translation intern as a result of taking part in Erasmus+
For the second part of his year abroad, William decided to go to Kiel in Northern Germany to work as a translation intern for nine months. As he studied German and Spanish at Durham University, a year abroad was an obligatory part of his course after his second year, but he had always wanted to do one anyway! Here he explains what his Erasmus+ experience meant to him. (Above, pictured, William stands on the border between Germany and Denmark.)
I learnt so much working in a foreign language for such a long time and had the chance to do loads of things that I never would have done before and to meet great friends that I am still in contact with now - William Shire
My working life
"Before arriving, I was nervous about starting work in a foreign language for the first time, but the company gave me loads of support and training which made the whole process a lot easier and by the end of the placement my German had massively improved. When I first started, I mainly proof-read other people’s translations but as I gained more experience I moved on to translating more and more of my own work and at the end of the placement I was regularly translating work from a wide range of customers into English. All of my colleagues were really nice and were willing to answer questions that I had which was a relief because at the start I had a lot of things to learn! We would also regularly take lunch breaks together and meet up after work. Overall, I think I was really lucky with the company that I picked and as a result of my placement I would like to work abroad again in the future."
Outside Work
"In my free time, I tried to immerse myself in the local culture as much as possible. I mainly used social media to get to know people and during my time in Kiel I joined a group that organised barbecues in the park, met up with friends to play cards in the evening, and joined a Spanish group so that I could brush up on my Spanish skills whilst in Germany. I also tried to travel as much as possible around Schleswig-Holstein and planned weekends away to Berlin, Copenhagen, and Dresden. Make sure that you travel a lot when you are abroad because they will be some of your best memories."
Personal Impact
"After spending a long time abroad, I have definitely improved my confidence. I now know that I can go and live in a different culture and not only survive using a foreign language, but thoroughly enjoy myself whilst doing so! My language skills also greatly improved during my time in Germany and I would consider working in the translation industry as well as a result of my Erasmus+ experience. Most importantly though, I have learnt to get involved if I am interested in something and not be afraid of what other people might think of me – my placement abroad has taught me to live life to the full."
Benefits
"Although a year abroad obviously provides tangible benefits to your knowledge of the target language, I think that the greatest benefits that it provides are in your personal skills. I learnt not just how to live in another culture, but also how to speak to new people, how to live completely independently, and most importantly how to not panic when faced with a difficult situation. I had to quickly adapt to the working environment at the translation company when I had never really worked full time before and I now know that I would be able to do the same in the future, which has given me more confidence when searching for jobs in my final year of study. Although it may seem daunting, I would definitely recommend it."
Although it may seem daunting, I would definitely recommend it - William Shire
Highlights
William gave these top highlights from his Erasmus+ placement:
- Living and breathing the target language and having to use it all the time.
- Being able to explore Schleswig-Holstein and all of the wonderful towns that you can visit.
- Trying German food and drink.
- Sailing on the Kiel Fjord with my work colleagues.
- Staying in Kiel for the Kieler Woche, a folk festival which is like Oktoberfest.
- Travelling to Berlin, Copenhagen, and Dresden during my weekends – all amazing cities!
- Meeting loads of new people that are now really good friends – and some are coming to visit me in England too!
William's top tips for other students
- Make sure that you get involved in the local community. Social media is a great way to meet new people and to find good activities to try out.
- Do something that you can only do in the country at least once a week. Whilst I was in Kiel, I tried to do one “German” thing every week. That could be visiting a new town I’d never been to before or going to the local pub to listen to traditional German music.
- Make sure that you book travel in advance, as it can get really expensive if you leave it to the last minute. You can make massive savings if you book long distance buses a few weeks in advance, for example.
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