I used to find it quite cool that people could just dip in and out of different languages when speaking. But one language degree and 6 years abroad later, I now realise that this ‘ability’ is actually an incompetence to think in only one language. Joking. But it does sometimes take an extra effort not... Continue Reading →
I first heard of Erasmus at 16 years old when I was in my school library having a talk on university education. I remember feeling extremely intrigued about what Erasmus offered, but had never considered that it would lead me to where I am today: Living in Germany, working in a multilingual environment and sharing... Continue Reading →
I'd always aspired to be fluent in German. And then the more fluent I became, the more I realised there was another linguistic challenge waiting round the corner. There was always something else I could improve on. The Oxford Dictionary defines fluent as "able to speak, read or write a language, especially a foreign language,... Continue Reading →
I definitely had an advantage when I moved to Germany. In hindsight being able to speak German before I got here was actually a huge advantage and I wasn't quite aware of how much my German language skills contributed to the ease of settling in in Frankfurt. Yes, there were times when I needed to look... Continue Reading →
Friend in Frankfurt: Once you've been here for a while, you'll realise that your English begins to change. Me: No chance! I couldn't have been more wrong. 21 months later and I often catch myself saying odd things in English that I never would have crossed my mind before I moved abroad. Of course, the... Continue Reading →
One of the beauties of speaking another language is that it allows you to express yourself through different words and concepts that don't exist in your native tongue. Never did I think though, that it could make me (loud, outgoing and laughs all day Alisa) appear to be shy and reserved. Why is it so... Continue Reading →
A few weeks of avoidance, finding the most convenient inconvenient time and getting to work late, all to be elevated back in a fancy chair and have random metal tools prodded around your mouth. Does anyone actually like going to the dentist? No, me neither, especially not when I'm abroad but I thought it was... Continue Reading →
Put simply, yes. Would it have been so easy? Probably not. But it all depends where you go and what you actually want from the experience. Maybe languages aren't your thing? Remember my first night out when I arrived in Frankfurt, the one I went to on my own? It was an English speaking event... Continue Reading →
Alisa Jordan Writes 