// Latest Posts

Adapting to the culture is just as important as acquiring the language

Post written by Katherine Hughes. With only three months left in France, I honestly don’t know where the time’s gone and I’m already beginning to reminisce and get nostalgic over my experiences here. As I reflect, I suppose it is the cultural differences between England and France that have contributed to the most memorable moments …

I thought the preconceptions were just stereotypes…I was mistaken

Before living in Spain, I presumed that all the preconceptions I had about life here were just stereotypes. I was mistaken. Even though Spain is a county frequented by many Britons, there is a stark cultural difference and most of the typical things associated with Spain are actually quite accurate, especially here in Seville and …

The French love a good protest

When setting off from the UK to France, I was aware, as I think all Brits are, that the French love a good manif (protest) or a good strike. The stereotype is that they love anything that will allow them to fill the streets and to voice their dismay at something. Since living in Paris I …

Adjusting to life as Hamburgers

Hamburg is a cosmopolitan city and holds its own in terms of diversity. People from all backgrounds settle here and seem to have few problems adjusting to life as Hamburgers (yes, Hamburgers!). It’s hard to write this while remaining tactful, not to mention politically correct, but if I’m going to write about cultural challenges then …

Thinking like a Frenchie

Salut! How quickly have these past few months gone? I can’t believe I’ve been here for almost 5 months now… 5 months!!! That means I’m almost half way through my year abroad… they do say time flies when you’re having fun. For Christmas, I received a wonderful little book called ‘112 Gripes about the French’ …

Cubans love their queues!

Having arrived in Cuba last Thursday, a country that is so absurdly different from the UK, culture was one of the aspects I was more worried about adapting to. Although I had studied about Cuba in one of my modules in second year I knew that there is always a huge chasm between what you …

Learning to relax and converse with the French

I’ve been working as a language assistant in Lannion for 4 months now, and I’ve finally worked out a comfortable routine for life in France. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’ve not encountered any distinct differences between England and France, which have taken time to both understand and adapt to. Perhaps the most prominent is …

Even the dogs have siestas!

Post written by Faith Locken. When choosing where to go for the first half of my year abroad, I purposefully picked Spain because I wanted somewhere that wouldn’t have so much of a cultural difference from England, especially as my second half would be in China. However as the last six months have proved, there …

The ‘joie de vivre’ is all it was expected to be

Post written by Bethany Shutt. Living in a whole new country that you’re not used to and where everyone speaks a different language to you is hard enough, not to mention all the other cultural challenges that come with it! Living in France since September has certainly been a pleasurable experience, with the ‘joie de …

I learnt how to accept these cultural challenges as just another part of Spanish life

Post written by Matthew Walters. Whilst you are abroad there are many cultural differences you must become accustomed to. Even though Spain is in the European Union and is just a two-hour flight away, there are still major differences in all aspects such as politeness and customer service, behaviour, punctuality, and even little things like …