Erasmus was a Dutch-born scholar and philosopher who studied
and worked all over Europe. He was against the tendency of some to lay down
principles as undeniably true, without consideration of evidence or the
opinions of others. In the ‘spirit’ of free- thinking and international
cooperation, the Erasmus Scheme was founded 30 years ago this year. It has
allowed students from many European Union member states (and also some from
outside the EU) to follow ‘in the footsteps’ of Erasmus by gaining not only
academic but also cultural and social learning in a country other than that of
their birth or usual residence.
The Erasmus Programme (now known as Erasmus+) facilitates
international study, work and training for students across the European Union
by providing funding to students. For some, an ‘Erasmus semester or year’ is
voluntary as part of their Bachelors or Masters programme and many appreciate
the benefits it can bring to them in ‘rounding’ their studies and outlook on
life. An ‘Erasmus year’ is mandatory for most British students studying European
languages in the UK and, as a languages undergraduate, I had the chance to take
part in it. As my degree was in three languages, which were equally weighted, I
was lucky enough to complete three Erasmus placements, which I shall detail
below.
I started my Erasmus year by spending the first semester
studying in Madrid, Spain. This was a fantastic experience, not only because of
the fact that Madrid is an amazing city to live in, but also because the
university I went to, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, offered small classes; so
I really got to know my classmates and teachers. Furthermore, as all my
classes, apart from my ‘Spanish as a Foreign Language’ course, were with
Spanish students, I got to experience the Spanish higher education system first
hand. My major subject whilst in Spain was translation.
Next, I spent the second semester in Toulouse, France. This
Finally, I completed an internship in Germany, working as an
in-house translator and proof-reader for a famous car manufacturer. This was a
fantastic opportunity because I could use my knowledge, gained through my
translation classes in the UK and abroad, in a professional context. I mastered
translation tools, which I originally learnt how to use in Spain, and got to
see if translation really is a career option for me (and it is!). Moreover, in
my spare time, I visited several cities in Germany, which allowed me to
experience different parts of the country.
Finishing my Erasmus year was quite a sad moment for me.
Within one year, I had lived in three countries, switched between three
languages, and immersed myself in three cultures. Even though I was already an
independent person before embarking on my year abroad,
Matt is a UK citizen, currently living in France, who works as
an ‘English as a Foreign Language’ and Translation teacher.
Although he believes that the EU does need to be reformed,
he fully supports it and does not want to see the UK leave the Union. He is
very passionate about the Erasmus Programme and does not want future
generations of British students to be deprived of this wonderful opportunity to
study and work in other EU countries as part of their degrees.
Matt’s qualifications and experience can be seen on his
LinkedIN profile: Matt Higgins
More information about the Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus programmes
can be found at:
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