The following article comes from Julie Sutcliffe, Education Development Lead (MFL) at the Global School Alliance.
Every single language teacher believes that international partnerships and collaboration is unequivocal to opening the hearts and minds of our young people, shaping the future citizens of the globe. I would hazard a guess that every single one of those teachers has also been inspired by a school trip or visit, that is now deeply embedded fondly in their memory.
It often takes years to measure the impact of opportunities we provide for the students we work with, but I guarantee that the experiences these teachers have had will go on to shape the experiences of future generations.
One of my core memories was at the age of 12, when I participated in my first French Exchange at secondary school. I honestly don’t think I spoke any French at all that week – I was really shy and introverted as a child – but that visit ignited a spark somewhere inside me that has been alight ever since.
My love for languages shaped my academic studies, my career pathway, my relationships and will continue to shape my future. Languages opened doors for me to travel, meet new people, experience new cultures, to adventure, and to a career.
As a teacher of Spanish and a Head of MFL, I had three successful applications for Turing funding and as a result I was able to give my students life-changing experiences in a way that some of them would never have been able to afford. The experience provided so much more than an opportunity to go abroad, instead it was the cultural immersion, friendships and relationships that were built and the ultimate realisation that they can do anything they want to if they put their mind to it.
Before the visit, 11 students had never been to Spain before, and of those, 3 had never been abroad. This project gave students a relevant, first-hand learning experience as well as opening opportunities for the future. The chance to meet their peers in Spain and to develop their language skills in new, real-world situations, benefitted all the students that took part.
During the visit, students developed confidence and improved their self-esteem. In a follow-up questionnaire, all of the students expressed how their confidence had grown during the visit and could relay information about what they had learnt.
This opportunity changed their futures, and it was made possible by the support I received during the application process by the team at Global School Alliance.
The Global School Alliance has supported 68 schools to access more than £2.4M in funding through the Turing Scheme since 2021 – with an outstanding success rate of 98%! Our in-house experts can support your school to prepare a successful application bid, establish a partnership with a school overseas and deliver a fully immersive student trip. Enquire now at: https://www.globalschoolalliance.com/turing-scheme-service/.
