Even this year has seen students of the University of Pardubice as part of the Language and Culture Scheme doing short-term internships abroad to learn what it is like to study at a foreign university. Such stays make students not only learn the language, but also discover the culture of other countries.
The main motto of the successful Language and Culture Scheme organized by the Language Centre for students of both the University of Pardubice and foreign partner institutions is as follows: intercultural communication as a road to opening a dialogue that is necessary to live together in today’s society and to enhance awareness of different communication patterns, discover diversity and think about what we have in common.
The scheme includes short-term study stays which aim to provide students with authentic insights into studying abroad, and have them discover the local culture. The scheme is based on long-term cooperation and personal connections. Students get a chance to see that they may learn a lot from each other any may be inspired as well as inspire others.
Cooperation with the UCLan in Preston and Alicante
The prestigious University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Britain has been the first one offering such study stays both at its campus in Preston as well as at the university in Alicante. With respect to the short-term stays, Ms. Irena Podlásková of the Language Centre of the University of Pardubice says: “The students who had been selected represented our university very well. They were a team, did not lack confidence and enjoyed discovering new things and learning. Simply a perfect group to work with for a teacher.”
Partnership with a University in Sweden
Her colleague of the Language Centre, Ms. Markéta Denksteiová has had a long-term cooperation with the Uppsala University and it was thanks to her personal connections that a joint platform was created which makes it possible for students to cooperate with their Swedish peers. “The cooperation with the Uppsala University has been very fruitful for a number of years. This year has been no exception and the cooperation in the area of video-conference teaching at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics and Faculty of Chemical Technology has continued. At the beginning of March ten students from Pardubice enrolled in the Language and Culture Scheme spent one week at the Swedish island of Gotland and in mid-May five Swedish students visited Pardubice. Not only did the students experience what it is like to study abroad, but they also learnt a lot about themselves and the respective foreign country,” says Markéta Denksteinová.
University of Pardubice as a Host
The final meeting of the students of both foreign universities in Pardubice was a great achievement for the Language Centre. The official part of the programme is organized by the academic staff of our university as well as the universities in Preston, Britain, and Uppsala, Sweden. Through interaction, the students learned about the campus and its history, presented their culture and attended the Language and Culture Scheme workshop organized by the Language Centre and held at the Dačický House in Kutná Hora. Students from Pardubice were the buddies and could return the hospitability that they experienced in Visby and Preston.
Discovering the Bavarian Dialect
The Language and Culture Scheme focuses not only on English, but also on German. “Thanks to the March visit of German students of the Technical University of Applied Sciences in Amberg-Wedien in Pardubice and the following stay of Czech students in Weiden, Bavaria, the students could improve their vocabulary and learn not only formal words, but also slang used in the Bavarian dialect, which is extremely difficult to understand. The students got a chance to compare the student’s life, learn about the culture and current affairs in two neighbouring countries, and taste the typical Czech cream sauce, gingerbread or the typical Bavarian breakfast. And, after coming home, they help enhance the interest in German lessons at the University of Pardubice, as well as enhance the interest in Czech language in Bavaria,” adds Ms. Ilona Bourová of the Language Centre to confirm how successful the scheme was.
What are the benefits of the Language and Culture Scheme for students and the university? Eliška Petrová of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy summed it up very well for all participants: “Travelling and willingness to explore the differences might open people’s eyes but also hearts, it might teach them to be more tolerant. What is more, it can contribute to passion for life-long learning and openness, which is perfect. I feel the trip inspired us a lot. I am really grateful that we were given the opportunity to experience this special dimension of travelling, which shifts the original idea of Czech-people-on-vacation totally somewhere else. Thank you!“
