British Council Language Assistants

Celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Language Assistants Programme with us as we speak to former language assistants from the past four decades. Listen as they share their experiences abroad in Spain, Senegal, Germany and China, the highs and lows of their placements and how it lead them to where they are now.

Welcome to our second episode on culture shock. This episode, Rand and Sian will be speaking to three former language assistants who have all had very interesting and different experiences with culture shock abroad. We are speaking to Isla, a former English Language Assistant in Germany, Lukas, a former Austrian Language Assistant in the UK, and Yiqing, a former Chinese Language Assistant in the UK. Listen as they share their stories about joining a musical choir in London, an queer gardening group in Cologne, experiencing conflicts when queueing, and more!

This episode explores the foundation for understanding culture shock. Join the language assistants team with Saskia, Rand and Aobh as we dive into what culture shock is, the stages it involves, and why it’s such a universal experience for exchange students. We are joined also by George Wilson, the English and School Education Country Lead for British Council France. Through stories, expert insights, and practical examples, this episode will equip listeners with the knowledge to recognize and manage the emotional rollercoaster that often accompanies life abroad.

Finola chats to Ellie who was an ELA in Austria during 2020-21 about what is best to pack as a Language Assistant. Listen for top tips on what you really need to bring and what you can get when you're there. Don't forget to leave space for delicious goodies and some marmite if you're a fan!

Finola speaks to Georgia and Mabel about their experiences as assistants and how they kept a record of their time. They discuss their favourite memories and the joys of looking back on them. Ceilidhs in classroom and Christmas on the beach, listen in to find out how to keep track of your experiences.