by Gizem Akçor, METU FLE 2013
I am a graduate of FLE department in METU: the university which taught me to dream bigger!
Thanks to the qualified education given by experienced and helpful academicians at METU, we as students were always informed, encouraged and supported about the abroad programs. I used the present opportunities in well-known programs Erasmus and Comenius. I had my Erasmus experience in London for one school year and now I am in an island called Sardinia in Italy as a Comenius assistant teacher.
First of all, let me tell you this: these experiences are the best decisions I’ve ever made!
Erasmus and Comenius… They might seem alike with regards to a new language and culture, totally different people and environment, but in fact, I -as someone having experienced both- can say that they are quite different in many aspects.
In Erasmus experience, you are a student observing and experiencing everything as a student. And if you are staying in a dorm, I believe that you are not the part of that culture totally. You will make friends from all over the world and know a little bit from many cultures. You will have a chance to see a different education system from the eyes of a student. You’ll get a chance to experience the things you’ve never done before.
Speaking of Comenius, you are in the middle of the education system of another country as an assistant teacher. Mostly you hang with teachers and students respect and approach you as a teacher. You are there to learn about this new culture and their language and also to teach yours. If you like me staying with an Italian family in a small town with only 5.000 people near the sea, you will be the part of that culture! You will start to eat, speak, and behave like them. Everyone in the town will start to get to know and try to help you and speak with you. If you do not know the language of that country, you will understand now why English is not enough and why one more language means one more person! But don’t need to be upset because you will be surrounded by great people who will do their best to teach you their language and make you feel like you’re at home! They will appreciate you when you learn even one word or one thing about their culture.
Both experiences contribute a lot to your personality and worldview. You learn to be kind and understanding no matter how different you are from each other. You show respect to your differences, choices, and decisions. Even if you are totally different from each other, you find many similar things in your lives. You laugh together and share a life together. Sometimes you get angry with people because they have many misconceptions about your country and culture, but you also learn to be patient because you are not only there as an individual but also as someone representing your country. When you know more cultures, you broaden your worldview more. You compare all and try to understand which one is better, why this does not work in this or that country… You interpret differences and similarities… You stand alone in a new environment with a different language and you learn to cope with all the challenges by yourself, which makes you gain more self-confidence. In the end, you will have many unforgettable memories, friends, and even a second family maybe.
In my Erasmus experience, my listening skills improved a lot because you’re immersed with the language. In terms of speaking, I started to talk without forming the sentences in my mind. In my Comenius experience, my speaking skills improved more and more because I always have to speak in English. Each and every day I have to learn more words related to daily life. Also, I’ve started to learn a new language: Italian. It gave me a chance to practice what I learned in university courses in a totally different education setting and helped me to see which skills I lack of or I am good at, what I need to do so as to improve my teaching skills.
I am happy with all the aspects of my decisions and I would suggest you to use every opportunity you get without a hesitation and to dream bigger! 
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