Future language specialists, who are studying at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) today, have an exclusive opportunity to study at three universities in different countries at once. Gaining intercultural knowledge and entering the international job market was never easier.
Goda Skaisgirytė, who will graduate this year, is studying New Media Language, which is a part of the Applied European Languages (AEL) network. As a result, in addition to KTU, Goda has been studying at Aix-Marseille (France) and Granada (Spain) universities.
According to the fourth-year student, the ability to blend into different cultures, where different languages are spoken, and not being afraid to step out of one’s comfort zone helps to acquire exceptional competences which can be applied not only at work, but also in daily life.
Overcame fear and pursued her dream
However, the student remembers that she had had some hesitations regarding her chosen study path: “Until then, I spent my whole in Kaunas at home with my family and friends. So, it was strange to imagine that I would have to leave all that behind and go on a journey where everything would be completely new.”
In the end, everything worked out: her home, family and friends did not disappear – she just started to appreciate them more; financial doubts also went away, because in the first year, she managed to live on a scholarship and personal savings, and in the second year – to combine work and education.
“As for the language, although the first months were really difficult, among other things, I gained the ability to understand the meaning of a sentence from the context, without having to necessarily understand every single word,” says Goda.
Studying abroad added to her personal development
According to Skaisgirytė, the content of the studies differed from country to country. At KTU, there were more courses on creating text, which was not the case abroad. Moreover, in Lithuania, the focus was on English.
During her studies in Spain and France, she also learned about the cultures of these countries and their reflection in their languages, the characteristics of the spoken language, dialects, and the Romance language group in general.
“These studies have helped me to overcome myself and have contributed to building my confidence and independence. I met people from different countries, and heard multitude of new stories and opinions, so I have broadened my horizons a lot and got to know myself even more,” says Goda about her personal development.
A supportive community and new people
The student is happy that the understanding and supportive academic community of the universities abroad has helped her to adapt and overcome the challenges.
“I was able to find people who were willing to help me when I had difficulties with the language or integrating into city life. Lecturers were also understanding towards foreign students, speaking more slowly if necessary or explaining a few times if we didn’t understand something,” remembers Skaisgirytė.
She says that it was the easiest to interact with the international students because they were all in the same situation – in a new country, without friends or family, open to making new connections.
Goda understands students who are hesitant to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. However, she is convinced that the benefits outweigh the fears.
“In the beginning, I was uncertain myself, but the most important thing is to not be afraid: all challenges are doable and thus very rewarding. And besides, if you have any questions, you can always ask for help,” says Skaisgirytė, who, while studying at KTU, used the opportunity provided by her study programme to travel to France and Spain.
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