University Welcomes Erasmus Exchange Students

Earlier this month, St Mary’s University, Twickenham welcomed a group of students from France as part of the University’s Erasmus Exchange Programme. A total of nine students from St Mary’s partner universities in Chartres, Blois, Orléans, Tours and Chateauroux will spend a month exploring the campus and surrounding area. During their stay, the students will teach at local schools and attend sessions on campus, learn about the UK education system, and improve their knowledge of the English language and culture. Glennis Pye, a lecturer in Modern Languages at St Mary’s, said, “In this week's session the students reflected upon their first week in England, sharing their experiences of school and day-to-day life. They discussed their observations on the key similarities and differences between French and English primary schools. Their arrival at this time of year has meant that they have been exposed to a healthy dose of cultural events, including Bonfire Night and Remembrance Sunday, and they envisage being able to use their experiences to support their teaching of English when they return to France.” Later in the year students from the University of Burgos, Spain will arrive on campus while 21 third year students from St Mary’s Primary Education programme who are taking the Modern Languages elective will spend a month studying in France and Spain. The Erasmus Exchange Programme, which is now in its 13th year, is an educational initiative that allows students from the EU to study abroad at selected universities across Europe for a short period of time. St Mary's is currently partnered with 11 institutions in nine European countries: the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. For more information about St Mary’s Study Abroad programme, please visit the website.