The thing that made this experience so unique and special is that you are learning each day to talk with people in another language. You are immersed in a different culture, a different world which has another point of view of life and work from yours. You are speaking English every day to communicate with people, both on a leisure or on a professional context.
It is a very rewarding experience that deserves to be lived because you learn many words and you can discover the aspects of the culture. You collaborate with foreigners to deal with work issues you have in your office to finally succeed together.
Furthermore, you discover the mentality and the habits of people bit by bit, the way they work, eat and have hobbies. Besides, what is funny is to see how foreigners imagine us, the stereotypes and the ideas they have on us. It is interesting to interact with them about our own differences to better know others.
Through this experience, I learnt to be more comfortable with English by talking with others every day in English, I familiarized with usual phrases people are used to saying. Professionally, I could learn new words bonding with corporate culture of England and IT tools.
It unraveled one of my future wishes which is to have a professional experience in an English-speaking country of 1 or 2 years. I think it is a great way to socialize with foreigners and to realize you are capable to treat things you would not even have thought before. Finally, academically, it all the more improved my English level during courses. As I learnt many phrases I can now reuse them anytime I want to look more alike professional!
The piece of advice I would give future students is to talk the more possible you can with people to improve your skills in language. The more you will talk, the better English level you will have. Then, you have to try to speak even if you are missing out of words.
At the beginning, speaking in another language is very difficult and daring but it will loosen up at one moment of your experience and you will see that you are becoming more and more accustomed to English. Some days, it can be more difficult to understand clearly people (i.e: phone calls) and it can be despairing but you have to stick on it. Tiredness is one of the most common reason of not understanding. When you are getting back home in your country, you will concretely see the progress you made during your stay!
Response from Twin Work & Volunteer
Thank you very much for your honest review. We at TWIN Work & Volunteer are really glad that over all you enjoyed your experience in London. We are also extremely grateful for your productive criticism.
We always try to make sure our host families are fully vetted, so our participants are well taken care of and safe. However, we will do our best to improve that in the future.