Teaching Internationally student reflects on time at BGU

In her last week of study in the UK, Marie Janke looked back at her term at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and reflected on what she's learnt from the experience.

Marie came to Lincoln in January 2023 from Germany, ready to study at BGU. The University welcomed Marie as the institution's first participant in Teaching Internationally, a project aiming to promote and expand the international mobility of student teachers.

Marie started her studies in Teaching English and Fine Art at University of Greifswald in the north of her home country. Currently in her third year, Marie will study for a total of six and a half years before qualifying as a teacher.

Marie said: "As part of my training, I have to spend time training in a country with English as its first language. I'd already completed a gap year in Australia so I was used to being away from home.

"I want as much experience as possible before starting my teaching career, and it was really interesting to train at BGU and understand how different countries approach teaching differently, both in terms of what I was being taught and how I was being taught.

"Moving to a university with an established infrastructure made the transition pretty easy. The accommodation is on campus and there's lots of support and help if you need it. The course structure and daily routine at BGU was completely different to what I was used to, but I adjusted to the new system with the support of my tutors. I made use of CELT and Student Advice, which were great resources available to students, and also enjoyed some trips away from Lincoln with the Chaplaincy team."

BGU Programme Leader Initial Teacher Education- Further Education Stefan Fusenich said: "It was great to have Marie within the group to share her experiences of a different educational system with the other students."

With BGU's support, Marie also completed a placement at Lincoln College. "We don't have colleges like that in Germany, so it was a brand new and enlightening experience for me," Marie said. "I got to observe arts classes as well as TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) sessions, which were relevant to my future career and informative."

"BGU's campus is compact and simple to navigate - everything already feels familiar, even only being here a short while. Lincoln is a lot bigger than I thought but easy to travel around, and it's been nice to explore the city."

Marie has enjoyed getting to know the quirks of British culture. She said: "I've enjoyed my fair share of afternoon teas. I was also amazed to find how much people love meal deals here!"

For those who are considering studying in the UK during their degree, Marie offers this advice: "I didn't know what to expect from this experience, but I've taken so much away from it.

"It's always worth it to make the leap."

To explore pathways into teaching, click here.

Click here to learn more about international study at BGU.