From the 5th to the 18th September 2010 we were in Exeter, UK, where we attended the Comenius Funded Course, British Institutions, Language and Culture. See Learning Center helped us to choose the right course, filling in the forms and booking the flight. It was great!
After the first adventure in Exeter, which was the task of finding our host family, we presented ourselves to meet the teachers and our European colleagues from Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Italy, Romania and of course Portugal: There we were, English teachers ready to learn more and to exchange experiences with each other.
For two weeks we trained in Personal Language Development. Everyday we would bring to the classroom the idioms we learnt by eavesdropping on our host families’ conversations and on daily life situations.
We also tested our language skills in oral presentations on social matters we had chosen to research. Teachers evaluated the good range and accurate usage of grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency and clearness of speech.
We talked about the British Institutions: schools, courts, hospitals, the media… Every morning we read the most important newspapers and understood the political and social influence of the media in British society.
One of the main roles of the Educational System in the UK is to give equal opportunities to all the students. The schools have all the resources to guarantee the success of their students. Each school has a uniform not only as an identifying mark but also in order for students to feel a sense of pride and equality no matter their social or economical background.
We role-played Policemen and Criminals in the classroom and learned almost everything about British laws, even the strangest ones. For example:
− In Britain it is illegal to die in the House of Parliament;
− In the city of York, it´s legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow;
− In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet;
− In the UK, a man who feels compelled to urinate in public, can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle;
− In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.
Can you imagine? These laws are still effective in Britain!
We went to a court session. Defendants, defendant lawyers, prosecutors, members of the jury, witnesses and judges – dressed up with gowns and wigs – were all there. The morning at court was tough but, on the other hand, exciting. An accusation of rape weighted against a 19 year old boy.
Guilty or Not Guilty? Consequently we followed the case on the internet and noticed that he was found “Not Guilty”.
The course included visits to interesting places like Dartmoor Park, Thomas Hardy Country and Tintagel. Of course we could never forget that Exeter is the most haunted town in the UK so we made the “Ghosts and Legends” Tour. Guided by the “Man in the Red Coat”, we walked over the most haunted places in town and listened to the most ´haunted´ stories. Really spooky!!!
Visiting Dartmoor Park was amazing! The beautiful landscapes, the tors and the wild horses were amazing. We walked 7 km across unspoilt nature and enjoyed the most beautiful sights.
Up in Tintagel we visited the ruins of King Arthur’s castle and listened to legends and historic facts about him. Down at the beach, at the bottom of Tintagel, there is a large cave called Merlin’s Cave. The legend has it that the cave is haunted by Merlin’s ghost.
Nearby Tintagel, in Boscastel: there was still some time for a delicious Cornish cream tea and a chocolate fudge.
Bath is amazing! A town full of life due to the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen Centre. The City of Bath is a World Heritage City. The Roman Baths is the best preserved ancient bath and temple complex in northern Europe. It is the most dramatic public building of Roman architecture and visiting it contributed to our knowledge and understanding of the Romans´ passage to Britain.
Jane Austen loved Bath. She spent a few years of her life there. We visited Jane Austen Centre in Bath and saw an exhibition of her personal belongings, her dresses and letters she wrote to her sister and best friend Cassandra. In Bath we were able to form a good idea of the social environment Jane Austen lived in when she wrote her novels. And who could possibly visit Jane Austen’s place and not remember the charming Mr. Darcy? Yes, he was there, welcoming us…
Visiting Thomas Hardy’s country gave us perspective on his life and work. We made the route through Hardy’s Wessex:
− Stinsford Church where his heart is buried. We sat inside the church for a while and listened to some of his poems. It was a beautiful moment!
− Hardy’s Cottage in Higher Bockhampton is his birth place. The property is now a biological farm.
− Bere Regis Church is the church described in the novel, “Tess of The D’Urbervilles”. The family vaults within this church, are situated beneath the D’Urberville window.
− Wool – Woolbridge Manor was mentioned in Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of The D’Urbervilles” as Wellbridge House where Tess and Angel Clare had their unfortunate “honeymoon”.
− Lulworth Cove is one of the most famous beauty spots on the South Coast of England. It is from Lulworth Cove that Sergeant Troy, the fascinating and faithless soldier in Thomas Hardy’s “Far From The Madding Crowd”, swims and disappears.
After these visits the films and the novels will have a deeper meaning and we will enjoy watching and reading them in a special way.
And finally, London! A walk around for the last day. The final pictures and the last moments of the company of our friends.
The evening was perfectly rounded off with Willy Russel’s play, “Educating Rita”, in Trafalgar Studios. In the play an Open University teacher, Frank, helps to liberate Rita, a 26-year-old hairdresser. Dissatisfied with the routine of her work and social life, she seeks inner growth by signing up for and attending a course in English Literature.
And then the last goodbyes!
After two enjoyable weeks of learning and living together and exchanging experiences it was time to return home…
We had a great experience at Exeter thanks to SEE!
Cheers everybody!
Ana Cristina Sexas and Vera Tira Picos
October 2010
It was a great experience!!!
The photoblog is great!
I love it!!
Grande experiência em Exeter.
It was a great experience!!!
The photoblog is great!
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