Feedback posters
During the final project meeting in Estonia students worked in international groups and made posters about the project.
COMENIUS EXPERIENCE
This has been my first experience with students from other countries in my life, and I have to say that it has been fantastic.
At first, I thought that it would be very difficult to communicate with other students because I wouldn’t know how to say many things, because I hardly ever speak English. But when I was with other people I realized that I am able to communicate with other people and this made me happy. In spite of this, I have realized that I have to study more vocabulary to speak fluently.
Moreover, I think that thanks to this project we have been able to practise and improve our listening and speaking, parts that in my opinion we don’t work properly at school.
Finally, I think that it has been a good opportunity to know new people, and also new cultures and countries. And so I think that this project is a great idea and I hope that it will continue for a long time. We have visited many places and we have really enjoyed the experience, so if in the future I had the opportunity to repeat it I would do it clearly, no doubt.
I think that it is very important to promote these projects because the people who take part really take advantage of them. In my opinion when you are with your friends you don’t speak much in English because all of them know Spanish, Turkish or Estonian, for example, but if you are with people of other countries you have to speak English whether you want to or not, and this is really important.
Written by Basque students
At first, I thought that it would be very difficult to communicate with other students because I wouldn’t know how to say many things, because I hardly ever speak English. But when I was with other people I realized that I am able to communicate with other people and this made me happy. In spite of this, I have realized that I have to study more vocabulary to speak fluently.
Moreover, I think that thanks to this project we have been able to practise and improve our listening and speaking, parts that in my opinion we don’t work properly at school.
Finally, I think that it has been a good opportunity to know new people, and also new cultures and countries. And so I think that this project is a great idea and I hope that it will continue for a long time. We have visited many places and we have really enjoyed the experience, so if in the future I had the opportunity to repeat it I would do it clearly, no doubt.
I think that it is very important to promote these projects because the people who take part really take advantage of them. In my opinion when you are with your friends you don’t speak much in English because all of them know Spanish, Turkish or Estonian, for example, but if you are with people of other countries you have to speak English whether you want to or not, and this is really important.
Written by Basque students
COMMENTS ON THE PROJECT MADE BY STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT
"More and more in the world (especially in Estonia) we see that contacts with many people are things which help you the most, so it's good to know different people from different places."
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"There were many positive sides to the project. For example, being able to get a thorough insight of other countries and their cultures and people by experiencing it first-hand thanks to people taking us right into the centre of their everyday lives, not just
travelling for sightseeing, cuisine etc. And from the other side, getting the opportunity to introduce your own ways of living to others. Another thing is making friends far away from home and having the chance to even meet them again in the future. The whole experience is just something else and it's hard to put into words."
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"Young people should be involved in projects like ours because many teenagers/young people are afraid to speak in another language cause they think they make too many mistakes and they don't want to be a laughing stock. Also it improves the hearing skills cause everybody has their own accent."
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"Living in host families was a cool experience!"
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"I learned that people do live in different circumstances and that all the people (nationalities) have different standards of what's "normal". I learned to accept people as they are and adapt myself to their level and expectations (being always on time vs being always late)."
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"Everybody got to travel and host a foreigner in their homes (which is not usual for Estonian families). We met lots of people and
their cultures, saw their homes which a simple tourist would never see. We got to introduce Estonia's good sides to lots of people."
***
"The project changed me to be more tolerant and see that all the world doesn't necessarily have the standard's as we're used to here and vice versa."
***
"There were many positive sides to the project. For example, being able to get a thorough insight of other countries and their cultures and people by experiencing it first-hand thanks to people taking us right into the centre of their everyday lives, not just
travelling for sightseeing, cuisine etc. And from the other side, getting the opportunity to introduce your own ways of living to others. Another thing is making friends far away from home and having the chance to even meet them again in the future. The whole experience is just something else and it's hard to put into words."
***
"Young people should be involved in projects like ours because many teenagers/young people are afraid to speak in another language cause they think they make too many mistakes and they don't want to be a laughing stock. Also it improves the hearing skills cause everybody has their own accent."
***
"Living in host families was a cool experience!"
***
"I learned that people do live in different circumstances and that all the people (nationalities) have different standards of what's "normal". I learned to accept people as they are and adapt myself to their level and expectations (being always on time vs being always late)."
***
"Everybody got to travel and host a foreigner in their homes (which is not usual for Estonian families). We met lots of people and
their cultures, saw their homes which a simple tourist would never see. We got to introduce Estonia's good sides to lots of people."
***
"The project changed me to be more tolerant and see that all the world doesn't necessarily have the standard's as we're used to here and vice versa."
STUDENTS' HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
"I would like to work where ever I want, to live whereever I like. Europe is too keen on their regulations and we have to loosen up. We make our lives pointlessly hard!"
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"Young people DEFINITELY should be more involved in projects like ours because the experience gained from such projects is with great value but there is no price to pay to get it elsewhere. International projects make everybody more tolerant and more aware of how things work in the world and why some situations are as they are. We can read endlessly about the situations (for example Basque country's autonomy and national identity or are the Turkish really ok about their government in their country as it is) but this really gives an opportunity to ask people how some decisions influence you as a citizen daily."
***
"My hope for the future is to somehow share my experience of international relations that I've gained so far to as many people
as I can. :)"
***
"I hope that me and everyone else will have more chances to see the beauty of Europe and maybe even contribute into the making of its uniqueness."
***
"I found out that although people can speak languages very different from one another and have very different cultures but inside those people from different cultures are very much alike. Before taking part in this project I didn't think much about travelling, now it's something I would like to do as much as possible, especially with awesome people who are fun to be with."
***
"Young people DEFINITELY should be more involved in projects like ours because the experience gained from such projects is with great value but there is no price to pay to get it elsewhere. International projects make everybody more tolerant and more aware of how things work in the world and why some situations are as they are. We can read endlessly about the situations (for example Basque country's autonomy and national identity or are the Turkish really ok about their government in their country as it is) but this really gives an opportunity to ask people how some decisions influence you as a citizen daily."
***
"My hope for the future is to somehow share my experience of international relations that I've gained so far to as many people
as I can. :)"
***
"I hope that me and everyone else will have more chances to see the beauty of Europe and maybe even contribute into the making of its uniqueness."
***
"I found out that although people can speak languages very different from one another and have very different cultures but inside those people from different cultures are very much alike. Before taking part in this project I didn't think much about travelling, now it's something I would like to do as much as possible, especially with awesome people who are fun to be with."