Andressa, Ariádina, Elisa and Jéssica
Autor: Letras | Publicado: 2011-08-07T21:51:00-07:00

The students in the discipline “Integrated Skills” had a task of interviewing a Brazilian who participated of UFMG’s exchange programs. Our group interviewed Janaína and she was very kind for sharing with us her experiences abroad, what she learned and what she felt about it.

Could you tell us about your exchange program?

My exchange program was supposed to be only six months but I went in 2004 and returned in 2005. It was one year but I went there six months before my real exchange and Federal at that time, I don’t know how it’s working now, but in 2004 they didn’t help up the tuition trip with accommodation, food. So actually I tried the first time the exchange program but I didn’t have money to go so I didn’t go. On the second time I got the room, was selected again and then I decided I’d go to live. As I didn’t have the whole money to put together to live, I decided to go six months before and I worked for six months and I tried to get money.

How was your adaptation?

It was pretty nice. In the beginning you feel strange with the accommodation, the people, the food. Everything is different.

Did any friend go with you?

No, I went alone. I already had a friend there that helped me in the first days with accommodation in a house and introduced me to some people, but I didn’t stay in this friend’s house that he set to me for more than one week or two.

What was more difficult, getting there or when you came back to Brazil?

Good question! Coming back is always coming home, it’s your family, your home, your friends but in the beginning it was a bit awkward. I remember I went to the call station here in Belo Horizonte and then I had to call a friend to buy some cards and then she said “do you want 30 pieces” I asked, “how does it work” because I didn’t remember how the system cards worked and she said “how come you don’t know that?”. I was confused with the money because I got used to using a kind of note and everything is confused when you come back. When you get there it’s so funny because sometimes you are on street and you see a person and you think “she looks like my friend” but then you remember it couldn’t be my friend because I’m in another country. And when you come back, it’s like “oh, my friend from the restaurant!” (I used to work in a restaurant when I was there.) and then “what am I talking? I’m here in Brazil!” It’s so strange! You see a person and their features resemble the other person, but, at the same time, they are different.

Do you recommend the experience to other students?

I totally recommend. I am a teacher now and I’ve been teaching for twelve years. I started very early. I always tell my students: you don’t have to go abroad to learn a language. I really don’t share this belief, but I do tell them that they should go to live the language. It’s completely different. When I went to England, I was already a teacher, I could speak English already. But living a language is completely different.

What about the academic life? Is it completely different from Brazil?

Yes, it is different because the way we have classes is different. For example, you work on seminars and lectures, and every week you have the same subject.

You can’t participate like we do here?

In a lecture, no. Because it’s in an auditorium, like a big place with a lot of chairs. And there the teacher keeps talking all the time.

You can’t interact.

You can’t interact. And then, in another moment of the week, you go to the seminars. And the seminars are like this: you have thirty students, so they need make groups of ten and then you interact with the teacher. All the teachers have their offices, where they have comfortable chairs and you can talk to them. It’s very nice and it’s much more informal.

When you went there, you graduated?

Yes.

And how did this experience help you in your life?

Actually, I was about to finish my course. I delayed two subjects so that I could go. I didn’t need the subjects. When I went, I had finished all my credits. And it helped me, especially in valuing what we have here, which is pretty good. We have a beautiful campus, very good teachers. Sometimes we want to study abroad to say “everything is so perfect!” It is very nice, but we also have very good things in here. So it helped me more like comparing things.

And what was the most important thing you learned with your experience?

I really think I learned a lot in terms of life experience. I always think something changes. My life was something before going and after going. And I think it’s like learning how to…because…there, I really felt how to be alone. ‘Cause there I was alone.  If something happened to me there, I wouldn’t have anyone there, here you have friends, you have your family. And also, I learned how to see different things and just…accept them. You know, especially when I was in London, London is so crazy, like…ten thousand different languages…and everything’s right, nothing’s wrong, you may  not agree, but…

Did you meet brazilian people?
I met lots of people in England, on saturdays, that go to a brazilian bar. I was like, what’s the point, living in a country, to be in such a big brazilian community. I enjoyed everything I could enjoy there.

The people there are…cold? You know…

Yeah. They are, they are cold somehow, but, what happened to me, because, first in England…first in London, I was in a place…with Italians, Egyptians, Canadians, I was the only brazilian.  So many different people…

What about the food?

Ah, the food is quite awful. Because they have fish and chips, and they are really proud of fish and chips. For us it’s like…is this our meal, because here we have lots of rice, beans, and sallad, and there is quite a lot of processed food as well, you go to the market, it’s unbeliavable, because…here in Brazil we have two freezers. There they have 6 coders  with frozen food and you know food in cans and something like that… yeah. I really struggled, but I tried my best. I used to buy some beans and rice and cook some vegetables. I used to buy meat and cook some sausages together. Something similar to what we have here.

Was it difficult to work and study at the same time?

Yes. Pretty difficult.

 But it’s possible.

It is possible, but it’s difficult. It all depends on how much you work, of course. But like here in Brazil… I have always worked and studied. But the most difficult thing was to change. Now it’s work, now it’s study. It’s the same thing here, I guess. But it’s possible. We just can’t afford not working, so sometimes it’s the only way you have.

 What did you like the most?

The friends, the things I lived there and my trips, because I traveled a lot when I was in England.

Where did you go?

Well, I went to Portugal, some different cities, Spain, Czech Republic, Prague. I went to Barcelona. I came back in 2005. And since 2005 every year I go back. I’ve been there in 2006, 7, 8 and 9.

 Did you travel around?

Yes. Some places. I was living in London so I went up North and then I visited some places like York.

Have you visit the country there?

Yes. York is kind of the country side. If you go by train is just 40 minutes from London but it’s very different. You don’t have big houses and cars.

How did you find the country side there?

The country side? It’s beautiful. It’s green and it’s pretty different. Everything is clean. The road is really nice. And people are different. Once I went to a small town and when I entered the pub everybody stopped and looked at me. You know, it’s a really small place and people figure out you’re not from the place. Something that would never happen to you in London. Nobody belongs and everybody belongs to London.

And what do you recommend, or if you have any advice for someone who wants to go on this program?

I would recommend research about the place you want to go. And if you want to go to university do something you are already doing here. Maybe you are making a study more on linguistic. Because what I did it’s like… I have always studied many disciplines in the linguistic area so when I went I took a discipline on [I couldn’t understand12:28] so it was difficult for me because, you know it was a different area, a different reading so I would recommend not taking too many subjects because it is also a cultural exchange program, you know? You go there to improve your language skills, to have contact with people, to know about so many other things apart from university. So if you are already doing three subjects on something it’s different, it may be more difficult. I also recommend being open. Try things, talk to people, try some kind of food even if it looks pretty strange. Yes! Sometimes it’s pretty strange but it’s really nice. Why not? That’s the whole point of going to a different country. And ask questions, learn the language. Sometimes you are afraid of asking. No! And we are too hard on ourselves. When you get there people say ‘oh your accent is beautiful’. Because for them, to get to this level of Portuguese that we have in English would be much more difficult. So they do say that we are good.

Thank you very much!