Is anyone’s DC doing their year abroad in September?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 is waiting to see if it goes ahead. She is very stressed about it - if she has to do her third year here she will struggle to find somewhere to live, and the Department will have twice the number of students. There doesn’t seem to be any contingency planning in place.

At my university Mfl students doing their year abroad in China were told to fly home in January and the university set up intensive courses for them to make up for it. It s not the same thing though is it? No idea what is happening for the next academic year...

@MrsSchadenfreude I think they do their finals in their third year (which would have been their final taught year) then go on their year abroad (which counts for a percentage of their degree so they won't be eligible for an award after year 3). I must admit, this isn't really my area of expertise as I don't work in an academic department but I've had a quick look at the FAQs on the student site and that's what they're suggesting will happen. Students taking a degree including a modern language are being advised to speak to the language department directly so it's possible they have more specifics on how it will work.

The problem with doing the finals in y3 without the year abroad means some students won’t be as proficient in the languages as they would have been. As usual the DC of native speakers will have an even bigger advantage. The year abroad can narrow that gap and the finals normally depend on the further learning that has happened during the year abroad or why is it a compulsory part of the degrees? It’s not just about ticking off credits. It’s far more than that.

DD is essentially bilingual (spoken) as we used to live in France, but her grasp of grammar isn’t great. So if you heard her speak, you would assume she was French, but if you saw her write, you would know she wasn’t!

Well she’s got a better leg up than the others who didn’t speak French at all much snd hadn’t lived in France. This is why MFL is struggling to get under grads. It’s too difficult for the ordinary students to get on par with ones who already have huge advantages. The year abroad may or may not have helped with grammar but she clearly doesn’t need it did spoken French like others do. Why didn’t she push herself to do another language?

Need it for spoken French....

I work in an MFL department. It's been talked about at the moment. Essentially it's as Monekybunkey said: if the placements don't go ahead it's a choice between transfer onto a 3yr degree or doing the final year in 2020-21 and then the YA placement in the following year. I know next year was the last ERASMUS year (although we don't know what - if anything - will replace it), but placements are often much easier to arrange as part of a university degree rather than on your own auspices, so students might still want to do a placement in what would have been their final year. Also there may or may not be ERASMUS funding, but they'd still be eligible for student loans for that year.

As far as I know we haven't made any firm decisions here yet as much of it depends on national and international developments, but our guiding principle is that of no detriment and to not to disadvantage students.

@BubblesBuddy No need to be snarky. Her mate, who has only learned French at school, has had a much better grounding in grammar, so her written French is vastly better than DD’s. Yes, her spoken French is significantly weaker, but she stands more chance of improving this quite easily on a year abroad than DD foes of sorting out her grammar issues.

Why didn’t she “push herself” to do another language? She didn’t want to. She enjoys the literature and history aspects of the course. And she’s doing a joint honours with another subject.

DS is at university here in Ireland. He's supposed to be going off on his Erasmus placement in October but has just heard today that it's been cancelled. He's absolutely gutted, was so looking forward to it and was really happy as he'd just heard last week that he'd been accepted by the host university. There'd been an inkling as they'd been told not to book flights, but it's so disappointing for him

Accommodation is my other concern if they don’t go. Dd1 wasn’t coming home for the summer originally, she was going to travel then go to year abroad. Now has to give up her flat in June but no idea where she is living.

You might think if snarky but native speakers doing the MFL they speak has lowered A level grades for those without that advantage. It is an advantage and it’s putting others off MFL. Studies have shown this. Also degrees are not all about grammar! It’s also about culture so living abroad greatly helps with that too. As do parents who are bilingual. I wouldn’t have had a clue whether my DD had good grammar in her languages or not. I knew nothing about it. It’s interesting that you are sufficiently educated in French to know that. It’s an advantage. All this leads to fewer and fewer people studying MFL. Of course someone who speaks French likes the idea of French as it’s partially a gimme for them. At least recognise that fact. Anyone who is a native speaker doesn’t require the year abroad in the same way that others do.

Dd2 is predicted an A in her A level but her teacher says it depends how many native speakers there are.

Well if it helps, she didn’t do A levels, she did the International Baccalaureate (and also has an American High School Diploma, which isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on). She showed an aptitude for French when she was at school in Paris, moved to the bilingual class after two years, and given a massive amount of support to stay there. Her sister showed no interest in the language and got an E in her A level.

The uni I work at is still figuring this one out. I know some, such as King's, have definitively said the year abroad will not happen but mine is still deliberating.
All of the students' needs will be taken into consideration, this is all being thought through meticulously.

DD, studying Chinese, has a Zoom meeting with her uni this week regarding the year abroad. She said there has been mention of a virtual year abroad - no idea how that would work! She’s hoping hers will still go ahead (Shanghai) as China do seem to be through the other side now.

DD had her Zoom meeting this afternoon and her year abroad to China starting in September is going ahead!

@BubblesBuddy
Parbleu! Regardez le frite sur votre epaule. C'est enorme!

Anyone heard anything else yet?

I don't teach MFL but I teach students doing joint degrees and one of mine is switching to just our subject but they are in a minority so there is room for her.
She was doing Spanish and... She says she will go for a few weeks in one of the holidays when she can, possibly in the summer as they are easing up a bit.
I also have one stuck in China and one in HK! Not joint/languages though.
I think it will be possible to go at least to do online at the start. My student said this wasn't the only reason she decided not to go.

So how about quarantine going there and coming back for Christmas?

My sons doing French & German - was supposed to be working at a summer school outside Berlin in July which is obv cancelled, then going with British council to a school in France from October - he's had confirmation of acceptance but nothing yet re location or start date so keeping fingers firmly crossed!!

My DD was spending the current year in China but came for Christmas and wasn't able to return due to Covid.

She left behind a room full of clothes and personal items which may or may not be returned to her later in the year, including most of her summer clothes. I've had to take her shopping

Luckily, DD had previously spent a study year in China so she didn't miss out a much as some of the other students who hadn't been before. It's so much more than the language, it's a huge cultural experience.

I hope that all students get the chance to travel this year at some point.

DD had an update from uni on 21st May saying that as the UK FCO continues to advise against all non essential foreign travel, no new University travel insurance cover will be approved for staff or students until this advice changes. Consequently, MFL Years abroad are on hold again until this advice changes

@wannabebetter Dd is also waiting to hear from the BC, she's getting pretty fed up.

Looking at their website they say they're going through the usual process of assigning and allocating but obviously have to wait to hear from the schools involved. As soon as restrictions are lifted they expect applicants to get DBS etc... and they should expect different start times.

Exeter has suggested so far that they will do part of the year online with some in-country. How that leaves students with finding accommodation etc, I don't know. They won't be receiving any teaching so is it worth them even going back...

DD will know what is happening at end of month. We’ve just had to do letter of financial support to host university and currently having wobble about finances. It has occurred to that is Brexit goes pear shaped and sterling tanks we’re at the mercy of currency fluctuations.
Also I can’t find a table with the loan amount for next year depending on household income brackets, only this year. Can anyone point me in right direction? Thanks.