ERASMUS CHANGING LIVES OPENING MINDS fOR 25 YEARS

Hans
Åhl
‘The last day of the course is a weeping party’
Home institution:
Mid Sweden University, Sweden
Field of study/job title:
EILC course coordinator
Year became active in Erasmus:
1999
Hans Åhl coordinated Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILC) at the
University of Mid-Sweden for 11 years from 1999-2010, alongside his term-time
work training teachers of Swedish as a second language. The short summer
courses aim to prepare Erasmus students for their study exchange by giving
them a grounding in basic Swedish language and culture.
Now retired, Hans Åhl recalls how he expected, at the start, that the courses in
Härnösand would be like a normal language course. ‘I soon realised that it was
much more than that.’ What he hadn’t expected was the depth of cross-cultural
exchange that he witnessed. Besides learning Swedish, students grew close during
the varied activities arranged as part of the course, such as canoeing, fishing
and hiking in the forest. ‘The last day of the course is a weeping party,’ he says.
He chuckles at the number of Facebook friends he has now thanks to his EILC
courses. And is proud to have seen good contacts develop between the students.
‘I am even responsible for a marriage! The couple now has two children.’
The courses gave him plenty of material that he could use as examples with
his language teaching students during the rest of the year. They also gave the
university good visibility in the local and national media.
Given what he witnessed, he regrets that more Swedish students don’t take
up the opportunity of Erasmus exchanges. ‘We have fewer outgoing than incoming
students. Perhaps they fear that they won’t succeed. But I do recommend
it myself. From what I’ve seen on these courses the experience of studying
abroad is useful for their whole life and career.’
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