Language learning improves a person’s cognitive abilities and develops a person’s cultural competence, which helps society become more integrated, communal, open, and also safer.

On 10–15 March, students of the Business English, English for Public Relations, and Conservation and restoration of art works study programmes of the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI) participated in the intensive programme week organised by the NordPlus Nordic Languages ​​project no. NPLA-2022/10005 “Swedish for beginners – Multilingualism to Enhance Employability”, where classes were also led by representatives of Kauno kolegija HEI: Language Centre lecturers Ieva Brazauskaitė-Zubavičienė and Kristina Juodeikienė.

The training took place at Haaga-Helia University in Finland, in the town of Porvoo, where students from the Language Centre and the Arts Academy improved their Swedish language skills and got acquainted with Swedish and Finnish cultures. The project was aimed at learning the Swedish language and cooperating with other countries, so students from Finland, Nepal and Estonia also came here. Together with them, not only were foreign language skills improved, but international experience was also exchanged.

During the intensive week of training, they had to not only study but also visit the Porvoo office of the online podcast “Svenska Yle”, the House of Arts and Culture, the Porvoo Historical Museum and take a guided tour of the old town of Porvoo. At the end of the training, the students received certificates of completion of the course and returned with new experiences, new knowledge, impressions and new acquaintances.

The Erasmus+ and Nordplus programmes open up international opportunities to meet new people, improve professional and general skills, get to know yourself better, travel, and gain international experience for your future career.