Once Erasmus, now a tutor… ****************************************************************************************** * Once Erasmus, now a tutor… ****************************************************************************************** The Erasmus Club in the Faculty of Arts has existed since the academic year 2003/4. Since has not only prepared a rich programme for Erasmus and other international students of Cha but also given the opportunity for former Erasmus students returning to Prague to rejoin t community as tutors, preparing events for the next generation of exchange students. So far Club has had 4 tutors recruited from past Erasmus students – Céline Leclerc from France, D from Austria, Tanja Amtmann from Germany and Mari Jannetäynen from Finland. We have asked to share their experience of standing the middle-ground between Czech students and the new with us. Tanja, what has motivated you to become tutor of the Erasmus Club? When I was in Prague as an Erasmus student, I participated regularly in trips and theatre (organized in the frame of Erasmus Theatre Club) offered by the Erasmus Club. As I enjoyed Erasmus Club, I wanted to pass that positive experience also to the new Erasmus students. Erasmus Club, I decided to become a tutor myself. How does it feel to stand “on the other side?” Do you feel like an Erasmus student still, person helping foreigners arriving to your country? To be honest, I feel more as a local person helping foreigners. In opposition to many Eras knowledge of the Czech language is pretty good. So I can help the Erasmus students with th the Czech Republic. That makes me feel as a local person. What do you like about being an Erasmus Club tutor? Have you ever done something similar a university? Are there any similar institutions to Erasmus or the International Club there? know how they recruit their new tutors? Above all I like the manifold program of the Erasmus Club. There is always a chance to vis sights and see interesting theatre performances. At the same time, I can share this experi Erasmus students and show them the cultural richness of the Czech Republic. At my home university, University of Passau, we had a so called Buddy Programme in the tim there. Every Erasmus student who wanted was assigned to a local student, who should then h the foreigner. Similar as in Prague, the University of Passau also recruits last year's Ge students to be tutors for the new international students. I took part in this program for and made very good experiences and new friends. Tanja in the middle - the trip to Cesky Sternberk (2009/10) was organised by Erasmus Club Arts and Erasmus Club of Faculty of Mathematics and Physics In Prague, we usually approach the last year’s Czech Erasmus students – and international returned to Prague - with the question of whether they would like to become Erasmus Club t as former Erasmus students in Prague have known how the Erasmus Club worked from the time stay at Charles University, and the Czech tutors usually only realize that there is any as this once they have participated in Erasmus exchange themselves, how is the cooperation wi especially younger tutors for you? Is it strange to have to assist to the local student tu completely new to the Erasmus Club? Yes, for me this is very strange and feels unusual, nevertheless good. ;-) But it is exact Sometimes the new local student tutors are not from Prague, so I can show them the fastest point A to point B in Prague. They are always very impressed that I as a foreigner know th better than they do themselves. And it is similar on the trips: if I go on a same trip for third time and they are there for the first time, naturally I will be the main tutor and s where to go. What did you expect from the Erasmus Club at Charles University as a student here? Which a like best then as a student, and now as a tutor? As an Erasmus student I expected to meet international as well as Czech students in the Er International Clubs and to make new friends. For me this was a great opportunity to get to different countries. Moreover, I really appreciated the perfect organization of the trips. speak Czech, participating in these trips is much easier than organizing them yourselves. still like the trips to culturally interesting sights and the visits of the theatre perfor You are all finished with your studies now. Is it very different to live in Prague as stud an employed person? Is there any difference in the approach of the local people to you as working person?    Actually, I do not see too many differences. In my opinion, the approach of the local peop on the fact whether you speak Czech or not. Life in Prague is much easier, if you have at knowledge of the Czech language. Of course, now as a working person, there are a lot more operations which I have to manage, such as renting a flat and paying the bills. But that m a foreign country interesting. ;-) Why have you decided to come back to Prague after your studies? Would you like to live her you think that your Erasmus stay in Prague has influenced you in this area? My Erasmus stay in Prague definitely influenced my decision to come back and live here. Du stay I made my first experience with living abroad and I got to know the beauty of Prague Republic. It was also a chance for me to improve my Czech. I decided to come back to Pragu excited about experiencing life in a foreign country. For me this is much more interesting your own country. Prague seems to me as an ideal city. It is not too big and not too small; I love its histo its cultural offer. Yes, I would like to live here long-term. I do not plan to spend the w life in Prague, though – there might be new opportunities to come… What was/is your occupation in Prague? I work for a big American company in customer service. My job is in the German speaking cl can use my mother tongue at work. I found the job with the help of a recruitment agency th advertisements at my home university in Passau. After I had sent my CV, I received an invi the job interview in Prague and immediately after that I was hired. I have been working th three years now and I still like it. What I like most is the multicultural environment of strongly reminds me of the atmosphere in the Erasmus Club amongst the international studen Thank you for the interview.    Tanja Amtmann, originally from the University of Passau, joined university in Passau, she returned back to Prague and started an Prague for a longer period of time. She works for an internation Similarly to Daniel Kortschak [ URL "http://iforum.cuni.cz/IFORUM-13053.html"] , she has h various activities of the Erasmus Club – mainly they have been trips, Erasmus Theatre Club events such as the Czech Easter Afternoon. By the occassion of celebration of the 25th ann Erasmus programme, we have asked Tanja to share her experience with the voluntary function Club tutor with us.