Amy from China
Amy returned to Newcastle for her second degree and was awarded an MA in Cross-Cultural Communication in 2022. Amy is now employed as an Academic Mentor and Lecturer in London. Find out more about Amy’s journey
About Amy's career
Describe your current occupation:
My current position mainly involves teaching academic English, academic study skills, offering tutorials, and supporting workshops to migrant and international students who are preparing to study at a university level; meanwhile, I contribute to relevant academic material development for in-sessional use.
I was very appreciative of the kind encouragement and support I received from my tutors and lecturers.
Studying Linguistics at Newcastle University
What was your work/study experience before joining this course?
Before joining the course, I was already a member of our alumni community - I obtained my first overseas degree and teaching qualification at Newcastle three years ago. During that time, I was a student speaker in the in-sessional writing course. Afterwards, I worked as an EFL/ESL teacher, applying what I learned at Newcastle in practice.
How was the course for you?
Cross-Cultural Communication offers a combination of several different programme pathways, such as media studies, education, applied linguistics and business management.
I felt the whole course was unique and very practical, and I enjoyed getting to know my course mates from different pathways and learning more about social sciences from them.
How has studying Cross-Cultural Communication at Newcastle helped you in your career?
I always wanted to continue further studies and do my research in applied linguistics. When I consulted my former lecturers, they suggested exploring a new field like Cross-Cultural Communication, which turned out to be great advice.
The programme helped me find a balance between the theoretical and practical parts of my research, and I was very appreciative of the kind encouragement and support I received from my tutors and lecturers.
What advice would you give to a student interested in studying Cross-Cultural Communication?
Not complicated; just three simple tips: check your university email account regularly, keep in touch with your tutors and teachers, and engage in some social activities and society events. Enjoy yourself and your life to the best you can. That’s it. This is what Cross-cultural Communication is all about!
What was the best thing about studying at Newcastle?
The most fascinating thing I realised only later is that the moment I landed in Newcastle, I arrived in one of England's four ancient kingdoms – Northumberland.
Even today, Newcastle maintains its own dialect, which uses words closely linked to the Scandinavian languages, such as 'hyem', which means home.
All this rich history and linguistic landscape is waiting for you to unravel when you embark on your journey to Newcastle, and I hope you will enjoy the city, its culture and its people as much as I did.