6 questions to Richard Palmer"Lecteur d’anglais" at ESTHUA

Richard Palmer is a teaching assistant at the School of Tourism (ESTHUA) for the second year running. He has kindly agreed to answer our questions on his academic background, his current job, his view of Angers, and Christmas traditions in his country of origin, Jamaica. Read his interview below!

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

I am from the parish of Hanover in Jamaica. I have a penchant for languages and cultures, and this is one of the reasons why I am in France. I enjoy teaching and engaging in voluntary service.

I am a trained teacher of French and Spanish (which I taught in Jamaica as foreign languages). Nowadays, I teach English!

What do you do at the University of Angers?

I currently serve as the Lecteur d’anglais at ESTHUA where I work with LP, L1- M2 in English (ESP, ESL). I also work with various departments to plan and coordinate activities that will seek to benefit students’ language or cultural awareness and also in the promotion of English as a Medium of Instruction.

Why did you choose Angers?

I did an immersion programme in Angers at CIDEF when I was learning French, and I really enjoyed the city of Angers – où il fait bon vivre! I got the opportunity to return as an English teaching staff at ESTHUA and so I seized the opportunity to come back to Angers, after being in Strasbourg for almost a year.

Do you enjoy living in France and in Angers? What do you like here? What do you miss about your country?

I really enjoy life in Angers, it’s not as cold as Strasbourg was, so the Jamaican in me smiles. The town of Angers is really a melting pot of cultures, languages and nationalities. The town has tout ce qu’il faut and the people here are warm and nice. I also have the best colleagues and work in a close knit community.

One thing I miss is my family in Jamaica and the spices we add to our food.

How do you celebrate Christmas in Jamaica?

Christmas in Jamaica is a significant celebration. It is the time of year where we really reflect on what we have and how we can share love and kindness to those around us. We do this all year round, but at Christmas it just gets more special, and we are more deliberate about it. We eat (especially Jamaican Christmas cake), drink (sorrel) and really endeavour to make memories and to have a joyful time as we finish the year and look forward to a new one.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I am always looking for ways to collaborate, share and promote my country, language, and culture here at UA so do not hesitate to contact me for collaborations. Looking forward to a great rest of my tenure here at UA. See you around!

Thanks Richard!