6 questions to Wesley WatkinsTeaching assistant in English at UA’s Institute of Technology

Wesley Watkins is a teaching assistant in English at the University Institute of Technology (IUT). He is from Manchester, the second largest city in the UK. He has kindly agreed to answer our questions on his background, current job, Angers, and Christmas traditions in his family. Read his interview below!

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Hello, I’m Wesley, I come from the north of England. And my biggest passions are philosophy, my cat, and drawing.

What do you do at the University of Angers?

I am a lecteur at the University of Angers and teach English for several subjects.

Why did you choose Angers?

I came to Angers as a foreign language assistant last year, and it was by chance that I was placed here. I very quickly fell in love with Angers and didn’t want to leave. The atmosphere is completely different to Manchester. And working in a university is something that I’ve always wanted to do - so the stars perfectly aligned for me. The friends that I’ve made here are life-long friends.

Do you enjoy living in France and in Angers? What do you like here? 

I love living here because things are more my speed. Life here feels much slower than it does in Manchester. There’s more of a club culture than a bar culture in Manchester, and I enjoy talking to my friends on a night out - Angers definitely appeals to that side of me. I like to walk everywhere, too, and Angers is small enough to allow me to do that. This city is better for impromptu plans.

What do you miss about your country?

Outside of friends, family, and my cat, I’m going to have to say that it’s garlic bread and garlic naan. It’s a little strange but that’s probably the thing that I miss the most.

How do you celebrate Christmas in the UK? In your family?

Christmas day is a little odd because we go out to a restaurant and have Indian food rather than the traditional English Christmas dinner. I often get a madras with garlic naan. This is usually followed by seeing friends and family. My family is quite large so these get-togethers happen rarely.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Happy holidays; stay safe, healthy, and happy!

Thanks Wesley!