Cothney Lasaracina

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background? 

My name is Cothney. I am an Italian and half Nigerian student here at Leeds. I have lived in England in the last 5 years. I undertook A-levels in politics, sociology and business.  

Why did you choose to study your particular course and why did you choose the University of Leeds? 

The course has given me the possibility to try and learn a new language from scratch without having an A-level background with it. I have been given the possibility to learn French at a fluent level within 4 years of study. Breaking the barriers of limitation over learning a new language at my age. 

University of Leeds offers quality and support to be equipped and experienced for the next chapter after university. Whether it will be in the field I have studied or outside I have acquired confidence and exposure to different opportunities through the intellectual stimulation which I am consistently surrounded by here at Leeds. 

What has been the best aspect of your course so far? 

The best aspect so far has been the exchange of knowledge between peers, lecturers and seminar tutors in my course. There’s motivation and hard work that inspires each one of us, to influence and debate among each other's. It supports our reflections and judgements on the different issues that we analyse within the course. 

Can you tell us about some of the exciting projects you have completed as part of your degree? 

An exciting project which I have completed has been getting involved with the Goncourt Committee last year.  An experience that has offered me the opportunity to read a renowned selection of French novels during my first year. Among a group of peers, we had to discuss and help each other to expand our own vocabulary. This has extensively helped me to appreciate the language while challenging me to make read French novels therefore improving my comprehension. 

Have you worked closely with a particular tutor or member or the University’s academic staff? Tell us about that experience.  

I had the opportunity to work with different tutors and members of the university’s academic staff. They all have in common the passion and professionality to bring their best for the students here at University of Leeds.  

What activities outside of your studies were you involved in? 

Basketball, ACS, Rebirth (charity). 

What would you say to students thinking about studying your course? 

The University of Leeds inspires you to aim high, through the high-quality provision of materials, and supports that are made available to students. This course prioritises face-to-face interactions among students while learning. It prepares you to champion interactions in a professional setting and defeat the fears behind having dialogues in a foreign language.