Dear listeners,
As this is our first show since the UK's historic EU referendum, we wanted to take a minute to talk to you guys about Brexit, Britain's exit from the European Union.
Lindsay and I both stand firmly on the side of "Remain", the campaign that did not want British people to vote for leaving the EU. For me as a German citizen, it is particularly heartbreaking to see my adopted home country vote for a process that is going to strengthen the lines between our countries. For Lindsay as a Brit, it has created an atmosphere in which it's difficult to feel at home. On a personal level, the result devastated both of us, although we respect the many different opinions that will have gone through voters' minds on the day.
The reports of xenophobic and intolerant comments and incidents since the result were another shock. Racial abuse is not acceptable behaviour, and this is not a time to turn to politicians promising to improve things by hurting foreigners.
Of course, there are also concerns about what leaving the European Union might mean for the UK's other nations and their own languages, especially Wales and Scotland. This is a time of real uncertainty, and Lindsay and I are finding ourselves in the middle of it.
We believe that being British does not exclude being European. We want to live in a prosperous, positive and inclusive Europe, and believe in a philosophy that emphasizes unity, working together and holding our country to the highest possible standard. In the following show, you'll hear our stories of being in other countries, and how amazing the experience can be for growth as language learners and as humans. We hope that Britain will find a path that keeps this freedom and commitment to an international fuutre available to all of its citizens, and all that want to experience languages in the UK.
Thank you guys so much for listening to our show, and for opening your life to all the benefits of language learning. We wish you all the best today.
Kerstin and Lindsay