VIVIENNE, a professional work experience in France
This summer I had the opportunity to spend a six-week French language school internship at IS Aix-en-Provence. For me, it was truly an enriching experience, both professionally and personally, as I was not only able to practice my French and aquire new skills in a real work environment, but also discovered the daily life of a language school where people from all around the world get to know each other. The majority of the students at IS Aix-en-Provence are adults who wish to improve their French for personal reasons, just for their own pleasure, or for professional reasons such as their studies, their job or a specific project in France.
One of the first things I noticed at the beginning of my internship was how essential it was – no matter the position that one occupied – to know how to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and often even to think several weeks ahead, as it was always fundamental to anticipate different situations in order to be able to assure the best possible experience for the students.
Every two weeks, on Monday mornings, I helped my colleagues welcome all the new students by preparing informational documents, offering drinks on the terrace, helping them find their way around the school as well as answering their first questions about the upcoming weeks. We were always trying to make the students feel as comfortable and at ease as possible at school in order to foster a positive mindset for their studies at IS.
During the week, I primarily worked with Stéphanie on the program of activities offered after classes, which features different activities every two weeks. For this, we had to inform ourselves about the different events in and around Aix-en-Provence, select those that would be most appealing to the students, as well as digitally create and update the finalized program for the following weeks. Once the program was distributed, I helped the students sign up for the activities, processed the payments, answered all the questions they had about the activities offered, as well as promoted different other ways of practicing their French. Sometimes, I also simply offered advice on how to make the most out of their free time in Aix-en-Provence, as it is a city that has a whole lot to offer in terms of culture, such as the cafes with their shaded terraces, concerts, plays at local theatres as well as all different kinds of art exhibitions.
A task that was completely new for me was answering the phone calls at the reception to, among other things, provide information on the different courses proposed at IS, the official French tests such as the TCF or the DELF/DALf, as well as general questions about life at school. At first it wasn’t an easy task, especially in another language, but it definitely allowed me to step out of my comfort zone as well as to gradually gain confidence when it comes to speaking in French.
What I appreciated most about my internship at IS Aix-en-Provence was having met people from several different countries and built lasting connections, but also the fact that I myself have been able to witness the progress the students made every day, often in just about a week, as well as the progress I have made myself.
If there is one thing I will certainly take away from this experience – especially from my interactions with the other students– it’s that when it comes to learning a new language, one should certainly not be afraid of making mistakes, because even if you can’t find the words to express yourself at one moment or another, you will always find a way to understand eachother, and it’s often in these exact moments that you learn the most.
