Are you heading to study abroad in Lyon, France and hope to do an internship during your time overseas?
USAC has the perfect opportunity for you to enhance your language skills and grow as a person through an internship teaching English to local elementary, middle, and high school students. Internships can be taken for a maximum of three credits, in addition to academic courses.
Each semester in Lyon, USAC works with three local schools to place students in a variety of teaching internships during their time abroad. Interns work in the school assisting teachers with linguistic activities and lesson plans, animating English, teaching through games and role-playing, and other activities to help the local students learn English.
The middle school interns are in charge of organizing extra-curricular activities in the frame of an “English Club” with the 11 to 12-year-old kids. The English Club leaves more autonomy to elaborate and organize activities. You will gain a hands-on experience in class and will integrate into the local community while getting knowledge of the French school system.
All internships are under the supervision of an on-site mentor and internship coordinator. You’ll work closely with the internship coordinator to arrange an internship schedule and you’ll be responsible for turning in a weekly log, attending meetings throughout the semester, and completing midterm and final writing reports about your internship experience.
As with most internships, and study abroad experiences, you’ll get more out of your internship than you can imagine. To give you an idea of what we mean, we talked with 14 USAC alumni who have participated in this internship in Lyon. Here’s what they had to say.
“I would wager that I learned just as much, if not more than the children. Throughout these past few months, I have learned how to communicate with a language barrier, discovered just how incredibly similar people truly are and uncovered a passion that I never knew I had. While I came to France to learn the language, I learned so much more because of this internship opportunity. It has given me so many experiences that I could not have gotten elsewhere and taught me more lessons than I thought it would. It has been one of the highlights of my time abroad, and will aid me in life in ways that I probably cannot even imagine.
Kylie Bales (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Salisbury University)
“Thanks to this internship, my confidence has increased as I have learned that my work has the power to inspire others. The overall experience with this internship has been life-changing: it has motivated me to keep learning and loving and to also keep motivating others to learn and love too.”
Elizabeth de Campos (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Arizona State University)
“The students made this whole experience very rewarding and they helped me learn a lot about myself and my likes.”
Taryn MacGibbon (Lyon Spring 2017 / from University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire)
“It was hard saying goodbye to the students, especially the ones from St. Thomas. But as I leave and take all the experiences with me from Lyon and studying abroad, I’m specifically appreciative of this one. Working with students brought such happiness to me throughout the semester, and my career goals have started turning towards the international communications realm because of it.”
Casey Kennedy (Lyon Spring 2017 / from Arizona State University)
“Teaching English to 3-5-year-olds is like trying to capture the perfect picture of a moving object. Nearly impossible. Luckily for me, nothing is impossible. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since the beginning of this internship, it is how to have patience.”
Leonela Urrutia (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Arizona State University)
“While on my semester abroad, a lot of my priorities and life goals shifted entirely. One of the greatest factors to this is the internship I did. I also found that it [internship] was helpful to my French, because I was able to learn valuable communication skills vital to understanding a language (such as a deeper read on body language, as well as familiarizing how French people express themselves, even at such an early age).”
Jarrod Joy (Lyon Fall 2017 / from University of Maine)
“I would say that this has definitely been the most “professional” experience I have gained so far, and I am eager to do it again.”
Stephen Lunde (Lyon Spring 2017 / University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
“I never thought I’d want to go back to France after graduation to work here; I didn’t think that was even an option. However, because of this internship along with the rest of my study abroad experience, I truly believe it will help me in the end. After all, one of my biggest personal goals is to become fluent in French.”
Christina Tran (Lyon Fall 2017 / from University of North Carolina, Charlotte)
“Overall, this internship opportunity has helped me greatly with my intercultural communication skills and teamwork capabilities that can be utilized in my everyday professional life.”
Faith Prasatik (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Texas A&M University)
“In the end, this internship is an opportunity that I would recommend to anyone studying abroad. It gives you an inside view of the French culture and education system. I will forever remember the kids that I had and how I watched them grow throughout the semester. This experience will also continue to grow for me. It will be expanded by applying the skills that I have learned to other situations in my life and career and eventually further developing those skills.”
Jenna Zamaites (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Michigan Technological University)
“I believe that studying abroad can help someone not only to grow as an individual but also to help him or her understand how to communicate ideas and thoughts clearly, even if they have to communicate to someone who comes from a different culture with a different mother tongue. It can always help build relationships.”
Jessica Agim (Lyon Fall 2017 / from University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
“It is good, and important to learn this, and understand that people are people no matter where you go. I think that being able to learn, and have proof that we are more similar than we are different is really important for my worldview and my acceptance of others.”
Lillyanna Faimon (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Miami University of Ohio)
“Not only do I teach the kids something valuable, but they teach me something valuable as well. One of my favorite moments was when the children themselves would correct my French, it truly demonstrated that we both want to see each other succeed. I truly loved this internship. If I was asked to teach again, I would say yes in a heartbeat. This along with every other experience I had during this trip will forever remain permanent in my heart because of the impact it had on me.”
Leonela Urrutia (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Arizona State University)
“I learned quite a few things while teaching, both the little kids and the high schoolers, about myself and met a few people that I will never forget. He [an elementary school student of 4-5 years old] taught me a very important lesson, that by showing you care and with love you can make kids listen to you; which I think applies to everyone and not just kids.”
Sara Razavi Kelishadi (Lyon Fall 2017 / from Arizona State University)
Internships are available in the fall and spring semesters. Interns receive a maximum of three credits but no financial compensation; the schedule will be determined in accordance with the schedule of courses. If you have any questions about interning in Lyon, reach out to enrollment@usac.edu.
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