Anastasia Koroleva, Department of the French language, on her internship at Lumiere Lyon 2 University, France

At the beginning of 2022, I went for an internship to Lyon for the second semester. I recall my uncertainty before the departure: will I like the city? Will I be comfortable living and studying far away? All my doubts and concerns disappeared as soon as I started my studies, I met teachers and students who like me came to study French as a foreign language. I rented a room from a local, so I talked a lot with the mates at the university and with the French landlady and her daughter.

I enjoyed the internship very much. A trip to study in another country allows you not only to improve your language skills, but also to find new friends, broaden your horizons, get acquainted with the culture and history of the country. The internship allowed me to learn how to solve problems, manage time and find the best solution independently and in a foreign language!

At Université Lumière Lyon 2, faculty "Lettres, sciences du langage et arts", I attended classes related to linguistics, French literature, culture and world art. The professors conducted both lectures and seminars to get us acquainted with the subjects, as well as to learn the traditions, habits and understand the views of the French. Throughout the internship, I contacted with native speakers on a daily basis, communicated at the university, at home, other places. In my free time, I had the opportunity to walk around the city and see the sights. Lyon is considered one of the largest cities in France. Must-see places were Notre-Dame de Fourvière, a stunningly beautiful cathedral with an observation deck with a wonderful view of the whole city, the central place Bellecour with a monument to Louis XIV and the art museum of Lyon, which displays a large number of famous paintings and sculptures dating back from the 18th and 19th centuries. The old part of the city of Vieux Lyon deserves special attention, here you can walk along the small old streets, buy black and white postcards with views of Lyon and walk along traboules, small corridors that pass through houses to get from one street to another. The banks of the rivers Saone and Rhone are popular among young people and cyclists. I walked along the Rhone to the university almost every day and enjoyed the beautiful views from the bridge and the embankment! During my university holidays, I had time to travel. Since Lyon is very close to Switzerland and in two hours you can be in another country, I decided to go to Geneva. I really enjoyed it! First of all, I visited the famous Lake Geneva, walked around the old part of Geneva, went to Saint Pierre Cathedral, located not far from the central square of the city. The place that stunned me is Chillon Castle, a huge historical building with lots of rooms and passages.

The time in Lyon flew by, and when it was time to return home, I could not believe that the end of the semester had already come. I was so immersed in my studies and getting to know the city that I was even a little sad to leave. I have never regretted that I agreed to study abroad and I am glad that I was in Lyon. I have a lot of pleasant memories, and I hope that someday I will be able to revisit.

If you have doubts and do not know whether to go for an internship, I think it's definitely worth a try as you can get new experiences, see the city, make new friends, gain knowledge and improve your French! You will never regret it!