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My experiences of an internship abroad
I study German, Spanish and Italian at Durham University in northern England and, from my four-year course, we are required to spend our third year abroad to improve our language skills. I decided to spend the Spanish part of my so-called “Year Abroad” doing an internship in Bilbao. I was offered a position working for the popular language school Instituto Hemingway and am spending 6 months here.
My main tasks include translations of lots of different types of texts, answering queries of both present and potential students in person or on the phone, accompanying the students on excursions around Bilbao and generally being an extra point of contact in the office.
Undertaking such an internship abroad has many advantages.
First and foremost, for me as a languages student, you improve your language skills dramatically. I am working in a Spanish language school, where Spanish is clearly the principal working language, and living in Bilbao, I am immersed in a Spanish-speaking world. This enables you to truly discover the culture of the host country, and experience the way of life like a true Spaniard.
Secondly, you develop a wealth of new skills when doing such a job. Many students and teachers pass through the school every week, so people skills are vital. I have met people from all over the world and it has been fascinating learning about and appreciating so many different cultures. In the office, it is also necessary to be able to multi-task, since many things often occur concurrently and it´s essential to know what to prioritise. Also, when I first answered the phone in my broken Spanish, it was certainly overwhelming, but you get used to it, and having the confidence to do such things is a very valuable skill. It´s scary enough moving to another country for 6 months – and I lived in Germany for 8 months before coming here, so I am effectively suffering two culture shocks: one from the differences with England and the other from the comparisons with Germany. It takes a while to adapt to a whole new lifestyle, but once you throw yourself into all aspects of your job and your new Spanish life, you really start to reap the benefits. I have been very much enjoying the more relaxed lifestyle, the tapas and evening strolls along the river – and I know I still have much more yet to discover!
Additionally, I am witnessing the day-to-day functioning of a very successful language school first-hand, as well as gaining valuable work experience at the same time.
Instituto Hemingway is first and foremost a language school, but it´s also a business, and it´s interesting for a languages student to have a view of the logistics behind running such a company. In Germany, I attended a German language school for 2 months, and then worked as an assistant teacher in a secondary school for 6 months, so my experience here at Hemingway is something different again. I love the fact that I am spending my Year Abroad experiencing such a variety of jobs, which will stand me in excellent stead when I come to apply for jobs at the end of my final year in University. I hope to leave Spain with a better command of the Spanish language, but, more importantly, in the knowledge that I´ve made the absolute most out of the experience of working abroad.
Rachel Daw
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