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The Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages
Moscow State Linguistic University

Internship at Lumiere Lyon 2

Ekaterina Rimskaya, 4th year student of the Faculty of English, on the internship at Lumiere Lyon 2

Bonjour, bonjour! This is how I greet people after almost a six-month internship in France. My name is Ekaterina Rimskaya, and I spent the entire first semester of the 4th year in one of the most historically and culturally rich cities in France - Lyon!

My internship took place at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, which is located in two main buildings: one in the very center of the city near the waterfront and the second, which can be reached by tram, in the suburbs of Lyon. International students can choose from a wide range of subjects: special courses such as French law or the history and development of Lyon, created exclusively for foreigners, or basic courses ranging from psychology to film directing. I had 11 courses at my disposal, including both special and basic ones, as well as one sports course - tennis. There is a bunch of sports sections at the university and they are free for everyone. Any student can sign up for hip-hop or badminton. All courses are in French, with the exception of translation courses (eg English-French) and language classes. The French education system is quite different from the Russian one, and we had an opportunity to compare both systems and understand their pros and cons. As in Russian universities, there are lectures and seminars (CM and TD), but the amount of homework is strictly limited. Examinations at the university can be taken by choice, if necessary. Foreign students are also provided with a kind of support in the form of a Buddy system and a department for international students.

It is important to mention that in addition to academic life, there are lots of extra curricular activities in Lyon 2: there are different groups and clubs, round tables and debates on various topics on an ongoing basis. In general, the city can be called very youthful - there are many modern cafes, nightclubs and student places. There was no time to be bored!

Lyon has an indescribable atmosphere! The city is famous for its churches, the traboules in the Old Town, the ancient Roman amphitheater, the praline brioche, the film festival and of course the Little Prince! After all, it was here that the most popular French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, was born. In addition, we were lucky enough to get to Fête des Lumières, a festival of light that dates back to the 19th century. On this holiday, residents light candles and display them on their balconies, as well as hold light shows on the city's most famous buildings.

In addition, the city is located at the intersection of the main roads of France, which makes it a good starting point for traveling to other cities and countries (for example, Italian Turin, located on the other side of the Alps). We were able to visit Grenoble (another student city, but smaller), Toulon and Marseille on the Côte d'Azur, the Christmas market in Strasbourg, medieval Dijon and Paris.

It is beyond words how many adventures we had and how wonderful it was! :)

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