Why do an Internship in French?

• Acquire organization and communication skills working in a non-profit organization
• Acquire teaching skills working in international education and language immersion
• Acquire leadership and communication skills in working with adolescents and young adults
• Acquire organizational and advocacy skills in working with and empowering immigrants and refugees
• Acquire knowledge about food systems and advocacy skills related to food security for all

Student Internship Spotlights

Meet Brenna McClellan: “My Internship Experience with CEA Study Abroad”

“In the summer of 2020, I completed a virtual internship with the French charity Règles Élémentaires. My program was coordinated through the company CEA Study Abroad. The CEA internship entailed 6-weeks of a graded course through CEA and around a 40-hour workweek with my company. CEA’s course was straightforward and revolved around the NACE professional competencies. Work at my company, Règles Élémentaires, included administrative tasks and communications, as well as three large projects: translation, sponsorship, and fundraising. I would’ve preferred my internship be in-person, however, I still learned the structural and cultural cues of the French workplace. For example, my experience supports the common cultural notion that the French do not sugar coat criticism and are more straightforward. Although I felt that I was defending my work at certain points during my internship, once I finished a product, I had more confidence and pride in my work. This was a result of the frankness because I knew exactly what to correct. I also learned structurally that the French workplace is much more hierarchical than the American workplace. In addition to learning about the French workplace, my internship signified a milestone in my language proficiency. Upon completion, I translated more than 4,500 words from French to English, conducted three interviews in French, with native French speakers, and presented my work in French, at a company meeting. I may have never completed these achievements in proficiency without the internship. All in all, I would highly recommend an internship abroad -virtually or in-person-to any student and especially language & culture students.  The experience gives you hands-on contact with the culture and language, which develops a deeper understanding and higher level of emotional, academic, and professional self-development.”

Interdisciplinary Minds: Focusing Your Uniqueness Across Disciplines.

In this talk, recent graduate in French Brenna McClellan presents helpful suggestions on how to weave together multiple majors and minors into a meaningful research project and how to bridge the gap between college research and the job market. Watch the talk >

Meet Remy Matulewic: “My Internship Experience with Alliance Française of Tucson”

“During my junior year at UA, I completed an internship at the Alliance Française de Tucson. During my time there, my two primary roles were planning a youth French film festival and helping facilitate a weekly conversation circle for members. The film festival was a great way for me to gain experience in event planning and marketing, and it allowed me to better understand the values and inner workings of the Alliance Française network as a whole. Although I was unable to actually hold the event due to the pandemic, I was really proud of myself because I planned a relatively large event mostly by myself. In addition to the film festival, I absolutely loved working with the members every week on their conversation skills. I was able to improve my own French skills through sharing my knowledge with others and equipping the members with the comfort and confidence needed for language-learning. I also discovered I really enjoyed teaching, which is something I had never considered before.  This experience was ultimately what finalized my decision to apply to serve as an English teaching assistant in France after graduation, which is what I’m currently doing. I am extremely grateful for this internship, and I highly encourage others to apply!" Learn more about Remi >

Internship Opportunities

Alliance française of Tucson:  http://www.aftucson.com/