SECTION A - PRACTICAL INFORMATION
General information
Name (block capitals): FELICITY MACRO……………………………………………………..
College: COLLINGWOOD…………………………………………………………………………
Course: MODERN LANGUAGES……………………………………………………….…………
Living abroad
* Were you given any assistance in finding accommodation by your placement provider(s) abroad?
The company automatically organised and provided me with a studio flat.
* Indicate how you found accommodation, and any problems/useful information pertaining to accommodation (local papers? Agencies? Notice-boards etc.): N/A
(For Assistantships only) was your accommodation used by the previous assistant and will it be available to your successor?
* Indicate accommodation address: 73550 Méribel, France
* Indicate cost of rent/month: N/A (technically deducted from my wages)
* How much rent/deposit did you have to pay in advance? N/A
* Were you aware of any health and safety issues associated with your accommodation/employment? No
* Assess the town/city in terms of transport, entertainment, safety, access for travel elsewhere in the country:
Being a ski resort there were the activities, restaurants, cafes etc. that are available to tourists. Didn’t have any safety issues. I was provided with a ski lift pass, which gave access to neighbouring valleys, and there are free shuttle buses around the resort during the season, but difficult to visit other cities or places with public transport.
* Were you able to establish social contacts with relative ease? Yes but just by socialising with colleagues.
* Please comment on financial arrangements (banks used, documentation required, problems encountered):
As I was only there for 3 months I chose to get paid in cash and so didn’t open a bank account.
* Indicate any specific documentation you required during your time abroad:
* Further information: please add any material which you believe might be of assistance to future students. (This might include documentation, maps etc.) It would be useful if you could sum up the main advantages of your chosen city and indicate any problems you encountered:
A very nice place but without a car it’s difficult to get elsewhere if you want to. But in general very few problems encountered.
Academic and personal development
* In what ways has the standard of the language you are studying improved? You might wish to comment on your written and spoken skills, as well as your reading capacity/speed:
Spoken and listening skills particularly improved through my day-to-day work, both with colleagues and clients. And to an extent writing skills improved a bit at work. I would try and improve reading skills by reading newspapers, magazines etc
* Indicate the amount of work carried out in preparation for your final year courses:
I spent quite a lot of time working on my YAWTs, and completed the grammar exercises on DUO a couple of times. I would review vocabulary or particular grammar topics when necessary, and towards the end began preparation for my oral exams.
* Indicate area of expertise (linguistic or cultural) which second-year oral classes could cover to help you adapt more easily to your new foreign environment:
Specific vocab areas, even if relating to everyday situations such as banks, shops, restaurants etc.
* Do you feel that the experience was a valuable one in terms of personal development?
Yes, in terms of developing confidence, independence etc. But equally a challenging experience.
SECTION D - WORKING ABROAD
General information
Name of country (in capitals): FRANCE
Name of city and firm: Méribel, Méribel Tourisme.
Indicate period of work: June 2013-Mid-September 2013
Please indicate your reasons for choosing to take up employment abroad: To equally gain gain professional experience as well as improving my language.
* Name and full address of employer/company: Méribel Tourisme, B.P.1, 73550 Méribel, France
* Job description (nature of the work; hours; any qualifications/skills required; language used):
Working at the ski resort’s two tourist offices during the summer season. Worked 35 hours a week, 9-12.30 and 15.30-19.00 5 days a week (mainly Monday-Friday). The job involved greeting clients in person, answering the phone, emails, sorting brochures, franking and sorting the post, updating documents, inputting client details to send out information, any other admin tasks required. Worked in French with colleagues and with clients (the majority of clients are French-speaking in summer).
* Is this job likely to be available for a student going abroad next year?
As long as the place hasn’t already been filled. They look for work experience students every year, for both the winter and summer seasons, so it’s always worth enquiring.
* If ‘yes’, please supply a contact name and phone/fax/address:
Déborah Paillas, d.paillas@meribel.net
* Did you experience any difficulties in relation to your work?
Apart from the normal difficulties adapting to a new job, particularly when in another language, I didn’t have any serious problems.
* Indicate any specific documentation you required:
Comment on social contacts established amongst students in the host country: was this achieved with relative ease? Please give any useful contact names/addresses/clubs or societies:
I mainly just socialised with the other seasonal employees I worked with.
* Further comments about working life (please include any information, names, addresses etc. which might benefit future students):
It’s a good environment to work in and the people I worked with were nice. It’s best to just contact the head of the tourism offices, Déborah Paillas, if you have any questions with regards to the job.
