Last half term, LAE students studying French set out to Lille for an immersive trip combining work and study. Staying with host families, they experienced French daily life firsthand while honing their language skills both in and out of the classroom.

Students attended daily lessons at a local language school, which strengthened their communication skills and built confidence. They also applied their learning in real-world settings, gaining valuable work experience. One student, Obed, an aspiring biomedical scientist, had an incredible placement at a hospital, deepening both his medical knowledge and French proficiency. You can read about Obed’s experience below.

The two-week stay allowed students to fully integrate into French culture, significantly improving their confidence, not just in speaking French, but also in navigating new environments independently. Many participants plan to study languages at university or work abroad, and this experience will undoubtedly support them in future academic and professional opportunities, to express themselves clearly in French.

Obed’s placement at a hospital was an amazing first-hand look at life in a working hospital, all the while increasing his confidence in French as he learnt technical terms in the language:

I did a hospital work placement at Hôpital privé Le Bois in Lille. It was fantastic getting to see so many medical specialties from obstetrics to intensive care, and even non-medical departments like the sterilisation and the hygiene units. The highlight of the experience was observing un pontage coronarien (coronary artery bypass graft) and une césarienne (caesarean section). I had never seen a surgery before, so the fact that the first ones I saw were open-heart surgery and a caesarean section was incredible.

My host family was lovely; we had breakfast together in the mornings and dinner in the evenings. I even got over my fear of dogs (to a certain extent) thanks to their pet dog. Having to interact with the family, hospital staff and others only in French for two works really did help me improve my listening and speaking skills, and I now feel comfortable to engage in conversations with native speakers. 

Unfortunately, visiting Lille in February meant the weather was quite rainy and dull, but this didn’t ruin our trip at all. One of the highlights for me was definitely the day trip to Paris. We did a lot of walking, but it was so worth it to see all the iconic sites. Paris shall be seeing me again one day inchallah.