My visit to the Notre Dame in Paris. Unfortunately it is still under renovation from the fire.

Author: Matthew Magre | Major: International Business | Semester: Summer 2023

I chose the Study + Internship for many reasons. The main reasons were the combination of work experience and a French course as well as the city itself. The CEA program gave me the chance to enhance my understanding of both the French language and culture. This is incredibly important to me as I look to graduate with a major in international business and a minor in French. The French course offered through the Université Grenoble Alpes was very accurately labeled as “intensive”. We met Monday through Friday for four hours with a professor who did not speak English very well. This proved to be an amazing way for me to advance my French abilities. This course was interesting in its differences from those I have taken here at the University of Arkansas. One major difference was the content of each lesson and its delivery. My course in Grenoble was conducted mostly orally and covered conversational French. My courses at Arkansas have focused more on the foundational grammar and written language. This was very interesting for me as it was a new approach to learning the language. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this course thanks to my amazing professor and my personal progress. As a result of my participation in this course raised my measurable French level from B1 to B2 and immensely improved my conversational abilities. Another interesting difference in my course in Grenoble was the mix of nationalities of my classmates. My classmates this summer came from countries like China, Russia, Brazil, and Canada. It was very beneficial for me in terms of gaining alternative perspectives and cultural knowledge from my peers. Overall my French course was an incredible experience for me as I develop my academic and professional skills and I am very glad I got to be a part of it.

As an international business major, the opportunity to gain work experience in a foreign country was very intriguing to me. The French course gave me structured French learning, but the internship gave me real world practice with communication and an immersive experience in the French culture. My time at Cowool taught me so much about the differences between the structure and norms of the French and American workplaces. One interesting example of this is the French law that bans workers from eating in the same area that they work. This custom exemplifies the strict division of work and personal lives that is a fundamental aspect of the French culture. I also learned a lot about the communal aspect of working in France. The French workplace is structured more around a cohesive unit than its American counterpart. It was a refreshing thing to witness people putting the success of the business and their coworkers ahead of their own ambition. My coworkers made my transition into Cowool as seamless as possible. They welcomed me with open arms and were incredibly patient with me as I developed my speaking ability and understanding of the culture. Thanks to a shipment from my family I was able to introduce them to the beautiful creations of buffalo sauce, Cajun seasoning, and a good old fashion American grill out. Not to be outdone, French counterpart Mathieu brought in some gratin from his family’s recipe to share something that he held dear. It was subtle exchanges like this that helped me truly immerse myself in the culture and by the time I left I truly felt that I was part of a family. The firsthand experiences I gained as a result of my internship showed me that my dreams of working internationally were not only realistic, but something that I would truly enjoy.

While I may have touched on a singular exchange of cuisine between a coworker and myself, that hardly scratched the surface of the cultural experiences I had this summer. My summer took me to some of the largest cultural hubs in western Europe. I was lucky enough to visit Rome and Paris. I spent my first weekend abroad (also my birthday weekend) in the beautiful city of Rome. It was here where I saw things that I have only ever seen in history books. The advanced nature of Ancient Roman architecture cannot be understated and cannot be fully appreciated until it is seen in person. Nothing illustrates the majesty and grandeur of the architecture like walking through shop filled alleyways only to turn a corner and stand face to face with the Pantheon. A structure with dome technology so advanced, that after the fall of the Roman Empire, it could not be replicated hundreds of years later by Italian architect Brunelleschi. This experience was also heightened through a local’s recommendation for a butcher shop in the same plaza as the Pantheon. It was here that I had the best sandwich I have ever, and possibly will ever, have in my life. The artistry behind the cured meats and quality of each ingredient made this simple sandwich one of my favorite meals from my time abroad. My next major trip was to the incredible city of Paris. A couple of my fellow Americans in Grenoble and I made the trip for Bastille Day weekend. We attended the parade where we were able to see both President Macron and the national pride exuding from the French people. It was a wonderful weekend and thanks to a fellow Razorback and local Parisian I was given an immersive experience in the culinary world as well. We went to his favorite pizzeria for lunch and had a wonderful foie gras topped steak for dinner. These two trips only begin to highlight the cultural learning I was able to accrue during my time abroad.

One thing I wish I would have known going into my program was how much time and effort would be required for participating in both a language course and an internship. My advice to other students in this regard would be to focus on one or the other if possible. The demands of both do come with the benefit of learning and practicing the local language in different contexts, which is extremely beneficial in the long run. However, I believe that it is important to way the positives and negatives of doing both. My other piece of advice for anyone considering doing any studying abroad is to do it for as long as possible. My eight-week program plus a ten-day road trip with my parents was right on the cusp of becoming fully fluent in the French language and the satisfaction of that was well worth spending that long away from home. That being said about spending time away from home, my first order of business upon returning is to overindulge in Mexican food and fried chicken, both of which I have missed greatly.