Tuesday, 26 September 2017

My internship – things you dont know



The main thing I learned in my internship was how hard language difficulties can be. I was convinced that with English, as the global language it is, one can get away all around the world (especially in tourist destinations as Jesolo)! – As I found out, this was terribly wrong. In the apartment in Jesolo, I lived in for 10 weeks, I had 7 roommates and literally no one spoke more than 5 words of extremely poor English. As I totally relied on English as my main form of communication in the beginning of the internship (as I spoke about as good Italian, as the Italian’s English) this was a slightly unwelcome surprise.

In Italy the education system simply doesn’t support English or languages in general, the way we do in Austria or Germany. Especially in southern parts of Italy (for example Sicily or Napoli) school education is considered as kind of overrated and people start to work as early as possible. This creates a lack of work and a surplus of workers. Therefore, many young men (or women) search for work in middle or northern Italy as for example Jesolo, where in main summer season every helping hand in tourism is needed.

But in fact it was a blessing that I was forced into talking Italian from beginning to end, because for sure the most effective and fastest way to learn a language is to have no other option.


VINZENZ

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