UAH Foreign Languages and Literatures Department

Introduction | France | Germany | Russia | Spain

Seated, left to right: Letisha Jenkins (Spain), Ashley Tennant (Honduras), Bethany Silvestri (France); Row two, left to right: Michele Faris (Germany), Monica Altstatt (Russia), Larissa Krawchuk (Puerto Rico), Thensia Grey (Spain); Top row, left to right: Dr. Sharron Abernethy (International Internship Coordinator), Meridith Hall (Germany and Austria), Stefanie Shea (Germany), Candice Rigsby (Germany), Catherine Pyko (Poland), Karl Keller (Spain), Keith Gipson (Mexico), and Jonathan Easter (France). Not pictured: Katie Dill (France).

FL 410 International Internships Abroad, Summer 2004

Most universities now regard internships as key elements in the development of strong programs in foreign language and foreign language/international trade (FLIT) education. Students and faculty recognize that our society is part of a world system that can be explored through field-learning experiences and the students want practical activities to supplement their academic work. While providing students with significant experience, well-directed internships demonstrate how foreign language and international trade education promote market development as well as improved international relationships. To meet this need and create a cost-effective program, UAH's International Business Studies Initiative (IBSI), made possible through a U.S. Department of Education BIE grant, allowed us to establish a successful internship program, implemented first at the local level in 2002.

In the summer of 2003 we expanded the program to offer internships abroad through our required FL 410 International Internship class. Five students, four FLIT majors and one Finance/Spanish/German major, served internships in Austria, France, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico. Their experiences ranged from service learning activities to an elaborate market study for a major coffee processing company.

While our local program has continued to thrive, based on the experiences of the interns abroad in 2003, more and more students are striving to take advantage of the opportunity to work in the target language and culture. Building on the success of the first summer abroad class, the summer 2004 class tripled in size to fifteen students who worked in nine countries: Russia, Poland, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Mexico, Honduras, and Puerto Rico (Hispanic in culture and language). The first student left for Mexico on May 4 and the last student returned from Germany on August 26. Eleven of the 2004 interns abroad are FLIT majors. The others are French/education, Spanish/education, German/psychology, and Russian. Three of the students, Karl Keller, Letisha Jenkins, and Thensia Grey, all FLIT/Spanish majors, combined internships with study abroad at Don Quijote Language School in Barcelona, Madrid, and Salamanca, where they attended intensive Business Spanish classes. Other experiences ranged from working in a high tech company in Germany, to teaching music to poverty-stricken elementary school children in Honduras through Latin America Child Care (LACC), to implementing a new warehouse system for a book distribution company in Paris. One student was privileged to work for the U.S. Department of State in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she assisted in the logistics associated with an important economic summit. A variety of other internships included a field archaeology experience through Rostov University in Russia, counseling sessions at a women's shelter in Frankfurt, Germany, and work in a multicultural language laboratory at University of Guanajuato, Mexico.

The students evaluated their experiences in final papers and oral presentations. One student stated, "I truly appreciate the new skills I learned and the new friends I made. I learned to be more independent and outgoing, while also learning to not be afraid to depend on others if necessary. I am definitely a better person for the experience." A FLIT student commented that the FL 410 program at UAH is an excellent arrangement for students to experience real world business practices and achieve a better understanding of the state of our world. Of her internship in Berlin, Michele Faris says, "Now, I understand more than ever before the path that I want to take after graduation, as well as, the complexity of language and human nature." A FLIT/Spanish student says "I know I made the right decision in going to Spain. The prejudices that shaped my view of that region no longer stand. It is a land that is culturally rich and diverse. . . . In terms of work, I now feel confident about working in a field where Spanish is to be used as the primary language of business." The students evaluate the program as an invaluable tool that has definitely enriched the collegiate academic experience. While this program depends in large part on the good will of the local and global communities, these UAH "ambassadors" have created good will in those communities and have returned to the classroom to have an energizing and enriching effect on our students.

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France by Bethany Silvestri

I remember a friend once telling me about her internship abroad and how thrilled she sounded just recounting the memories and I remember saying goodbye to another friend as she left for Scotland to study for a year. They both said, "Going abroad will change your life." How could I ever deny myself the opportunity to encounter a life changing experience that will enhance my education and future experiences? Really unsure if it was possible for me to complete my internship abroad, I told my boss that I would be leaving for the summer to go to France, whatever the expense, even my job. With much help from staff members of UAH, the perfect opportunity presented itself. I would be going to France to work for a French company for the month of July. The voices of my friends resonated in my mind and I wondered "is this really going to change my life?"

From the moment I arrived I was impressed but felt a little out of place. It would take a very long first day before I adjusted more comfortably. The day after arrival, I started work at G.I.E Livre Diffusion in Paris. It is a large book distribution warehouse that sells to local clients, such as retail bookstores. The company is located in three different regions in France: one in Paris (where I worked), one closer to the south of France, and another in the West. Clients call or fax their orders that are computed into a system by an upper-level team. The orders are sent via computer into the warehouse and separated into a category according to size and urgency. When I first began working for G.I.E., the company was strictly a warehouse where employees prepared the commands to be shipped or picked up by the clients. Two weeks later, the company decided to open its doors to the customers. This gives them the opportunity to find the books they are looking for and browse for any other interesting books. The warehouse needed some changes to accommodate the new system of serving the clients. Katie Dill, another UAH FLIT/French major, and I were taken to another book distributor to see how they configured their warehouse. The G.I.E would definitely need work to make the transition from just a warehouse to a warehouse- bookstore. That would turn into a project for the interns.

Our duties varied by the week. The first day was a simple introduction to acquaint us with the company, the people and the departments. The second day is when work really began. We started by learning how to prepare commands and get them set up for packaging. That is also the one day we worked on the chain. The chain is when several identical orders are prepared by a few people and sent along on the chain. For the next two weeks, we prepared various orders: large, small, urgent, etc., by using a variety of methods and working with several different people. We also learned how to stock incoming orders and validate the new inventory in the computer system. For the last two weeks of the internship Katie and I were introduced to the task of arranging the warehouse shelves to be more presentable for the clients. We got some ideas about presentation from the other book distribution warehouse that we visited at the end of our second week. The task was time consuming, but the aisles did start looking more appealing. By the end of the internship we had arranged a significant portion of the warehouse. For several days during the last portion of the internship, we also learned how to enter fax orders into the computer. That was probably the most challenging of all of the different departments, but also where I liked working the most. Entering the new orders into the computer involved seeing a lot of different and new French words. Also, because of the importance of the accuracy of entering the commands, the task involved a great deal of communication and question asking. Working with the computer made the biggest difference in improving my French skills. When we worked on the computers, we were also sometimes expected to assist clients in finding their orders in the warehouse after the doors opened to the clientele, making it a challenge for us to explain the functions of the warehouse and answer questions in French.

My observations from working in a French company is that there are many similarities in the way that people work together and a few differences about work in general. I have worked for several years now, and have always found that teamwork can make a company successful. Without it, a company can fail completely. In the United States, I have worked in grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and daycares, and teamwork made a big difference in the work environment of each of those places. At G.I.E. Livre Diffusion of Paris, France, the same principle applies. There had to be teamwork at all times, especially when more than one person was preparing the same order. Being a foreign intern, I had many questions, and every person in the company was helpful and friendly when I needed assistance. For differences, the employees enjoyed their leisure time but they would not bring that mentality into the workplace. In general, everyone worked hard and efficiently. At G.I.E., the mentality is work.

In general, the experience abroad was absolutely amazing. I think back to my friends going abroad and telling me it is life changing. In the first two weeks, I would have said that statement was barely true. By the end of the internship, I said and say now, it is true. I not only got to work in a French company, I got to live in Paris, France, experience however briefly the Parisian life, meet many interesting people, and spend time with my French relatives I hardly knew. I am more confident in using French and look forward to seeing how the improvement will affect my classroom experience. I learned a lot about people and enjoyed learning about culture, the similarities and differences. I know the cultural and language barriers are thin and in time can be completely eradicated. One day I hope to return to France to visit or work.

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Germany by Candice Rigsby

I had the opportunity to perform two international internships in Germany during the summer of 2004. Putting "theory into practice" by working in a real setting was pertinent in achieving a comprehensive understanding of Candice Rigsby's chosen foreign language: German.

My first internship was at Frankfurter Frauenhaus (Women's Shelter of Frankfurt) founded in 1982 by a non-profit organization, whose goal is "to aid in the overcoming of special social difficulties". This institution has been able to offer protection to abused women and their children by promoting independence prevents future abuse. The proof of their "aid" is a low return rate. These women come from various international and social backgrounds--all are victims of mental, physical and/or sexual abuse committed with by family members, their partners, or strangers; each is desperately seeking safety and support from Frankfurter Frauenhaus. The executive director, social workers, interns, and I met for team conferences five times per week. Individual cases were discussed and any problems handled. I observed meetings between potential shelter candidates and their social workers; I accompanied residents to social security and child welfare offices and entertained the children on "Mother's Day Out". The residents were flattered that I took an interest in their situation.

My second internship was with Miteinander, Netzwerk fur Demokratie und Weltoffenheit in Sachsen-Anhalt e.V (Together, the Network for Demoracy and Cosmoplitanism in Saxony-Anhalt). This non-profit and non-governmental organization was founded in 1999. The society's main objective: to create an open, civil, non-violent society through projects promoting understanding among foreigners and Germans, of all ages. The exhibit, "Give Racism the Red Card" was an attempt to raise awareness and, hopefully, eradicate right-wing extremism in European soccer leagues; scheduled for October 2004 and I made arrangements for this event before departing. I participated in Projekt Grosser Grenzverkehr 2204 (Project Great Border Crossing/Project Friendship Beyond Borders). This project aims to initiate contacts and establish friendships between rural communities in former East and West Germany through various theme workshops: East and West German differences explained, right-wing extremism, youth culture, and how to deal with aggressive Neo-Nazis. Several impoverished youths, aged 12 to 18, were in this project. The task to my team was to broaden their opinions about westerners. An ice cream social proved the most effective way to gain their acceptance. It was discovered that these youths had no space to use for their own enjoyment�so my team remodeled the basement room of their rooming house, in two days, into a public room where a game of table-tennis (ping pong) or a celebration could be held.

All the participants from the Miteinander Project met in Magdeburg, the capital of Sachsen-Anhalt, for a meeting. My task was to organize financial records obtained from the outreach summer projects, correct the errors, then forward these records to the state government, and I arranged part-time employee contracts for future summer projects. I was offered an internship by the executive director of the organization based in Halle, the largest city in Sachsen-Anhalt because of my work; he became my sponsor and host during my internship in Halle. I was allowed to do independent research in the organization's expansive library. Housed within were various publications, on a wide array of medias; topics varied from Third Reich's history, Hitler's life and actions, historical background and degrees of right-wing extremism, plus sociological, psychological, and cultural aspects therein. I researched and located American right-wing extremism topics and incorporated this new literature into the existing library database. My contribution was pertinent since the library database had only one book about the Neo-Nazi movement in the USA. A demonstration against a new unemployment law showed me the research needed. The Neo-Nazis were very vocal and aggressive about their own right-wing beliefs against this new unemployment bill; so were the radical skinheads about theirs and with added left-wing mentalities�a fight broke out! I continued to translate German into English for the Halle organization's website. My synopsis and description of Grosser Grenzverkehr 2004 has become a recruitment tool for future intern programs. I am very thankful to UAH's Foreign Languages and Literature Departments in organizing and sponsoring my international internship.

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Russia by Monica Altstatt

I am a double major in Russian and History at UAH and very interested in archaeology as well. My internship site was in Southern Russia, in the North Black Sea region, 90 miles northeast of Rostov-on-Don. I spent four weeks there and this was an incredible experience which I will never forget. Together with other students I participated in the expedition investigating burial mounds on a Khazar era fortress "Golden Hills". This expedition was organized by Rostov University, the Donskaya Archeological Journal and Center for the Study of Eurasian Nomads (CSEN, USA).

The Center for the Study of Eurasian Nomads (CSEN) was established to preserve archaeological remains and to promote ethnographic research on the nomadic (and sedentary) cultures who lived or are currently living in the vast steppe lands that stretch from southern Russia through Kazakhstan, southern Siberia, western Mongolia, and northern China. Although the contemporary nomads are limited to specific regions, the steppes as a whole are extremely rich in archaeological remains dating from 4,000 B.C. and earlier.

Our group consisted of students working under the guidance of experienced Russian archaeologists. We lived in tents. After an early breakfast we would work until lunch. The afternoons were used for lectures on regional archaeology. This was the rainy season which hampered our work. We learned the proper procedures of excavation and cleaning of individual artifacts. We uncovered a trench that eventually led to a burial site in one of the quadrants. We found an infant with an adult, and the archaeologists supposed the mother died in childbirth. We had a lecture about the history of this site. We learned that the burials were completely unconnected to the stonework we found. The stonework was believed to be a house foundation and not segments of a large wall.

We had an opportunity to go on an excursion to the Tanais historical site and museum. Tanais, a Khazar city, has been an excavation site for the past 50 years. It has a full-size model house from the old era. The bridge to the ruins is constructed as the Romans did long ago. It is notched and tied together, so that in case of an attack, it could be disassembled instead of burned. Wood was scarce in this part of Russia.

We visited a Cossack museum in Novocherkassk where we were able to study the history and unique culture of the Don Valley region and the life of the early Cossacks. We also visited a Greek/Russian Orthodox cathedral. The artwork was absolutely amazing. I also had an opportunity to visit Friendship University in Sochi on the Black Sea, where I did some computer work. While in Sochi we explored a few museums before going into the mountains to visit a Greek women's monastery and a Greek Orthodox cathedral.

I thank the UAH Foreign Language Department and their faculty for an opportunity of a lifetime. The language immersion itself was well worth the experience. This internship was very advantageous and worthwhile and I would highly recommend it to all foreign language students.

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Spain by Karl Keller

As a UAH intern, I was selected to attend a four week Spanish Business course at the Barcelona, Spain campus during the summer of 2004. This course prepared me for the Basic Spanish Certificate for Business from the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. My program consisted of 10 hours in Spanish for Business covering Accounting, Human Resources, Marketing, Spanish Economic History, and European Union Operations and Functions plus Business etiquette, etc., plus 20 hours each week for Spanish grammar, vocabulary and conversation. The course was very enjoyable, especially having the chance to study along with people from different places: Joanna, Geneva; Charles, France; Dali, Croatia; Glen, Houston, Texas; Letisha, Cullman, Alabama. A lot of material was covered which included several team projects. The first team project was to develop and present a marketing plan for a fictitious company. Each student had to present his or her results individually. The second project required inventing a startup company: a one-stop center for Barcelona students which allowed students allowing students to do their laundry while sipping coffee or enjoying tapas or a light breakfast, or using a computer all located in the same building. This idea was presented to potential investors (instructor and class members) as a feasible and profitable venture. A consultant for the Don Quijote School, asked pointed questions, found problems in the proposal and made suggestions for improvement. He felt the group did well in all the assigned projects and conducted themselves in a manner similar to an actual group of businesspersons doing the same functions. While on a trip to Rome, our idea had been put in practice. I brought back an Italian caf�'s business card as proof and showed it to my classmates. The class had thought our �company' up independently, not realizing that we weren't the first to think of and market such a venture. With the completion of this course, I took an eleven-hour bus ride to Salamanca where I received the Don Quijote employee orientation. The atmosphere in the Salamanca office was really great, my co-workers were friendly and the work schedule was flexible. Carmen Cantarino, the manager of Don Quijote section that handles USA and Canadian marketing the largest and most profitable division within Don Quijote, assigned me two projects. The first project was to compile a database of USA Travel Agencies that specialize in trips to Spain. Don Quijote wanted to have these agencies include a Spanish course along with each trip, if possible. The second project involved locating library websites, in major USA cities, that might allow Don Quijote to form a link. Five major libraries were approached, but only a Houston, Texas public library responded and its response was not encouraging. I approached Carmen with an idea that she accepted: to develop a contact inside Spanish departments in USA universities and explain the benefits Don Quijote could offer their language students. Don Quijote would supply colorful posters and brochures. I compiled a spreadsheet with contact information for Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, and Texas before my internship ended. I was invited to an office party on last day, confirming my positive relationship with my Spanish co-workers. My fluent Spanish is the direct result of UAH's Spanish faculty instruction.

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