Our interns...

Going to Cyprus gave me the opportunity to discover a new culture, a different way of thinking and a new way of understanding my personal and professional environment. Alliance Française of Limassol opened its doors and its arms to me, where I met some wonderful people and was able to take my first steps in cultural action. I enjoyed bringing the local population together around the Francophonie, through the promotion of the French language and local socio-cultural events in Limassol and the surrounding area. I was proud to be part of this big family represented by the Alliance Française Limassol, as well as the other French-speaking cultural players on Cyprus, in particular the Institut Français and the Nicosia Accueil - Vivre à Chypre association, all of which are so important to the spread of our culture on the island. Six months on Cypriot soil and I was transformed, ready to embark on my professional life after an experience rich in adventure, knowledge and emotion".

Going to Cyprus gave me the opportunity to discover a new culture, a different way of thinking and a new way of understanding my personal and professional environment. Alliance Française of Limassol opened its doors and its arms to me, where I met some wonderful people and was able to take my first steps in cultural action. I enjoyed bringing the local population together around the Francophonie, through the promotion of the French language and local socio-cultural events in Limassol and the surrounding area. I was proud to be part of this big family represented by the Alliance Française Limassol, as well as the other French-speaking cultural players on Cyprus, in particular the Institut Français and the Nicosia Accueil - Vivre à Chypre association, all of which are so important to the spread of our culture on the island. Six months on Cypriot soil and I was transformed, ready to embark on my professional life after an experience rich in adventure, knowledge and emotion".

Meet Martta and Ilona
We met during our BTS in communication
We don't want to talk too much about it 
But one day we had the idea of flying away 

We chose to go to Cyprus 
The Alliance Française welcomed us
We started a new chapter 
We met our beloved Niki 

We took care of the Instagram account 
We published the organised events
And then joined in with a bang 
We remember the Beaujolais evening

There was plenty of sunshine
We were able to admire the breathtaking scenery 
Not forgetting the highly developed culture
And our evenings in the most danceable bars 

The whole team was friendly 
We don't want to leave here
The return to France will be dramatic
And the holidays will be over 

Alliance française, we thank you 
For this very warm welcome 
We hope to see you again 
Thank you for these tasty moments

I am Elisa Chalaye, a student at Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Aix en Provence, and an intern at Alliance Française of Limassol for four months, from February to June 2022. Having studied for five months in England from September 2021 to January 2022, I was enriched and more open to the world by meeting other foreign students, a country and a culture. For my second semester, I wanted to get closer to the professional world that attracts me. So I chose the Alliance Française for its cultural and French-speaking dynamic, which is also a major attraction for foreigners and the local inhabitants of the country. Then Cyprus came naturally, a country marked by world history because of its geographical location and the issues it raises. Limassol is a lively city, characterised by its dynamic economy, but also by the beauty of its landscapes and its diversity. The French-speaking world is therefore taking root in an active universe, where the importance of the French language is accompanied by events and representations of this culture. As a keen cultural explorer, I see this as an opportunity to learn about the world and Cyprus, as well as to promote French culture and share it with as many people as possible.

"I'm from south-west France and after doing a one-year PGCE Masters and teaching French in Wales, I moved to Cyprus. I'm currently in my final year of a Master's in French as a Foreign Language at University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour and for second semester I'm doing a training course at Alliance Française of Limassol to become a qualified French teacher from February to June 2022.

I love teaching because it allows me to share my culture and my language. I am a passionate teacher who knows how to adapt to the levels and needs of her audience to create her courses. I like to see my lessons as exchanges because I encourage the use of the native language to build bridges with the language being learnt. I like to use new technologies and games during my lessons to make learning French more interesting and fun. I also like to offer more traditional courses. I'm French and after studying and teaching French in Wales, I moved to Cyprus. I love teaching because it allows me to share my culture and my language.

-

My short stay in Cyprus gave me an idea, empirical one, of the extent of the French-speaking community in Cyprus.

Having initially planned to do an internship at the Alliance française de Limassol with a view to cultural mediation, I became aware of the importance of culture in the context of diplomatic exchanges in the Mediterranean basin, even though my mission was not of a diplomatic nature.

Given its privileged geographical location, between the Levant and Europe, and its tumultuous past, Cyprus also strengthened my conviction that culture is fragile and that it is imperative to preserve, maintain and transmit it. Culture is not the prerogative of consumerism, nor does it have a commercial vocation, but constitutes a heritage that inscribes its heirs in history.

Cyprus is marked by the vestiges of its history, its Hellenic past and present, the settlement of the Franks and Ottomans, and the cosmopolitanism inherent in its geographical location.

This internship was a great experience. It gave me my first experience of teaching French abroad, which has been my dream job for the last ten years. It was very moving to have reached this point and to have really confirmed my career choice and to have had an insight into the world of work. Despite some misgivings about teaching non-native speakers, everything went wonderfully well. I've discovered new qualities and gained self-confidence.