Mobility specification

Country:Belgium

Institution:Česká škola bez hranic, Brusel

City:Brussels

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of Czech Language and Literature

Study level abroad:Master

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Education

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?MU website
Field coordinator

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?Teacher and teaching assistant for preschool children and children at primary school.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?On Saturday morning I was leading a group of children aged 4 and 5. Afterwards I taught first and second grade communication. Then in the afternoon I had Czech with the 1st grade. On Sundays, I taught history to 4th and 5th grade once a month, otherwise I assisted in teaching 5th grade Czech and had a literature unit with the children after lunch. During the week I communicated with the children's parents, did lesson preparations and other auxiliary work (e.g. library organization).

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?yes

If yes, can you provide a specific example?In teaching Czech in the first grade I used knowledge from the subject Didactics of Elementary Reading and Writing. I also used piano playing and various knowledge from pedagogy and psychology.

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?almost no difficulties

Do you have tips on how to make a great impression on the institution?Probably mainly to be active and creative. Be willing to do extra things beyond the assigned work.

How competitive was the selection process? Did you have to go through an application procedure?It wasn't exactly difficult to get an internship, but there were more applicants, so not everyone was accepted. The selection was based on a cover letter and CV. Also, those who want to go for 3 months or less don't have a chance, the minimum is 4.

Why would you recommend students do an internship?Mostly for the practice, because in the internship you learn a large number of hours and can gradually monitor your progress. You also learn to work with interns from other disciplines and universities.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?20000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?The director of the CSBH sent me the contact details of a lady from the Czech Republic who rents rooms in the house to the trainees. I lived together with interns from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which was great because we got along great and spent our free time together.

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?no

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?The cheapest place to buy is definitely Lidl, especially using their discount app. I would avoid Carefour express stores, which are really overpriced. The best thing is of course to cook at home, then the food is not that much more expensive than here. For public transport it is best to get a student MOBIB card, which costs 12 euro for a year (plus 6 euro card equipment) and you can use it for unlimited travel on the metro, trams and most buses.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?no problem at all

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?I mostly searched for connections around the city via Google maps. They have their own app for trains, through which you can also buy tickets, but I personally bought my tickets from the ticket machine at the station.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Classics like Atomium, Manneken pis and Grand plaz. The centre is quite small, but still very nice.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Belgium has many beautiful cities. I was most impressed by Ghent, then Bruges. I consider the small town of Dinant to be a hidden treasure.

Share your best experience:It's hard to pick just one thing, but I guess it was attending the Czechoslovak Pubquiz with a disco. There is a big Czech community in Brussels and there are often events there. It still made me feel at home.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?If you are flying into Charleroi Airport, you should note that the airport is located approximately 30 kilometres from Brussels.

Can you pay by card?in most places

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?I met a lot of great people, but most of all I got to know myself. It was a unique experience.