Mobility specification

Country:Ireland

Institution:Česká škola Dublin

City:Dublin

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2023/2024

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?Recommendation from acquaintances

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?I worked as a teacher and teaching assistant at the Czech School Dublin.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?I taught children from bilingual and multilingual families living in Ireland. Classes at the Czech School Dublin took place every Saturday. I taught in two different classes, each lesson lasting two hours. In the class of eighth graders I worked as a teaching assistant, in the class of ninth graders I was something like a class teacher. The classes were small, mostly up to five children. Apart from that, I prepared teaching materials, participated in the development of the curriculum for the term and wrote the final verbal assessment for my pupils at the end of the placement.

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?I often used the principles of non-violent communication in my teaching, but also other different approaches and methods that I learned in didactics classes or in my own practice. In the Czech school I had a lot of responsibility, so I had a free hand to experiment.

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

How competitive was the selection process? Did you have to go through an application procedure?I don't know how many students applied for the internship in Dublin, but I sent a cover letter and then we had an online interview with the management of the institution.

Why would you recommend students do an internship?It's a great opportunity to travel while studying, gain lots of new experiences and work experience, and really get to know a foreign country in depth. And with the financial support of the university!

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?15000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?The institution gave me a tip about the family I was working for as an au pair during my stay.

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?no

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?Go be an au pair! In Ireland, accommodation, food and basically everything is more expensive than in the Czech Republic. Most families looking for au pairs offer accommodation, food and pocket money, which is really handy in Dublin. The Czech school only runs on Saturdays, you can work during the week and have plenty of time to travel on Sundays!

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?no big deal

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?terrible

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Download the TFI (Transport for Ireland) app for everything you need to know. At the airport, buy a Leap Card to top up your credit and just swipe it at the terminal when boarding trams, buses and trains. Without the Leap Card it's a disaster, you can only buy tickets from the drivers, who also don't give change. Once you've had a bit of a look around, order a student Leap Card. You have to have it mailed to your address and there is a wait for a while, but then it gets you rides for half price.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?terrible

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?There's plenty to see in Dublin! From my own experience I can recommend Phoenix Park, National Botanic Gardens, Guinness Storehouse, EPIC (The Irish Emigration Museum) or a walk to Poolbeg Lighthouse.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Take the train northbound for a euro to the Howth Peninsula, where you can walk along the beautiful cliffs. In Howth, you can hop on a boat to Ireland's Eye. Heading again, you can take the train to the picturesque harbour town of Dún Laoghaire (it's /dan liri/, really) or a little further down to Bray, where you can climb the hill to the Bray Head lookout.
The real beauty of the Irish countryside lies beyond Dublin, unfortunately outside the city the public transport is disastrous. If you get the chance, I'd recommend renting a car (but watch out, left hand drive) or getting to know some of the locals with car - that's what I did. As a result, I've travelled Ireland through and through, for example I spent two days in the west of Ireland in the beautiful Connemara region. If Northern Ireland beckons, you can also take the train from Dublin to Belfast.

Share your best experience:Northern lights on the Hill of Tara, rainbows in Bray, swimming in the icy ocean ... But most of all, the Cliffs of Moher are etched in my heart, I will never forget their magnificence.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?Pack your waterproofs! And one that's easy to layer. Irish weather is unpredictable, it's no exception that literally all seasons change in one day!

🥳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?If you are tempted to travel abroad during your studies, drop all your fears and go for it! It's a great opportunity to get to know a foreign country, improve your language, gain new work experience, have lots of unforgettable experiences and maybe even make friends for life.