In August I made the move to Frankfurt, Germany, for my year abroad.
I live in the Bockenheim area of Frankfurt, a heavily populated student area, very well connected to the city, with many places to go shopping, or out for food and drink. I share a flat with three others, from India, Brazil and Kenya, and have met people in my building from all over the world – it has been a really great experience to meet so many new people with different experiences and cultures.
Watersport on the river Main.
Conducting Job Interviews
I am really enjoying the work aspect of my time here also, I opted to do a year long internship, working in a completely German office five days a week. I have found this to be as rewarding as it is challenging. I have noticed a huge improvement in my German in the nearly two months that I have been here, as I have been forced to speak German not only in a social setting, but in a professional environment. I have become much more confident in written and spoken German after writing countless emails and joining many business calls and meetings. I recently conducted my first job interview in German, after sitting in some interviews and asking only two or three questions, it was a big step to actually lead the interview, but a challenge that I really enjoyed. This is another example of doing things I never thought I would be able to achieve, especially when working in another language.
Languages at work
Another aspect of my job is to provide weekly English lessons for trainees and dual students. It has been interesting to see language in a different perspective – I have been really impressed with the level of english of all my colleagues. The influence of the English language within German and international business has been plain to see, with all employees speaking some level of English and able to conduct their business in two languages, often using English words in the middle of a conversation in German.
Shops are closed on a Sunday!
Something that I still cannot get used to, is the fact that everything is closed on a Sunday, even after nearly two months I still forget every weekend. Another thing I am still getting used to is walking on the right side of the pavement, getting public transport on the other side and checking the right way when I cross the road – I have nearly been run over more than once! It has, however, become second nature to keep plastic and glass bottles after use to ensure that I get my 25 cent Pfand (deposit) back at the supermarket!
Me and Annabel, also a Liverpool student, in Alte Oper, a culturally rich area with a great nightlife.
Meeting the FA President of the Irish national football team at an Irish bar
I think that the unpredictability of my life in Frankfurt is what I enjoy most, I’m still finding new parts of the city and meeting interesting new people. For example, me and a friend went for a walk along the river, four hours later we were sat in an Irish bar with the FA President of the Irish national football team and the head of logistics who were in Frankfurt for the Euros 2024 draw, which is being hosted by Germany. You never know what the next day will bring in this exciting, fast-paced, multicultural city.
I am so excited to see where the rest of my year abroad takes me and how much more I can develop in my time here – it is already going so fast, it feels like yesterday that I was stepping on the plane at Liverpool John Lennon Airport full of nerves and worries about how everything would go, and now I feel so happy in my new home.
Charlotte is a Sociology and German student.
Find out more about about Year Abroad as a languages student.