Shemara Panditharatne and her summer teacher training program in Besançon

I am Shemara Panditharatne who is currently working as a French teacher and as the Course Coordinator at the Alliance Française de Kandy.

I got a scholarship & was able to participate at a teacher training program in summer 2018 at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA) in Besançon, a city in Eastern France. It was a one-month training & i was accommodated at a host family.

The training program was very useful as it provided the teachers with new teaching technics.

The instructors were talented and friendly. During the weekend we went on excursions. This made us not only to discover new places but also to speak and spend time the fellow teachers.

The life in Besançon was a nice experience.

Since it was the summer vacation & no school, the roads were clear & the buses were less crowded. As transport I used the bus, the tramway and taxies. Food was nice but it was not spicy enough. So, I had to go buy rice and spicy curry packets at times.

I was able to practice my French even outside the university. For example, at the baker’s, at the supermarket, at the clothing stores. Even if it was for a shorter period, I think I got the maximum use out of my stay.

As for everyone, my experience is also a unique experience. I feel so lucky to have chosen this career & i am happy of who I am today. I thank everyone who helped me throughout this journey & there is a lot more to experience.

If you wish to make you French dream come true, work hard for it & you will get paid at an unexpected time.