Yo no hablo español!!!!

Thinking back to when I secured and Internship with the InternGroup Madrid I had 1 primary concern, which I am sure resonates with others in my position. However they were quickly laid to rest as I will explain below:-

I do not speak ANY Spanish

Not only did i not speak any Spanish before I started my Internship in Madrid, i also have (so i have been told) and aptitude for NOT learning languages. I was therefore concerned I would not be able to contribute in professional or social situations at all!!

I would like to reassure students that are/were like me!! the Intern Group do a fantastic job at placing you within companies where you will be most effective-this also means in companies with a compatible language level to yourselves. If you have a high level of knowledge in the Spanish language you will be placed in a predominantly Spanish speaking environment.However, if you are like me the Intern Group will place you in a company where the main language is English, this way you are able to learn Spanish but work and be effective in English!!

As for the social environment, do not worry!! All interns speak English at a decent level. You will be living with either other English speaking Interns or university students wanting to speak in English. The Intern Group also puts a huge amount of effort into organizing and maintaining a diverse range of social activities. You will never feel at a disadvantage for not knowing Spanish!!

And hey, despite my apparently best efforts to speak English the entire five months i was there- i came away with a basic grounding in Spanish! Just think if I actually made an effort i may be fluent!!

I hope you enjoy the experience as much as me; Madrid is a captivating city (honestly you fall in love and never want to leave) & the internship with the Intern Group has for me personally been a life changer!!