Ondrej Kurik

Long-term mobility

• Lycee La Mennais • Ploermel • France •

My Erasmus mobility took place in France, in Brittany, where I spent seven weeks with a host family in the village of Cruguel and attended Lycee La Mennais in the town of Ploermel. From the very beginning, it was an experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone - I found myself in a foreign country with a different culture and language that I had to use every day in ordinary situations. That is what I consider one of the greatest values of the whole mobility.

During my stay, I significantly improved my French, especially in spoken communication. I gradually gained greater fluency, confidence, and the ability to respond spontaneously. I also expanded my vocabulary and improved my comprehension of spoken French. A major benefit was the day-to-day life with my host family, through which I got to know the French way of life and family customs.

The mobility brought me not only language progress but also personal development. I learned to be more independent, to adapt to new environments, and to communicate openly with people from a different culture. Even though the stay was at times demanding, I look back on it as a very valuable experience.

We asked...

Why would you recommend your classmates to participate in the Erasmus+ programme and what advice would you have for them?

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Erasmus+ programme to my classmates, as it offers a unique opportunity to improve a foreign language in a real environment, gain new experiences, and discover another culture up close. My advice would be not to be afraid to speak the foreign language even at the risk of making mistakes, and to be open to new experiences.

How would you describe your typical day?

Every morning I got up at around half past six, had breakfast, and headed to the bus that collected students from the surrounding area. The journey to school took about 40 minutes. Each lesson lasted 55 minutes, with specialist subjects in two-hour blocks. Around midday we had a lunch break in the school canteen. After lunch came afternoon classes until around five or six in the evening. In the evenings I spent time with my host family over dinner and conversation.

How did this experience affect you in terms of personal development?

This experience significantly advanced my personal development. I learned to be more independent, to take responsibility for my own decisions, and to function outside my comfort zone. The stay helped me better manage uncertainty, adapt to different customs, and communicate openly with people from another culture. I gained greater self-confidence and resilience.