Every year, the University for Foreigners of Perugia, which is the most authoritative and prestigious educational institution in Italy, provides scholarships to students of Mariupol State University.

This time Serhii Rashevsky, a third-year student majoring in Translation and Interpreting (Italian), had a unique opportunity to improve his knowledge of the Italian language and culture.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trip to Italy was canceled, so classes were held online. However, this did not prevent Serhiy from taking the full course and adopting the experience of studying Italian at universities around the world. The internship brought together young people from Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Iraq, Bulgaria and Finland.

Before the internship, Serhii spoke Italian at level B1. The format of constant communication with native speakers helped the MSU student to break the language barrier and to practice his skills more confidently.
 

The training took place in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We practiced every night from Monday to Friday. Undoubted advantage was the conversational practice with native speakers, a lot of grammar exercises and immersion in the language environment. In addition, I became better acquainted with the culture of Italy through thematic weeks dedicated to national cuisine, art, music and history. The online format upset me a bit, because I could not see all the charm of the country with my own eyes, despite this, I was not disappointed.

According to the results of the training, Serhii passed the final test, which showed an increase in the language level to B2 – above average.

The partnership between the University of Mariupol and the University for Foreigners of Perugia has been going on for the tenth year in a row. Teachers and students improve their professional level during monthly or quarterly courses. The training includes not only practical classes in Italian, but also in Italian literature, history and art. Such internships are important in shaping the competencies and worldview of future specialists in Italian philology.