Lindsay Allen

International Experience Country:
Czech Republic
Cohort Year:
2019
Home Institution:

Temple University

Heinz Programming Area:
Creativity
International Experience Summary:

Lindsay was given the opportunity to take her studies abroad in Prague, Czech Republic for four weeks through an extension program of Charles University, one of the oldest universities in central Europe. While in Prague, Lindsay took two courses, one to learn about the Czech language and the other to debunk the notion that European and Hollywood films are two separate entities, but rather one. The language course was a great introduction into the Czech language as it is one of the worlds hardest languages to learn. This class allowed Lindsay the opportunity to learn survival words and phrases to get by in the city and the chance to go out into the community with the support of her classmates and professor to practice in real time. Attempting to learn Czech was one of her goals before traveling abroad, and she is very excited she has a solid foundation that she can continue to build off of. The film course she took opened her world view on the film industry and allowed for an interest to pursue a career in the European film industry. Her professor was even able to connect Lindsay with a successful film distributor, and she was able to conduct an informational interview to learn more about the film industry in Prague.

Outside of the classroom, Lindsay was able to learn about the rich history of the Czech Republic by traveling to neighboring towns and cities that were more traditional and rural, showcasing a different side of the country. On a planned excursion with her classmates, they hiked a beautiful mountain in Bohemian Switzerland in the northern part of Czech Republic called Děčín, and as they stood at the top of the mountain and could see Germany on one side and Czech on the other. Lindsay also made a point to use her central location in Europe to travel to other countries, which allowed her to learn about more cultures. She visited France, Germany, Austria, and Croatia, and which has broadened her world view, but has only scratched the surface of her travel itch.