Lydia Persico: Life After MML
Hannah Sherry
CW: Discussion of COVID-19 and brief mention of terrorism
Lydia spoke to the Cambridge Language Collective in November about her experience studying MML, her life in Paris since graduating, and her take on the current state of affairs in France.
Hannah Sherry
Could you tell us what you studied at Cambridge and how you split your final year?
Lydia Persico
I read French and Spanish at Fitzwilliam College and graduated last year. In my final year I studied both languages and also picked up Latin American cinema so that I was able to study Brazilian Portuguese.
Although I originally intended to do my speaking exam and one language module in Spanish, alongside taking Spanish culture papers, the year abroad changed this: on one dramatic day, several people from my workplace were fired and as a result, I didn’t get the opportunity to speak as much Spanish. Consequently, I decided to do the oral, along with the other language modules, in French.
Personally, I think it's still a good idea to do both languages in the sense that by final year you have become fluent in the two languages, rather than just one. Although it sounds bad, I never really cared about my grade. Instead, I wanted to learn more about the cultures and be able to properly engage with locals and fit in!
HS
As well as the decision to specialise or split, there’s often also debate around the MML department as to whether native speakers should be able to study their own language for their degree here. As a native Italian speaker who chose to focus on French and Spanish, what is your opinion on this? Did you feel you were already quite connected to your Italian side and so didn’t want to study it academically, or did something in particular about French and Spanish draw you in?
LP
I always knew I wanted to study languages because my upbringing meant that I loved the idea of being able to communicate with people and blend into another community. By studying a language, you learn about the values of particular culture and through that you are able to gain a true understanding of a region and its people. Having been brought up bilingual, I didn't really see the point of studying the language I already knew. Not only would I be considered to be ‘cheating the system’, but by studying other languages, you become so much more aware of other places in the world, their traditions and their lifestyles.
Personally, I always preferred French to Spanish. Had I decided to read Italian and French at university, not only would I have missed out on the opportunity to study books in Castilian, but also to read texts in Catalan, and learn about the politics of Catalonia and Latin America. I also decided not to read Italian as having ben to Italy three times a year, every year of my life without having ever visited France or Spain, I thought it would be more interesting to live somewhere French or Spanish speaking.
HS
When it came to the Year Abroad, where did you decide to go?
LP
As I never considered pursuing a career in academia, I thought it would be best to work on the year abroad. I also wanted to keep up both languages and become fluent in them as that was my main motivation when applying to university. Whereas when I was younger, I dreamt of splitting my year abroad between sunny Montpellier and Salamanca, I instead worked in Paris and Madrid, purely because there were many more opportunities in the capital cities.
When I moved to France, I worked as a recruitment assistant for an international culinary school and then in Spain worked as a marketing and translation assistant for an international law firm. However, I also made sure to explore the countries as much as possible; something which I was particularly free to do in the summer months when I was able to effectively embark on a tour de Spain every weekend and discover hidden gems nestled in the Iberian Peninsula!
Credit: Lydia Persico.
HS
Since graduation, you have been living and working in Paris. Sadly, you’re now back in Manchester due to the pandemic but did you know when you came back from your year abroad that you wanted to move back to Paris? How did you go about finding a job there in the current climate?
LP
I absolutely adored my time in Paris on the year abroad and was devastated to leave. As a proud Mancunian, I didn’t particularly relish the thought of moving straight to London after university, where I would inevitably lose my linguistic skills in both French and Spanish. Consequently, I thought, and still think, it is far better to return to the country where I can carry on improving my French and also help in the office with my knowledge of English, Italian and Spanish.
I must confess that I found it extremely difficult finding a job in France. For the most part, jobs require a practical Master's degree in a very specific area. Having said that, we are fortunate that we go or went to a well-respected university and some employers are more generous as a result.
Since graduation, I have been working in Marketing and Investor Relations for an investment management firm and found it by scrolling through endless pages of opportunities in Paris on all sorts of platforms during the national lockdown.
Returning to work in France has of course been different and I would say that is mainly as a result of the pandemic rather than it being any worse or better than my year abroad. Besides COVID, I'm also living and working in different areas, which I would recommend as it is harder to compare your experience post-University with your Erasmus year.
HS
How did you find moving to Paris amidst a global pandemic and recent strict lockdown rules?
LP
It obviously hasn't been the easiest time to move abroad. But on the other hand, Manchester has been in lockdown too so there's not too much difference between moving from one COVID hotspot to another. I would also add that whilst Coronavirus is clearly unsettling, the terrorist threat that the country is facing at the moment is equally disturbing. To quote a French friend of mine, ‘the real virus France is facing at the moment is that of Islamic extremism’. There is a palpable tension in the country right now: religious buildings which are not only steeped in history, but also intended to be places of refuge, are under attack. This existential crisis of the Republic and its values, coupled with the effects of the pandemic, are contributing to a sense of toxicity running throughout France.
On a brighter note though, I am very fortunate in that I regularly babysit for my landlords and so despite the strict lockdown rules, I still get to see people and I am having the opportunity to keep my French up and meet new people which was always my aim.
HS
What advice would you have for anyone planning their year abroad in Paris or thinking about moving there after graduation?
LP
If you're planning on spending your year abroad in Paris, you should definitely be aware of the full extent of French bureaucracy. For all of Paris’s wonderful perks, there is a hefty amount of paperwork that greets you upon your arrival. This is relevant to accommodation too: when searching for somewhere to live, landlords or websites such as Spotahome and Lodgis often require a guarantor. This is rather problematic for those from low-income backgrounds, in which case, I would strongly recommend opting for a collocation, or keeping an eye out for recently-vacated studios, which were once home to Cambridge students.
Another bane of French life is the both infamous and odious task of setting up a bank account. For this, you must provide a copy of your passport(s), your attestation d’hébergement, a copy of all your landlords’ bills from the last six months and your convention de stage. Once this has been finalised, your bank card may arrive within a window of five days to two months. The guessing game makes it all the more fun!
Once the tedious paperwork is out of the way, you can bask in the Parisian sunshine which illuminates the Gothic buildings scattered across the city, take a stroll along the Seine, visit the plentiful museums (which are free for university students!), witness a few protests here and there, gaze at the Eiffel Tower as it glistens every hour, try exquisite French cuisine and pastries, and go on day trips ranging from the serenity of Monet's gardens to the action-packed Disneyland Paris.
If you already know that you would like to move back after graduation, I would strongly recommend strategically trying to select an internship where it is likely that you can return to Paris and work with the company. For those who are in their final year, I would also advise that there are limited CDIs available that do not require a Master's degree. In which case, if you are thinking of doing an internship, use websites such as Fac for Pro or Be Student Again. Unfortunately, you will have to pay for a convention de stage issued by one of these websites. However, if it means working in your dream job in your dream city, then I would definitely say it is worth it!
Credit: Lydia Persico
HS
Last question now! If you could invite one foreign-language Artist to dinner, who would it be and why?
LP
There are many cultural icons who I find incredibly interesting, including many I studied during my time at Cambridge, such as Maupassant, Almodóvar or Goya. Although on a linguistic level, I am most interested in the romance languages, culturally, I find Russia fascinating and it is because of this that I would go to dinner with Gorbachev.
I think it would be incredibly interesting to hear from him about the dissolution of the USSR and the challenges that it faced in its final days, such as the incident of Chernobyl and the impact that it had on the perception of the regime within the Communist bloc. I would also like to know his take on Putin's Russia, and whether his kind of politics are sustainable in the modern world, when there are such striking parallels to be drawn with the Soviet era – not least using Novichok to poison political opponents! So, I studied French and Spanish at Cambridge but I want to invite someone Russian to dinner! I think it stems from my obsession with gymnastics. I would have liked to do Russian at Cambridge if I could have done another language.
Thank you Lydia for speaking to The Cambridge Language Collective. I’m sure your insights will be very useful to current students considering going to Paris on their Years Abroad or after Graduation. We wish you the best of luck with your return in the New Year!
