Témoignage de Laure Allain – Promotion 2022

First and foremost, the section provided me with an extensive intellectual background as well as a capacity for critical thinking. Indeed, the teachers taught us not just what to “think” but what to “question”. This mindset is very essential, particularly in law studies where success depends largely on our ability to make connections between the different concepts. Secondly, the section’s pedagogy is highly based on the oral participation of students in all forms. Thus, it taught me how to express myself easily in front of an audience, but also how not to be destabilized by unexpected questions or even a lapse of memory. This training is essential for higher education as we are often required to undergo selection interviews. Last but not least, the International Baccalaureate serves as a prestigious benchmark and a stand out for selective universities.

Témoignage de Laïa Malburet-Breuil – Promotion 2021

The OIB Baccalauréat provided the academic rigor and intellectual curiosity essential for the pursuit of my goals, while significantly deepening my global perspective. With the invaluable support of my OIB peers and professors, I successfully applied to schools in the U.S. and pursued a double degree in Business Digital Media and Political Science at UC Berkeley. I now work in Paris within the consulting field. Beyond the challenging and enriching coursework, the community of the “section inter” is unlike any other and has stayed with me even all the way across the world !

Témoignage de Smila Lorinquer – Promotion 2020

I believe the international section played a key role in my academic and personal journey. Being part of the international section helped me feel comfortable speaking and working in a foreign language, which opened many doors for me. Thanks to this experience, I was able to complete a semester-long internship in an international law firm in Barcelona and later pursue a Master’s degree focused on European and Private International Notary Law. On a personal level, it also allowed me to connect with people from all over the world, especially during my Erasmus semester in Granada and during an internship I did in Brussels.

The international section is undeniably a great way to learn English, but from a broader perspective, it allows us to gain confidence in our abilities, be more open to others, and build long-lasting relationships.

Témoignage de Louis Le Bris – Promotion 2022

Looking back on my time in the international section, I can only think positively about it. The OIB made it possible for me to study in London right after the Baccalauréat, which is one of the most incredible experiences I have ever lived. More importantly, it pushed me to consider studying abroad at a young age, when most students do not yet see it as an option. In that sense, the international section opens real doors and helps build a profile that stands out.

More recently, I got accepted into a selective Master’s program and I am confident that this international dimension played a key role in my acceptance. In fact, I am completing an apprenticeship in an investment bank, where I work in English around 90% of the time. This would not have been possible without the strong English skills I developed through the international section.

Overall, it has had a real impact on my academic and professional path. Starting as early as in 6e requires commitment, but it clearly pays off in the long run. Beyond academics, it is also a strong human experience, which is what makes it so special !

Témoignage de Léa Marion – Promotion 2021

I was a student in the international section in Sainte-Anne and now I am currently in my third year of law school. I had the opportunity to enter a Licence de droit bilingue which is not only French law classes but also English law classes. We specialise in the law of countries such as the UK and the US. I could not have entered this course if I had not been in the international section before. This section prepares you to understand, speak and write in English which is now a fundamental criteria for higher education. It is essential especially if you want a career linked with international matters such as law, business, commerce etc. As a bonus, it also gave me the opportunity to find summer jobs more easily since a good level in English is sought.

Témoignage de Fiona Perret- Promotion 2018

Hi all, my name is Fiona and I’m 25 years old. I did my lycée in Sainte-Anne during the years 2015-2018 to study in the OIB section. I have many fond memories from this experience, which opened so many doors for me by giving me complete confidence in my spoken and written English, both conversationally and academically. It encouraged me to study and work abroad-I did an 8-month Erasmus in Wales at the end of my licence LLCER at the UBO and recently spent a year in Dublin as a French language assistant in an all-boys secondary school while completing my Masters research thesis in Canadian Indigenous Poetry. Being intensively taught about the English-speaking worlds from such an early stage also made me eager to travel abroad – English as a language is an amazing bridge between cultures and people!

It came in handy in all the foreign countries I was ever lucky enough to travel to: India, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland and the UK obviously, and even Spain or Portugal.

Currently, I am studying in Brest for the highly competitive Agrégation d’anglais. The teachings I received from the teachers of the OIB during my time in Sainte-Anne confirmed my early aspiration of becoming an English teacher myself. Regardless of what professional field you’re going for, I would 100% recommend the OIB!

Témoignage de Jean Le Bris – Promotion 2020

The international Section allowed me to;

• • be selected for selective bachelors (law / economy / political sciences) on parcoursup, ultimately I did law & political sciences
  • learn literary analysis skills crucial to be successful studying law + oral skills even more important to crush any interview later on
  • have a pretty good level of English, the key for my selection for a student exchange in Canada that allowed me to discover a new country, new people, just a great experience overall and opened so many professional doors (international law classes given by former WTO representatives + boosted my applications for French Business Schools)
  • have great masters options : international business law (Paris Sorbonne & Paris Dauphine) or Programme Grande École (EDHEC & EMLYON)
  • ultimately to go to EDHEC (where classes are taught in english)
  • find an internship as an international developer for energy giant EDF
  • finally get me an end-of-study double diploma (MBA) in Thailand that will certainly open many doors (international divisions of French companies or VIE) as well as being an outstanding human experience

As a whole, I would say the international section helped me greatly in becoming who I am both professionally and as a person, I definitely would not be where I am today without it. In hindsight, the most important element of it all has been the teaching approach of always insisting on the positive elements of our work, pushing us to do our best while maintaining such kindness and a great atmosphere in all classes.

Témoignage de Faustine Gambaretti – Promotion 2022

My name is Faustine, I passed the OIB with mention Très bien in 2022.

I am now in my third year of a bilingual master degree in Design and Interior Architecture in Strasbourg.

The OIB allowed me to get accepted in universities in the uk and the bilingual course I am enrolled in at the moment.

It gave me the skills and confidence I needed to open wider professional and educational doors.

It allowed me to feel confident in both written and oral expressions in professional and casual situations.

Témoignage d’Arthur d’Astorg – Promotion 2020

Hi ! I’m Arthur d’Astorg and I graduated from Sainte-Anne in 2020, so it’s now been six years since I’ve left the international section.

What I learned during my four years in the international section (from 9th to 12th grade) is still useful to me today.

I lived in the U.S. for four years when I was younger, and the international section helped me maintain, and even improve my English through the English-taught classes (literature and history-geography).

Beyond language skills, these courses offered a deep understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture, history, and ways of thinking, allowing me to approach issues from a different perspective than the French one alone. This ability to step back and consider multiple viewpoints has been especially valuable.

I am currently studying at EDHEC, where all courses are taught in English and around 35% of students are international, making English the common language. If you plan to apply to a business school, English oral exams carry significant weight. The early exposure to English oral exams in middle and high school through the international section gave me a real head start during business school admissions and helped me feel comfortable both in class and in everyday exchanges with my classmates.

I also completed a six-month internship in the French Army, where my background in English history and geopolitics helped me better understand certain Anglo-Saxon strategic choices (Monroe Doctrine, NATO/SAETO, Vietnam/Korean War, Falkland war and the Iron Lady).

Finally, the international section was also valuable on a personal level: the two other students in my EDHEC promotion from Sainte-Anne were in the international section, and the early experience with oral exams in middle and high school in English and the strong bonds created within the section have stayed with me.