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90%Overall
Rating

Program Description
Ratings and Reviews

Program Description

Teaching Assistant Program in France

Description

Teach English in France! Are you ready to expand your cultural horizons and share your language and culture with French students? The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers you the opportunity to work in France for 7 to 9 months, teaching English to French students of all ages. Each year, nearly 1,500 American citizens and permanent residents teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion. * What Do Assistants Do? Assistants are assigned a 12-hour per week teaching schedule that may be divided among up to three establishments. Classes are conducted in English. The teaching assistant may conduct all or part of a class, typically leading conversations in English. Duties may include serving as a resource person in conversation groups, providing small group tutorials, and giving talks related to American studies in English classes. Assignments vary depending on the schools needs, the assistants abilities, and the educational level to which he or she is assigned (elementary or secondary).

Interview with Roni Weiss, TAP-Lyon alum

GO: Why did you decide to teach abroad with Teaching Assistant Program in France?

Roni: I had taught at English immersion camps in France and had met a lot of people who either had done the Teaching Assistant Program or were going to. My two main reasons were: to learn (more) French and to see if I would enjoy teaching in public schools.

Roni trying Frog Legs for the first time

GO: What made teaching abroad a unique and special experience?

Roni: In this program, you are limited to 12 hours a week of work. This allows you to do a lot of things outside of the job, whatever you might want that to be. I took the opportunity to traverse a great deal of Europe during my vacations. You also are able to legally work additional hours, so I got a second job at an English language institute.

Roni and friends having a crepe party

GO: How has this experience impacted your future?

Roni: Being in France made it so I actually can speak French now. It has helped my travels, being able to understand Francophones all over the world. I also realized from this experience that I didn't want to teach in public schools. So I ended up getting out of it exactly what I wanted.

Further Information

Degree Level:

Bachelors Degree

Experience Required:

Languages Learned/Spoken:

English, French

Travel Arrangements:

Participants Travel to France Independently

Application Process:

Essay, Letters of Reference, Online Application plus Application Assessment, Physical Exam/Health Records, Transcript

Ratings and Reviews

44 of 76 people found this review helpful

Teaching in France changed my life!

90%

Overall Rating

90%Overall
Rating

I had studied abroad in Grenoble during college and when I left, I knew I had to go back after graduation no matter what. I fortunately found out about being an English Teaching Assistant just weeks before graduation, applied and was accepted about a month later to teach elementary school students in a small town outside of Lyon called Vienne. It was AMAZING!! I had no idea what I was doing at first as I had no teaching experience but I love kids. I was amazed how much I learned about myself and what I could do when I put my mind to it. I even created small quizzes for my students so they could see how much they'd learned as well. In addition to the challenges and benefits of teaching, I made life-long friends. The woman who was assigned to be my contact person in town is now my "French Mom" who I keep in touch with still, 10 years later, and who I know will be in my life forever. There were other assistants in the same town who I still talk to as well. One other American and I made a pact while there to only speak French together so that we could immerse ourselves as best as possible. We still only speak French together! While we didn't get paid all that much to teach there, the experience I had and the relationships I made are things I would never take back. It truly shaped me and made me into the person I am today!

Submitted by abooth77 on 10/18/2011

Reviewer's Bio: Female | Age: 31-50 | Chicago, IL | Pro Traveler | University of Wisconsin, Madison

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Program Info

Country:

France

City(s):

Paris, Montpellier, Nice, Lyon, Rural Areas

Length of Position:

6-12 months

Salary / Benefits:

Teaching assistants receive a gross monthly salary of 952.45 euros from which deductions for mandatory health insurance and French social security are taken, resulting in a net salary of roughly 780 euros (approximately USD 1,013). The stipend provides enough money to live the lifestyle of a typical French student. Teaching Assistants do not receive any additional support for travel to France or to support dependents. Personal funds are needed for the initial period of the grant.