Deadline: 1 January 2011
Open to: US citizens or holders of a U.S. Green Card between 20 and 30 years old and excellent command of French
Stipend: approximately €960/month
The Teaching Assistant Program in France is a joint initiative of the French Ministry of Education, the Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP) and the Cultural Services Department of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. Its goal is to strengthen English-language instruction in the French educational system through the establishment of a native speaker presence. The program also provides future teachers of French in the United States with excellent teaching experience and first-hand knowledge of French language and culture.
DUTIES
Assistants are assigned a 12-hour per week teaching schedule that may be divided among up to three schools. 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 school’s needs, the assistant’s abilities, and the educational level to which he or she is assigned.
PROGRAM DURATION
Three different contracts are available. All contracts begin October 1st. 7-month contracts end April 30th. 9-month contracts end June 30th.
• Elementary School (7 months) – Children aged 8-11 years old. Assistant organizes oral activities on his or her own with small groups, or works alongside the teacher with the entire class present. Good level of French required.
• Elementary School (9 months) – Children aged 8-11 years old. Assistant is the sole English educator. Assistant teaches classes on his or her own and develops all lesson plans following national curriculum. Ideal for candidates aspiring to acquire elementary teaching or language teaching experience. Very good level of French required.
• Secondary School (7 months) – Students aged 11-18 years old. Assistant serves as a resource person in conversation groups, provides small group tutorials, facilitates English-language clubs, or works alongside the teacher with the entire class present. No prior teaching experience necessary. Proficient level of French required.
LOCATION AND PLACEMENT
Assistants are placed in school districts across metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. Applicants may request the Académie (school district) in which they would like to be placed, however assignment to the region of choice is not guaranteed. The number of teaching positions available in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nice, Montpellier and Grenoble is very limited and placement in these regions is highly competitive. Applicants should be prepared to accept teaching positions in smaller communities.
STIPEND
Teaching assistants receive a gross monthly salary of approximately €960. Mandatory deductions for health insurance and French social security are taken, resulting in a net monthly salary of roughly €780 (approximately $1,013). Due to the higher cost of living in the overseas departments, assistants placed in these Académies receive an additional salary allowance of 30% to 35%. The stipend provides enough money to live the lifestyle of a typical French student. 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 contract.
ELIGIBILITY
• CITIZENSHIP: Candidates must be American citizens or foreign nationals in possession of a U.S. Green Card. Foreign nationals with a Green Card may only apply if they are nationals of one of these countries. French nationals and French-American dual citizens are not eligible to apply.
• AGE: Candidates must be between 20 and 30 years old on the start date of the program (October 1)
• EDUCATION: Candidates must have completed at least two years of higher education by the beginning of the program.
• BACKGROUND: Candidates must have completed the majority of their elementary, secondary and university studies in the United States.
• LANGUAGE SKILLS: Proficiency in French is required (minimum level of B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). French majors and minors are encouraged to apply. Candidates who do not have a major or minor in French may apply if they have developed at least a basic proficiency ( 3 college semesters) in French and/or lived abroad in a Francophone country.
HOW TO APPLY
The application for the 2011-2012 program is now available!
Application Deadline: January 1, 2011.
More info on the official webpage.
