A message from Dr. Elizabeth Blood - September 13, 2006 The French Embassy in the United States in collaboration with the French Ministry of Education offers paid teaching assistantships in France each year to American students between the ages of 20 and 34 who are about to complete or have completed a college degree and are proficient in French (3 semesters minimum, but a minor in French is better). This is a paid position for you to teach English 12 hours per week in a French school. You get health benefits plus 750 euros a month to live on. No teaching experience is necessary. If you are a graduating senior with a strong academic record and want a 6 to 9 month experience living and teaching in France, please consider applying for this amazing program! The application process is competitive, but not impossible as there are 1,700 positions to fill each year. See Prof. Blood as soon as possible for assistance in preparing your application, as the first deadline (best chance of acceptance) is December 1. More information from the www.frenchculture.org/education website: THE TEACHING ASSISTANT PROGRAM The French Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services at the French Embassy offer between 1,000 and 1,700 teaching assistant positions in French primary and secondary schools and in Instituts universitaires de formation des maîtres (IUFMs) in all regions of France and the DOM-TOMS to persons who fulfill the following requirements : You are an American citizen (or have a Green Card). If you have a Green Card, you must have spent your high school years in the United States. You are between 20 and 34 years of age as of October 1, 2007 You are currently pursuing (at least your third year of university) or have already attained a college degree You are proficient in French. Students without a major or minor in French but with a basic proficiency (about 3 semesters) in French can apply. If you have never taken classes, but lived abroad in a francophone country, this is usually considered enough French. BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM This is a unique opportunity to : -spend between 6-9 months in France with a monthly stipend -have a privileged insight into contemporary France -master the French language through linguistic immersion -gain valuable teaching experience TASKS You will be expected to teach 12 hours of English conversation classes per week. STIPEND You will be paid about 900€ each month. This means that after social security and health care are taken out, you have about 752€ a month to live on. You may not defer social security and health care costs. The stipend provides enough money to live the life-style of a typical French student. We suggest that you visit www.seloger.fr to get an idea of rent in various cities in France. A PRACTICAL TIMELINE Fall-Winter : The candidate prepares his or her application and mails it to the French Embassy in Washington D.C. before one of the three deadlines. The month of May : The candidate will receive a letter from the French Embassy in Washington D.C. about his or her acceptance. The letter will inform the student of which school district (académie) and age group they are assigned to. July, August, September (next summer): Once the assistant has received the contract (arrêté), which will specify his or her location withing the académie, he or she should contract the school for practical information. The assistant also should go to the local French consulate in the United States to obtain the visa. Mid-September (2007): AFTER THE ASSISTANT HAS OBTAINED THE VISA, the assistant may leave for France. October 1st (2007) : The assistant begins his or her assignment. Dr. Elizabeth Blood Assistant Professor Department of Foreign Languages Salem State College 352 Lafayette Street, Salem MA 01970 Office: 978-542-6867