Becoming a foreign language assistant in France

Spotlight on the language assistant position

Being a foreign language assistant in France means sharing your culture and language, while improving your French.

Your tasks: more than just an assistant

You aren’t the same teacher the kids see every single day. You are young and from somewhere else: for the pupils, you’re a new face! Your “outsider” position will probably facilitate bonding with the students. A language assistant is expected to get the conversation going and encourage pupils to practice speaking in the language they are learning. No need to perfectly master traditional teaching methods: language assistants are welcome to get off the beaten track. For instance, you might be asked to lead a language club, participate in various educational activities, or be left completely free to suggest new projects and get them under way. Your energy and creativity are the keys to success.

Your working conditions

Whether you are teaching English, Spanish, German or any other language, working conditions are basically the same for all foreign language assistants in France. Your pupils’ age is really what can make one work experience so different from another. You may be assigned to either secondary or primary schools: you obviously won’t catch the interest of an 8-year-old using an approach geared to a 17-year-old. An assistant’s stay in France lasts 7 months, from October 1st until April 30th (assistants who teach German may also be offered a 6-month assignment). All assistants work 12 hours per week, and get about two weeks off every two months or so. The monthly salary reaches approximately €800 after deductions.

Don’t expect to get a student job abroad without having a bit of money set aside first. Language assistants have to cope with travel and accommodation expenses on their own. Registration in the French Social Security scheme, which will cover part of your healthcare costs, is compulsory for language assistants.  Remember to include the costs of an international student insurance plan in your budget: this way, you will have access to full medical cover, as well as repatriation and personal liability cover.

Who can apply to be a language assistant?

Countries involved in the programme

Even though dominant languages like English and Spanish are more prevalent, many different languages may be taught in French schools. Students from 68 countries may apply for a foreign language assistant position in France. Be aware that the number of available positions per country varies every year, and can be very different from one country to another.

• Is English your mother tongue? Students from South Africa, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, United States of America, India, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Trinidad and Tobago can work in France as language assistants.

• Would you like to teach German? France welcomes assistants from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

• Eager to help children learn Spanish? If you’re from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, or Venezuela, you may become a language assistant in France.

• Do you speak Arabic, Portuguese, or another language? The programme also is open to students from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Palestinian Autonomous Areas & East Jerusalem, Brazil, Portugal, China, Israel, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Requirements you must meet

Are you a citizen of one of the listed countries? Make sure you also meet the eligibility criteria. You can become a foreign language assistant in France if:

• you are between 20 and 35 years old;

• you are enrolled in a university in your country at the time of application, with exceptions for some countries;

• you have successfully completed studies equivalent to the second year of the French Licence (L2);

• you already have a good knowledge of French (B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Bear in mind some countries might also have some additional specific rules.

Steps to getting the job

Get some real work experience you’ll be proud to display on your resume, while enjoying plenty of free time to make the most of your visit to France: becoming a language assistant seems like the perfect student job abroad. So how do you land the job?

To find out about the recruitment procedures and the campaign dates for each school year, you should consult the website of the recruiting agent in your country of origin, as specified by France Education International. The application process generally involves the following steps:

• Complete the foreign language assistant in the relevant online application; 

• Gather all the requested documents: a copy of your most recent transcript and its French translation, teacher appraisals, a copy of the identification pages of your passport, a copy of your birth certificate, etc.

• Submit your application;

• If your application has been accepted, you will receive a notice of appointment specifying where you have been appointed.

• If you are from a country outside the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a long-stay visa.

Becoming a foreign language assistant in France might take a while, but you’ll forget all about the paperwork once you head back home fluent in French!

To find out more about this student job abroad:

Do you have the required competence in French? Take a look at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).