International
ERASMUS
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Firstly, the ERASMUS mobility is probably the mobility which is the best known by students. To have more information about it, please click here.
Léa tells you about her semester as an ERASMUS student at the University of Valencia here, while Cyrielle tells you about her ERASMUS experience at the University of Birmingham here.
"Assistanat" and "lectorat"
Apart from Erasmus +, there are other ways to go and live an experience in a foreign country, by being either a native speaker assistant in secondary education (what we call "assistanat" in France) or in higher education ("lectorat"). These are positions that allow you to improve your skills in a foreign language by immersing yourselves in its culture and by integrating a foreign educational institution. To do this, the student in question will become a representative of the French language and culture and will contribute to exchanges with teachers and students.
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Often, the person will maintain his student status while being remunerated (by grants) for his work as a French "assistant" or "lecteur" and will be exempt from tuition fees.
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To be eligible for the "assistant" program, you have to be: a student from a country participating in the program, regularly enrolled in a French university, holder of a diploma that can lead to a teaching career. Also, applicants must have completed the second year of their undergraduate degree and have never been employed as teachers of the target language.
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If you are interested in teaching French, the position of "lecteur" is a possibility for you to go abroad as a teaching assistant if you have at least an undergraduate degree or are enrolled in the first year of a Master’s degree for some destinations. A "lecteur" is a person whose mother tongue is French, and who teaches his mother tongue at university to students of different years for about one year. The English degree offers its students paid positions of "lecteurs" in Anglo-Saxon universities, in Great Britain and in the United States. "Lectorat" is a good solution to mix learning teaching with the experience of being abroad, which can provide you with new skills.
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To be eligible for the "lectorat" program, you have to: have finished the first year of a Master's degree. Priority will most often be given to candidates who can attest of a FLE diploma.
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Note: To be "lecteurs" or "assistants," you must prepare in advance. Start doing your research at least a year before your departure.
The specific cases of the USA and Canada
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The United States and Canada are very popular destinations, yet they are not included in the ERASMUS+ program. If you want to go to these destinations you will have to go through other organizations, contact schools, or organize everything yourself.
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Canada: you can go through the Quebec Student Exchange Program (PQÉÉ) of the BCI (not managed by the department) for international students who want to study in Quebec.
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The United States: Some years, universities get partnerships and have the possibility to send several of their students to study in different states of the USA. Thanks to the University of Lorraine and the LCE department, it is possible to participate in an exchange with Wisconsin and Ball State Universities. In this case, you will have to take into account the important administrative part (TOEFL, Visa, health insurance, plane tickets, etc.) and the cost of it all.
Other possibilities
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If you want to live an experience abroad you can, on your own, consider these options:
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Work abroad: au pair, internships, Civic service, European Voluntary Service, Work Holiday Visa (Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
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Take a gap year: you have to fill in a document for your establishment in order to officially take a gap year
To sum up
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By being students in foreign languages, you will be privileged and often encouraged to carry out at least one experience in a foreign country. This is a unique and very rewarding opportunity for your professional and personal life.