When you apply for this program, you don’t really know quite what it will look like. In the lead up, I tried to find as many different blog posts as I could done by former assistants to try to get an on-the-ground perspective.
Now that I am in here, I would like to add my own take to the mix. It did not feel like an abundant resource, even looking up the various keywords that differ by country (lots of programs are just Assistant de langue or Assistant d’anglais, or the corresponding translation to English, but there is also TAPIF- Teaching Assistant Program in France, which is what the Americans use, and is very user friendly). And for those back home, here is what my basic day looks like I guess.
Scheduling
Classes in France start from 0830. (France tends to use military time.) This often means getting up in the dark during the cooler months, since the sunrise has been starting basically on the half hour.
I don’t have a set class schedule, so whether I have to be class ready by this time varies from day to day, but I have been trying to keep consistent hours and be at least vaguely functional by this time. Most language assistants, though, seem to have a set weekly or two-weekly schedule, and I would recommend opting for this if given the option. Since my classes are not regular, I get to interact with a greater number of teachers and more of the different English classes (it is a very large school, compared to what I am used to in Australia), but it does mean I am constantly going to the staff room to check what has been added to my schedule, and you don’t know when you’ll see the same class next, so it can be more difficult to plan ahead.
Class Types
There are several different types of classes that I might do in a day.
The first is the conversation class. Usually this is only with a small group of students, four at most, and we basically just chat and I ask questions to try and get them using as much of the vocab that they should have at their level (family, pets, school, hobbies, holidays). The culture of chatting in France is a little different I think, so I always begin with the caveat that they don’t have to get overly personal about it if there is anything they don’t want to talk about. I also do a few debate questions at the end, because French people seem to enjoy having something to sink their teeth into in a conversation.
As the groups have repeated, I have introduced different games or conversation starters – a favourite of mine, for example, is Deserted Island, where I present the group with about forty or so cards with various camping and survival items. They then must discuss what they think is most important from the pack and agree on a ‘top ten’. The French are not to argue their opinion so this class generally goes great!
This month (at time of posting), I ran an English language focused Escape Room with one small group I have seen a few times and it went superbly!
There is also the teacher-planned lesson, where I work inside the classroom with the main teacher, and I do whatever it is they have planned out for me to do. I have also done this same set-up, but with a small group of students. This is usually fairly easy and straight forward.
Very similar to this can be what I call a ‘presentation’ class. This is where a teacher has asked me to prepare something for the class, based on their current topic. For example, when I first arrived, I gave an Australia presentation over and over again, as a way to introduce myself, but also using the same phrases list they had been giving when making their own oral presentations about a place the week before.
I also take a lot of small group classes, often taking half of a small class and then swapping half way though the class time. This can be anywhere between three and nine students. When I know their topic, I try to tie in with that, but often the class will focus around some sort of game or competition that gets them to practice using language. The main focus of the language assistant role is to get students actually speaking, so I focus on this more than on grammar or writing. I also don’t correct every single mistake. In English language teaching for speaking there are two main areas – fluency and accuracy. When you are focusing on accuracy, then you work on correcting all the mistakes, but this tends to slow speech down considerably, and you can lose track of the conversation when you get bogged down in correcting verbs. It is an important aspect of the skill but it has to be tempered with the other area, fluency. Fluency is basically how smoothly you can speak the language – this is how quickly you can find a suitable words and generally keep the conversation going. Most native speakers can cope with accuracy errors, so having good fluency can make the conversation more natural. It also prioritises the content – letting the student know I am actually interested in what they have to say, not just that they can say it perfectly. Lots of students are very hesitant to speak, so I will often do classes focused around games.
Down Time
Between classes, I often head back to my room. I live in one of the apartments at the school, with some of the boarding students, so it is easy to just duck back between classes. Given the option, I would highly recommend this living situation. It is not fancy, I grant you, and you have a bit less personal space than some other living options available to assistants… But I know other assistants in town who have big gaps between their teaching hours but it’s not enough to do anything in-between so they end up wasting time at school. Plus, it costs like three times as much to rent independently and since the working hours are short, you don’t get paid very much doing this job. Maximise your money! Live at school if you can!
If there are people in the staff room when I go in to check my schedule, I will stop and try to join the chatter when I can, even if it’s just to listen. A lot of people do speak English with me, so it is good to practice listening in to native French when I can. Plus, sometimes people approach me with class ideas and whatnot, which can help keep my hours up and make future classes easier.
The staff room is empty a lot of the time however, so I go home. During the week, I have a decent amount of time generally to work on hobbies, call home, and study. The students are not allowed in the dorms between certain hours, so I also use this time to shower – there can be up to five other girls in this apartment, so I try not to complicate the bathroom situation by being in the way when I don’t have to be. I also use these hours to practice harmonica and listen to my music without headphones, since I don’t think they’d appreciate either of these things. I don’t have a lot of space to work, but I do have a decent amount of time, and I am trying to make the most of it.
Classes in France go until 1800 (6pm) in France, so my day could be spent ducking back and forth for hours. The sun has been setting by 5:30pm lately, which means that a lot of these kids are coming to school in the dark, and going home in the dark. I think this is very rough on teenagers.
I do more hobbies, online training (for my job back in Australia so I remain qualified), or class planning in the evenings generally. I can chose to eat at the canteen with the boarders for dinner if I like (I have a canteen card that I load money on to pay for this – this seems to be pretty standard in France). Often I just cook ahead on the weekends so I can have a bit more control over my diet. (I am not permitted to cook when the students are still on site.)
And then on the weekends I sometimes go away, and sometimes I stay in town.
It’s a very relaxed schedule, but it has been so good for me. I have hobbies again, a life again. I have the energy to actually exercise. I have the headspace to be creative again, and I’m writing not only regularly, but rather productively!
From that perspective alone, this program has been the best thing I could have asked for!
P.S. that’s right: an extra weekend post! I’m getting on top of things!