This article was written by Kate Chandler, published on 11th June 2021.
The British Council Placement
Before
A key thing to bear in mind when applying for a placement with the British Council is that although you get the opportunity to put your preferences (such as what age group you would like to teach, what kind of area/region you would like to live in) it is unlikely that you will get all these first choices. This leaves an element of risk about where you’ll end up, which is worth being aware of. However, there can be ways of working around this. When I found out that I had been placed to work in primary schools in a small village-like area I was pretty nervous as the thought of living in such a small area seemed very lonely! However, I decided to live instead in a near(ish!) city and have a slightly lengthy bus ride to work, this worked out really well. In the runup to my departure, the British Council gave me the contact of a French teacher at one of the schools I would work at, it turned out to be quite difficult to get hold of them and to figure out details. However, once I arrived and met the staff in person it all fell into place and was much more straightforward communicating face to face than by email.
During
Although technically the British Council role is that of an ‘English Language Assistant’, I was expected (and this was the case for most other Assistants I know) to teach the English classes myself. This felt very daunting at the start, however it turned out to be so much fun and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do so! I taught primary school age, so my lessons involved lots of songs and games! Preparing and delivering lessons independently can feel challenging, I personally found that it was important to develop good relationships with the teachers at the schools by letting them know that I was keen for feedback and guidance and asking them for help when I needed it. I also found it beneficial to sit in the staff room with the other teachers at lunchtime. Although this sometimes felt a bit awkward as I couldn’t understand everything they were talking about, it was a great opportunity to show them that I wanted to join in. In one of my schools we started bringing in French and English desserts to share on a Monday lunchtime which was fun!
Living in France
I found moving to France challenging, but very rewarding. For me, getting to know people and engaging with the local community really helped me feel more settled. I loved being part of the young people’s group at a French church, joining a choir and getting to know the neighbours in my apartment building. It felt scary ‘putting myself out there’ but in the long run it was so helpful. It’s very normal to feel lonely and a bit overwhelmed at times when living in a new country, if you’re about to head off on your year abroad my advice would be to just keep on going, take it one day (or one hour if that’s easier!) at a time. Whatever the ups and downs of your experience, there will be so much to treasure from it.
Languages Year Abroad (Uni of York) 