Gap year as language assistant France?

[MakingProgress2022]

Is this even still possible?

Dd is 16. She has her heart set on spending a pre-uni gap year in France, working as a language assistant in a school ( inspired by family friend who did this years ago.)

I’ve googled but all the schemes seem to be aimed at uni students. Dd will be pre-uni ( wants to study French).

Post - Brexit, is this even possible? And are there any routes we could try? Feel so out of touch with it all.

She could ask her teacher about etwinning. It’s a scheme where schools get funding for exchanges. Erasmus has gone so that funding route is dead. There may be schemes, definitely worth asking her teachers, but the usual route is, as you say, students on their year out. Does she have any contacts in France?

If school doesn't work out she should consider going as an au pair. I know someone who did this in her gap year and had a great time.

School teaching may be unrealistic. Apart from the fact that schools already have links to British Unis, when I did this there was very little support/interest from the French teachers in what we taught or how we were getting on. All the assistants I knew were left to sink or swim, and we were about 2/3 years older than your DD. There are better ways of getting a year in France, as other PP have suggested.

I think she'll have to wait until she's at university too. But could she do a couple of language courses instead? Six weeks in the summer isn't as good as a year, but it would be great preparation for A level and then during her A level and there would (I think) be no visa worries as it's less than the 90 days in 180 days.

Also get her to contact Alliance Francaise and Insitut Francais in London and ask them if they have any ideas beyond summer language courses. Even before Brexit it wasn't easy for that age group though.

www.alliancefrancaise.london/

www.institut-francais.org.uk/

A mate of mine did few months in France working in a PGL-type campsite. She was around 16/17 at the time, but I don’t know if times have changed and it’s the sort of thing they hire 18+ for now. She helped kids with the activities and did grunt work around the campsite, and came back with lots of stories. Might be worth a look if she wants to work with kids.

I would think that they wouldn't hire children (under 18) these days, plus Brexit will make it difficult. Contact the Allianz as suggested and see if they arrange student exchanges I would think.

Try www.bluestamptravel.com/ I think 3 months is then maximum they offer but she could combine this with a few other things to fill the year.

I wouldn’t do this, I think it would be hard to meet people and make friends outside of a university placement type arrangement. I had lots of friends that this this but in 3rd year of uni. I didn’t fancy it and chose to study at a French uni instead. (Loved it)

Could you afford to send her on a language course for the summer - -4-6 weeks? That’s a great way of spending time in France.

Does she have an EU passport? Otherwise she is only allowed to enter the EU for 90 days on a tourist visa and has no right to work. She would need an employer to sponsor a work visa for her. This also applies to au pair/private tutor jobs.

There are still schemes to allow University students to act as teaching assistants as part of their courses but these are managed by the universities.

I did this but it was mid way through my degree so all arranged through the Uni.

A friend's daughter is going to France as an au pair for her gap year. Paperwork has been a bit tricky due to Brexit but the family has sponsored her visa.

Thank you so much to you all. It sounds like it is going to be tricky.

I’ll contact the Alliance and Institute, and bluestamp - thank you so much for those suggestions. She will be 18 when she goes, nonEU passport sadly.

If those don’t come off then we can look at language courses for her and as you say, a few things to fill the year…I just wondered if any schemes were still running.

Thankyou so much again

You could also have a look at this. I thought maybe it had gone by the wayside due to Brexit and also covid, but it's still operating: www.lingoo.com/en/homestay-family-france

I am writing to advise that daughter of my ladyfriend who has been studying in Germany, was invited to spend a gap year at the University of Nantes in France.
She has not received any help from the University authorities concerning Accommodation, grants or related matters to assist in settling down.
This does nothing to enhance France's reputation in welcoming Foreign Gap Year Students.
It has caused a lot of stress to her and her family.
Is there anything that can be done at this late stage?