TA Exchange Program

The UVA Department of French maintains four teaching assistant exchanges, one with the University of Nice, one with the University of Provence (Aix-en-Provence), one with the University of Lyon II, and one with the University of Paris 12 - Créteil.

(Links to the application and recommendation forms can be found at the bottom of this page.)

Responsibilities

Lecteurs/lectrices work 12 hours per week as teaching assistants under the direction of faculty in the English/American section of the Faculté des Langues; they receive approximately EUR 1,200 per month in wages after taxes and other deductions, including deductions for medical insurance. Responsibilities primarily include teaching oral and reading comprehension to undergraduate students (18- to 22-year-olds) in the English and Applied Languages programs at the Licence level. As part of their twelve hours, some lecteurs/lectrices may also be required to work in the library or the language lab as receptionists or to meet with students for conversation outside of class. Lecteurs/lectrices enjoy ample time to audit other courses, pursue their own research and explore the region.

Term

Lecteurs/lectrices arrive at their institutions at the beginning or middle of September for orientation; classes begin in September or October. Lecteurs/lectrices are expected to remain at their institutions during exams in May/June, and they are paid through August.

Living Arrangements

UVA students who have served as lecteurs/lectrices in the past have compiled detailed guides to help new lecteurs/lectrices find housing. In addition, whenever possible, students currently serving as lectuers/lectrices pass their apartments on to those who will be arriving for the following year.

Special Opportunities

• Aix:
  For students interested in studying Francophone culture, Aix provides a rare resource in the form of the Archives d'Outre-Mer, which contain the archives of France's colonial history, including materials on the D.O.M.-T.O.M and on the French presence in Algeria.
• Lyon:
  Cultural and economic center of the Renaissance, home to the founders of cinema, capital of the Resistance, Lyon offers a wealth of museums and libraries for students of French culture of all periods.
• Nice:
  Nice has long been home to artists (Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Dufy, Renoir, Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse), writers (Prévert, Nietzsche, Aragon, Tolstoy, and Maupassant) and musicians (Berlioz and Bizet), and continues to be a thriving cultural center.
• Paris:
  Paris, the capital of the Republic, offers invaluable resources for students of French interested in all periods.

Application

All UVA graduate students who will have completed one year of the M.A. program (here or elsewhere) by June 2011 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students in the Department of French, but the Department has also sent students from other departments, such as History and English. Applications include an application form, a one-page statement of purpose, a current CV, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who is able to attest to the applicant's qualifications to teach English comprehension.

The Foreign Exchange Program application and recommendation forms are now available online. You can type your information in the fields provided, print and sign your application, and deliver it to 302 New Cabell Hall. The forms cannot be submitted electronically.

Foreign Exchange Application Form (.pdf, 67KB)
Letter of Recommendation Form (.pdf, 22KB)

Applications for 2012-2013 are due by 5:00 p.m., Monday, December 5, 2011. Applicants will be notified of the Department's decision by January 31, 2012.