This post will hopefully shine some light on my move to France, and how it came about.
Bonjour à tous and welcome to my new blog! With a bunch of new adventures heading my way, I have decided to create a new blog (separate from my old study abroad and travel blogs) to share, and log, my adventures. Thus, Traveler Perdu was born!
Ever since I announced that I would be moving to France in September to teach English, my parents and I have received a flood of questions. I decided the perfect way to start my blog would be by consolidating your FAQ’s and answering all of them in one post! So allons-y, let’s get started!
What is the TAPIF program?
The Teaching Assistant Program In France, or TAPIF, is a program that hires native English speakers from the U.S. and Canada to teach English in France. Known as Assistants de langue, TAPIF participants work with the Centre international d’études pédagogique (CIEP), to teach English to French students in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. To qualify for the program, you must be between 20-35 years old, have at least 3 years of post-high school education, be a native English speaker, and be proficient in French. Additionally, it is encouraged (but not required) to be certified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL certificate).
What was the application process like?
Applications open in early October every year, and close the following January. In addition to filling out the online application I needed to provide my university transcripts, a professional recommendation, prove that my level of French was above a B2 (for me, this was simply a letter of recommendation from my French professor), and write a 500 word essay in French describing why I would be a good fit for the program.
Since I had previously applied, this year’s application process was easier to organize and complete. I submitted my application well before the January 15th deadline, and the waiting game began.
The application deadline ended up being extended through the beginning of May this year, and results were due in April. As you could guess, this whole time I was anxious to know my results.
When April finally arrived, I received the notification that I was waitlisted…again. Not going to lie, I was extremely bummed. I was waitlisted the previous year, and ultimately did not make the cut, thus I was worried that history was about to repeat itself. Much to my elated surprise, I received an acceptance Email on May 10th, stating that I was accepted to teach in L’academie de Orléans-Tours!!
(An Academie is the French equivalent of a school district)
Where will you be living?
I am not 100% sure yet! I am still waiting for my arrêté de nomination (work contract) to arrive; it is due sometime this month or the next. My arrêté de nomination will include all of the necessary information needed for my visa, including what city and school I have been assigned to. I know that I will be placed somewhere in the Orléans-Tours academic region, and I have included a map below for your reference.
Image source: http://frenchhighereducation.org/teaching-assistant-program/prospective-applicants)
Are you concerned about the political climate and safety of France?
Non, pas de tout. I try my best to stay out of politics and political banter on social media, and I won’t be diving too deep in this response. In reality, France is no more dangerous than the U.S. I am not worried about the political climate, nor my personal safety, at all. If you’re still concerned about topics such as these, feel free to reach out to me in private and I can discuss my research findings with you in further detail.
Traveler Perdu 