Teaching English in France

Practical Information

Where is Montaigu?

Montaigu [Mont-ee-goo] is a relatively small town in the department of Vendée, in West France. It is a thirty minute train journey South of Nantes and is surrounded by countryside in which the local government organisation Syndicat Mixte Montaigu-Rocheservière operates.

Pedagogic topics

The following topics are featured in the primary school syllabus*:

*These topics are valid at the time of publication but are flexible based upon the ideas of current and future stagiaires taking part in the scheme. Therefore, new topic ideas will be readily considered if proposed.

Lycée/collège: As already stated, this is generally set by the teacher responsible for the class; but for the Euro-classes, the broad topic areas are :

2nde:

• The European Union
  (geography, history, basic bodies, group presentations)
• Liverpool
  (history, geography, general information)
• The Industrial Revolution in Britain
  (and group presentations of key Industrial Revolution cities)

1ère:

• Social Changes in Britain 1900-1945
  (The Labour Party, The Parliament Act, The People’s Budget, Trade Unions, Universal Suffrage, Social reforms, Irish Home Rule)
• The Wall Street Crash
  (The Roaring Twenties, The Crash 1929, The Great Depression)
• The Second World War
  (group presentations of key figures from the period)

Terminale:

• (to be confirmed)

Documentation

On being accepted by the Syndicat Mixte you will need the following documents to take part in the scheme:

• A valid passport.
• A medical certificate provided by your family GP certifying your aptitude for the course.
• An original A4 birth certificate or certified copy including your parents’ names (Photocopies not accepted).
• A European Health Insurance Card (obtainable from the Post Office).

On being accepted by the Syndicat Mixte you will be sent and need to complete:

• All copies of the training course agreement in French and English signed by you and your last educational establishment with their official stamp.
• Board and lodging agreement signed and dated.
• Signed parent/guardian responsibility form.
• “Profil de stagiaire anglais” giving general details about yourself.

On arrival in France you will need to:

• Obtain your “responsibilité civile” (third party insurance)
• Buy a French sim card if you want to make cheaper calls and send texts.

The schools

Students will work in many “private” schools. This doesn’t mean private schools as we think of them in the UK. As France is secular, parents who want their children to go to a school with a religious background, can pay a relatively small financial supplement for their children to attend a private, Catholic school, as opposed to of a secular state school. In reality there is little difference in quality of education or curriculum.

Schools in which the Syndicat Mixte Montaigu-Rocheservière operate:

Secondary schools:

• Lycée Jean d’Arc, Montaigu
• College Villebois Mareuil, Montaigu

Primary schools (Those schools not marked private are state schools):

Personal affairs

What to take to France (recommended by past and present stagiaires!):

• Recipe book (Prove to your host families that some English people can cook, and bluff it if you can’t.)
• USB key (Especially useful if you want to avoid bringing a laptop but need important files.)
• Watch (In lessons, time management is key!)
• Photos (Look at teaching themes for ideas on what photos to take.)
• Euros (Your first pay cheque will be at the end of October, and you will need to spend money beforehand. 100 euros is usually sufficient.)
• Lesson props (These alone could fill two suitcases. Be selective, talk with the other stagiaires before coming and follow the lesson themes.)
• An MP3 player and optional portable speakers (Excellent for playing your own music without having to take your whole CD collection on the Eurostar.)
• Camera
• Presents for host families (Food, drink, mint coins, posters, china mugs and beer glasses tend to be popular gifts.)
• Diary (To immortalise moments of laughter and tears.)
• Musical instrument (Didjeridoos, harmonicas, native American flutes and trumpets have all been done in the past and are usually well worth the extra stress on the Eurostar, even if you’re not an expert!)
• Umbrella (Kill two birds with one stone: Embrace the British stereotype and keep dry in the wet, wet winters.)
• Dictionary and grammar book (It’s a myth or at least rare that you’ll return from your gap year speaking fluent French, but having these little books will be invaluable in improving your language.)
• Small vocabulary notebook (Have it in your back pocket with a pen at the ready, it may become your new best friend.)
• Driving licence (If you have one.)
• English birthday cards (Much more popular than French cards for host families!)
• Mobile phone (unlocked and ready to accept a French sim card)
• Paperback books (When you’ve had enough of French politics talk shows and le Petit Prince, a classic English novel can be a good way to get away from it all.)
• Alarm clock (You’ll probably be able to borrow one off your host family, but either way you’ll need one to make the dawn chorus starts.)
• Appropriate clothes (The Vendéens have the tendency to avoid dressing up at every occasion. Therefore it’s likely that the tie/stilettos/bowler hat you plan on bringing will gather dust in your French cupboard for the full nine months that you’re here. Keeping it casual at home and in the classroom has been the inclination of many past stagiaires.)