Details of my program

So here is the basic info on the program I am involved with:

THE PROGRAM

The French Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services at the French Embassy offer approximately 1,500 teaching assistant positions in French primary and secondary schools as well as in various French teaching colleges – otherwise known as the “Instituts universitaires de formation des maîtres (IUFM) – in all regions of France and the DOM-TOMS. This program allows schools all over France to benefit from your English speaking skills. This means that some assistants may be placed in an urban setting, others in a suburban setting, and still others in a rural setting.

I am placed with a primary school in Frontignan, France which is within the Montpellier school district.


BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM

This is a unique opportunity to:

- spend between 6-9 months in France with a monthly stipend,
- have a privileged insight into contemporary France,
- master the French language through linguistic immersion,
- gain valuable teaching experience.


TASKS

You will be expected to teach 12 hours of English conversation classes per week.

DATES

Contracts vary from 7 - 9 months. My contract is from Oct 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009.


Here is their website link if you are really ambitious:
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?rubrique424&tout=ok

The Location - Montpellier, France & Frontignan, France

These are just a couple major locations so you know where I will be. In red are major city points that you might recognize... Paris, Marseille, Barcelona. In green is the major city-region that I am attached to (Montpellier).



Here is a more specific location. I am stationed to work in a primary school in Frontignan, France which is about 15 miles from Montpellier, France.


You can always, of course, Google Map these locations and check them out for yourself. I just like playing with pictures.

The trip to France

Flight 1
United Airlines • Flight UA 637

Departure: Sunday 14-Sep-2008 01:20 pm
Airport: Grand Rapids-GRR, MI, US
Arrival: Sunday 14-Sep-2008 01:18 pm Local time
Airport: Chicago-Ohare, IL, US


Flight 2
Lufthansa German Airlines • Flight LH 9153

Departure: Sunday 14-Sep-2008 02:27 pm
Airport: Chicago-Ohare, IL, US
Arrival: Monday 15-Sep-2008 05:45 am Local time
Airport: Frankfurt, Germany

Flight 3
Flight: Lufthansa German Airlines • Flight LH 4350

Departure: Monday 15-Sep-2008 08:10 am
Airport: Frankfurt, Germany
Arrival: Monday 15-Sep-2008 09:45 am Local time
Airport: Marseille, FR

After I arrive in France, I will be picked up by our old exchange student Laurent. I will stay with his family (wife and 2 little kids) for a day or two and then he offered to drive me to Montpellier.

Here is a pic of Laurent and his family.