From Student to Teacher: My Alternative Year Abroad Experience

When I had envisioned my year abroad, I had always dreamt of going to study in a big city. Studying French meant I only had the choice of French-speaking cities, but I still had an amazing set of options including Paris, Bordeaux and Geneva, to name only a few. Yet, I could never quite put my finger on exactly where I wanted to go, and the idea of studying in a French-speaking university was becoming increasingly more daunting.

Then, I went to a year abroad talk by the French department where they outlined that we actually had a choice outside of studying – we could also either find our own work placement, or we could teach through the British Council.

It was then that it clicked. I had been having a hard time at the start of my second year at Edinburgh, with endless deadlines and academic pressures. Frankly, I was struggling to keep up. So, to have the choice to spend in year in France, doing something other than studying was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

Finding my own work placement also seemed daunting, and I already had some teaching experience, so I decided to apply through the British Council to be an English Language Assistant in primary schools. We had to put three choices of regions in order of our preference. I chose Montpellier as my first choice, the area of Bordeaux/Poitiers/Limoges as my second and Paris as my third. I had high hopes of living it up in Montpellier, a coastal city in the south of France. So, you could say that when I found out I had been placed in the region of Poitiers, and, at that, in a small town about an hour away from the city of Poitiers by car, I was somewhat disappointed.

I had no idea what to expect before I came here. I had never lived somewhere quite as small as Thouars, and I knew I would only be working 12 hours a week so I wondered what I would do to occupy my time. I wondered if I would be able to make any friends, and how I would get on communicating in French 24/7.

But, knowing that I didn’t much control over the situation, I decided to change my perspective. I realised I suddenly had time – real, uninterrupted time – which was something I hadn’t had in years. I work Mondays and Tuesdays, but the rest of the week is occupied with slow mornings, endless pastries, day trips around France (and even European holidays!). I even got to turn 21 in Paris with my best friends, something I would never had had the time to do if I had chosen to study.

And the children I teach, well, they’ve made everything worth it. They’re energetic, patient, and hilarious, and, even at 6 years old, they correct me on my French! And seeing what they’ve learnt in English is so cool – just last week with my class of 7–9-year-olds, they came up with 100 words they had learnt in English this year! If you have ever had an interest in teaching, I would wholeheartedly recommend applying to teach through the British Council. They have placements all around the world, from as far as Guadeloupe and Argentina to nearer-by countries like France and Spain. And for some placements, such as in Spain, you don’t even need to speak the language.

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  The sunrise over my school

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  The Thouars Christmas market

So, what would my advice be for all students who are applying, preparing for or even on their year abroad?

1. If you think you need a break from studying, look into working. It might seem daunting, especially as most of your friends will choose to study, but I promise it will allow to grow so much as a person. And if one of the goals for your year abroad is to improve a language, working will without a doubt allow you to do that.

2. Don’t have too many expectations. As I said, I had big dreams of city-living and beach days, and although I’m sure that would’ve been amazing, my small-town experience has been incredible for my French, and for my confidence.

3. When you get there, say YES to everything. I have had so many cool experiences this year, which I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t had the chance to go on a year abroad. I have visited 2 new countries, at least 7 new cities in Europe and Africa, I turned 21 in Paris, and most of all I’ve made memories that I know I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Looking back, I realise how much I needed this change of pace. What started as uncertainty, and even disappointment, has turned into one of the most rewarding experiences I could have had. If you have the choice, take the year abroad, I promise, you won’t regret it!