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.

The sunrise over my school

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!