Foreign Exchange Programs

The UVA Department of French maintains three teaching assistant exchanges, one with the University of Nice, one with the University of Provence (Aix-en-Provence), one with the University of Lyon II, and one with L'Université de Paris 12 - Créteil.

(Links to application form and recommendation form at the bottom of this page)

 Responsibilities

Lecteurs/lectrices work 12 hours per week as teaching assistants under the direction of faculty in the
English/American section of the Faculté des Langues; they receive approximately EUR 1,200 per month
after all taxes and other deductions, including medical insurance. Responsibilities primarily include teaching oral and
reading comprehension to first- to fourth-year students (18- to 22-year-olds) in the English and Applied Languages
programs at the DEUG (Diplôme d'Études Universitaires Générales) and Licence levels. Some lecteurs/lectrices
may also be required to work in the library or language lab as receptionists or to meet with students for conversation
outside of class as part of their twelve hours. Lecteurs/lectrices enjoy ample time to audit other courses, pursue their
own research and explore the region.

 Term

Lecteurs/lectrices arrive at their institutions at the beginning or middle of September for orientation; classes begin in
September or October. Lecteurs/lectrices are expected to remain at their institutions during exams in May-June, and
are paid through August.

 Living Arrangements

UVA students who have served as lecteurs/lectrices in the past have compiled detailed guides to help new
lecteurs/lectrices find housing. Whenever possible, students pass their apartments on to the lecteur/lectrice for the
following year.

 Special Opportunities

• Aix:
  For students interested in working on Francophone culture, Aix provides a rare opportunity in the form of the
  Archives d'Outre-Mer, which contain the archives of France's colonial history, including materials on the D.O.M.-T.O.M and on the French presence in Algeria.
• Lyon:
  Cultural and economic center of the Renaissance, home to the founders of cinema, capital of the Resistance, Lyon offers a wealth of museums and libraries for students of French culture of all periods.
• Nice:
  Nice has long been home to artists (Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Dufy, Renoir, Picasso, Chagall, Matisse), writers (Prévert, Nietzsche, Aragon, Tolstoy, Maupassant) and musicians (Berlioz and Bizet), and continues to be a thriving cultural center.
• Paris:
  Paris, the capital of the Republic, offers invaluable resources for students of French interested in all periods.

 Application

All UVA graduate students who will have completed one year of the M.A. program (here or elsewhere) by June 2008 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students in the Department of French, but the Department has sent students from other departments, such as History and English, in the past. Applications include an application form , a one-page statement of purpose, a current CV, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who is able to attest to the applicant's qualifications to teach English comprehension.

The Foreign exchange program application and recommendation form are now available online. You can type your information in the fields provided, print your application, sign it and deliver it to 302 Cabell Hall. The forms cannot be submitted electronically.

     Foreign Exchage Application Form
     Letter of Recommendation Form

Applications for 2009-2010 are due by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 3, 2008. Applicants will be notified of the Department's decision by January 15, 2008.