Department of French
The Year Abroad: information for current Part IB students
You should begin to think about how you will spend your Year Abroad as early as possible, and certainly by the Michaelmas term of your second year.
A Faculty meeting will be organized at the beginning of Michaelmas term to cover basic information and you should make it a priority to attend.
In the middle of Michaelmas term the Year Abroad Office will organize a more specific meeting for students wishing to study in France or Francophone countries. Past students are invited to this meeting to report on their experiences and they and the Year Abroad representatives in French will be happy to answer your questions. You must turn in your preliminary plans on how you will spend the year to the Year Abroad Office by 1 December.
Each of the following has a role to play in helping you arrange your Year Abroad experience:
College
Director of Studies and Tutor
- Gives preliminary advice and ongoing pastoral support
- Keeps students' files
Faculty
Year Abroad Officer and Secretary
French Year Abroad Advisers
- Offers general advice & help
- Administers formal University permission
- Disburses University money
- Keeps records on all student experiences
- Organizes Briefing day for Assistants
- Keeps files on jobs & study for consultation by students
Career Service
Career Advisers
- Holds details on employment opportunities abroad
- Organizes, with Year Abroad Office, the VSO scheme
There are three major ways in which to spend a year abroad:
As an English-Language Assistant
This is administered by the Education and Training Group of the British Council (formerly the Central
Bureau) and the application forms are distributed to Directors of Studies. It is possible to find
placements in France, DOM/TOM overseas locations, Belgium, Switzerland, Québec,
Sénégal, and several other African countries. Placements are generally in primary and
secondary schools. Students can request countries and are offered some choices of cities and towns
within those countries but you must be open to accepting placements in sites other than those which
you have indicated as preferences.
Studying at a foreign university
The only requirement is that the courses be offered in the language in which you are specializing.
This means that you can choose from among a large number of universities and a wide range of fields of
study. It may even be possible to complete a licence degree during the year. The Year Abroad
Office keeps files on past students' experiences and it is advisable to read some of the reports done
on the universities in which you are interested. For study in France, you must now submit one
application only, to the University of your choice. An application form can be obtained from the
French Embassy but copies will normally be sent either directly to Directors of Studies or to the Year
Abroad Office in January. Application deadlines are usually in March.
Employment
It is possible to do Voluntary Service (VSO) in Africa or to seek job placement in a country in which
French is the primary language. This latter possibility must be arranged yourself but the Careers
Service and Year Abroad Offices maintain files on companies that have indicated a willingness to take
on an intern as well as reports on past students' experiences.
Other Sources of Information
The Year Abroad office keeps copies of the Students Living Abroad Guide, an important source of general information that should be consulted. The French government's handbook, Je vais en France 2001 is extremely useful as well and provides specific information on individual universities and such topics as banking, working and traveling in France. It is also available on the web: see below.The best source for all sorts of information is the Year Abroad Office©s web page. It is
updated frequently and provides links to a wide range of informational sources.
Year Abroad web site
Je vais en France
Information on studying in France:
www.edufrance.fr
www.egide.asso.fr
www.education.gouv.fr
www.letudiant.fr
www.onisep.fr
What else must be done before you leave
Be prepared for bureaucratic nightmares. These can sometimes be alleviated by:
- Carrying with you several small pictures (head shots) that can be affixed easily to documents (library cards, transportation cards, Identification cards, etc.)
- Bringing with you several copies of translated transcripts, showing your exam results in the previous years at Cambridge. This can be prepared by the Year Abroad Office in consultation with your Director of Studies.
- Bringing with you several translated copies of your birth certificate (template available in Year Abroad Office or with DOS) and of a statement on your medical history certified by a doctor.
- Having a complete, translated copy of your curriculum vitae (sample available in Year Abroad Office).
- Being prepared to begin research on your dissertation (or translation): keep in close touch with your Supervisor and Director of Studies; ascertain in advance what research facilities will be available to you; bring with you (or have mailed to you) documents necessary to your research that might not be available on site.
What must you do while away
Inform the Year Abroad Office and your college of your contact details abroad (address, telephone
number and e-mail address)
Keep in close touch with your Dissertation Supervisor, especially if you are having research problems.
Check your email if at all possible. You can still access your Cambridge account while abroad:
- through Telnet: start up the Telnet program and open hermes.cam.ac.uk or type: telnet://hermes.cam.ac.uk
- through www.mailstart.com, which allows you to check your account off the web.
- through Hotmail: configure a Hotmail account (free) and then have your email from the Cambridge address directed to your Hotmail account. Details available at the Computer Center.
What the French Department will do to prepare you for departure
Some general preparation for living abroad is provided in the "Use of French" course and in the training in Conversation provided by your college. In most colleges, a French lecteur or lectrice is responsible for helping develop your oral skills. This person is an invaluable resource and you should feel free to ask advice regarding cultural differences between France and Great Britain, regions of France, university life, etc. You can also show your lecteur/lectrice documents which you do not understand and ask them to look over translations and formatting of your records, your cv, and any correspondence which you will be bringing or sending to France. It is your responsibility to write letters and translate documents, but it is reasonable to ask for consultation with your lecteur/lectrice and/or your Director of Studies. If your college does not have such a person, you may contact the Language Coordinator, Dr. Hugo Azérad, for help at the beginning or end of term. His email is: ha205@cam.ac.uk
The Department also has two teaching officers who serve as Year Abroad Advisers and you may contact them with such questions as well. They are: Dr. Sarah Cooper at Trinity Hall sjc28@cus.cam.ac.uk and Dr. Bill Burgwinkle at King's College web25@cam.ac.uk
