Instilling a deeper knowledge of French language and culture by bringing French teaching interns into the classroom.
Overview
The French Teaching Internship Program implants native French speaker teaching interns in US public schools that have French dual language or immersion programs. These assistants support head teachers, work with small groups, and assist students one-on-one. The assistants encourage students to express themselves orally in French and often bring a playful dimension to learning through exercises that invoke socio-cultural themes likely to interest children and adolescents.
Follow the day-to-day lives of French Teaching Interns on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Logistics and cost
Teaching Interns are sponsored for visas in the “J-1 Intern” category and train a minimum of 32 hours per week under a designated mentor teacher. In this framework, the host school is responsible for providing room and board in a host family, health insurance arranged through the visa sponsor agency, a monthly stipend, administrative fees for visa sponsorship services, and a designated mentor teacher.
Teaching Interns pay for their own plane tickets to and from France as well as visa application fees at the US Embassy in Paris. The total cost of hosting a French Teaching Intern depends on the length of time the school wishes to host the intern.
All interns coming to the US will be required to arrive with proof of a background check from previous employment in France.
Recruitment and selection
French Teaching Interns are recruited through France Éducation International, an agency of the French Ministry of National Education. Host institutions are provided with candidate files in the spring (typically in early April). It is recommended that schools conduct phone or video interviews directly with candidates upon receiving the files. Host schools coordinate with the Embassy and US Visa Sponsor organization to select their desired candidate(s) and then proceed with the application process for visa sponsorship. Host institutions are welcome to tailor the program to meet their specific needs if the intern’s training activities while remaining within the J-1 visa framework.
Host school eligibility requirements
Host schools at the elementary and secondary levels must meet host school eligibility requirements for visa sponsorship. Please review this document to make sure your school is eligible.
If you are interested in in hosting a French Teaching Intern through the French Embassy and/or receiving a FDLF Grant of $4,000, your school must complete this Application Form starting in January of each year.
Should your school require a US-based background check, please be sure to begin this process during your interns’ visa onboarding process.
Candidates
If you are a French student interested in becoming a teaching intern in the US, please visit France Éducation International‘s site for potential applicants.
Read testimonials from former French Teaching Interns in the US.