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TAPIF

For information about eligibility, how to apply, program timeline, and frequently asked questions, please follow the links in the menu to the left.

View the TAPIF promotional card here.

Program Overview

The Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) is a joint initiative of the French Ministry of Education, the Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP) and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The program’s goal is to strengthen English-language instruction in French schools by establishing a native speaker presence, while also providing American Francophiles with excellent teaching experience and first-hand knowledge of French language and culture.

Job Duties

Assistants teach 12 hours per week in up to 3 schools. Classes are conducted in English. Teaching assistants conduct all or part of a class, typically leading conversations in English. Duties include serving as a resource person in conversation groups, providing small group tutorials, and giving talks related to American studies. Assignments vary depending on the school’s needs and the assistant’s abilities.

Contracts are available at the elementary or secondary school level.

• Elementary School – Children aged 8-11 years old. Assistant leads oral activities with small groups, or works alongside the teacher with the entire class present. Good level of French required.
• Secondary School – Students aged 11-18 years old. Assistant serves as a resource person in conversation groups, provides small group tutorials, facilitates English-language clubs, or works alongside the teacher with the entire class present. Proficient level of French required.

Location

TAPIF offers positions in all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion. Applicants may indicate up to three regions of preference on their application. Accepted applicants receive placement in a specific French Académie (school district) at the time of acceptance notification in April.

More information about each Académie and corresponding region can be found here.

Contract Length

All teaching contracts last 7 months, from October 1st through April 30th.

Short-term contracts, summer contracts, and alternative start dates are NOT available.

Americans may participate a maximum of 2 times in the TAPIF program. If you are applying for an assistantship for a second consecutive year, you will need to apply to renew your contract through the CIEP. Renewal is contingent upon a positive review from the host institution, whether or not the assistant wishes to remain at his or her host institution or be transferred to another school or académie, amongst other factors.

If you are applying for a second assistantship in non-consecutive years (ex. You were an assistant in 2012-2013 and now you are applying again for 2016-2017) you must apply through the general TAPIF application at tapif.org. In this situation, we review applications with the same criteria as first-time assistants, however we systematically place former assistants who are accepted on the waiting list.

Stipend

€965 per month GROSS, €790 per month NET.
Due to the higher cost of living in the overseas departments, assistants in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion receive an additional salary allowance of 30% to 35%.

The stipend provides enough money to live the lifestyle of a typical French student in most regions of France (but NOT Paris due to the very high cost of living in the capital region).

No additional support is provided for travel to France or for dependents. Personal funds are needed for the initial period of the contract.

Health Insurance

Assistants receive health insurance through the French national healthcare system known as the Sécurité sociale. The “Sécu” covers 70% of medical costs, 35-65% of prescriptions, and 80% of hospitalization fees in France. The plan does NOT cover the costs of travel outside of France, returning to the U.S. for medical treatment, or repatriation of remains.

Assistants are strongly encouraged to purchase travel health insurance or an international student/youth card that will cover medical expenses for emergencies that happen outside of France. This additional coverage also helps assistants pay for out-of-pocket medical costs during the initial period of the grant (first 2-3 months), during which time they must complete the Sécu enrollment paperwork (co-pays and immediate reimbursements for medical services do not take effect until the enrollment paperwork is complete). Assistant coverage technically begins on October 1st, but assistants must pay out-of-pocket until they receive their permanent social security number, at which time they can be retroactively reimbursed. Additional individual coverage is not required, but is still highly recommended.

Housing

Assistants are responsible for making their own living arrangements. Some host schools are able to help assistants secure housing or make arrangements for the first few weeks in France, but this is NOT guaranteed. Assistants should plan on needing to find their own housing. The CIEP, the Embassy, and the school districts in France do offer a number of resources and suggestions during the summer on how and where search for housing.