Rouen

Sarah Rouse: English Language Assistant with the British Council, Rouen 2013-14

I spent my year abroad as an English Language assistant in Rouen, Normandy. I had never lived in a city before, so it was an adjustment at the start, as well as the whole speaking French thing!

Rouen itself is an amazing city. It has a very large tourism industry, so there is always some kind of (normally free) event on. I went to the Cathédrale des Lumières, the Carnival, the Christmas fair, free artistic films and much, much more. And it is only an hour away from Paris, so shopping is sorted!

I settled in really easily, due to the help I had from my school. We also had induction meetings to help us learn some techniques for teaching, and to give us the chance to meet other assistants (some of whom later became my best friends in France). The first few weeks are a bit of a culture shock, even if the country you go to is quite familiar. I had to stop myself comparing it all to England and just accept the French way of life.

 The thought of teaching 11-15 year olds terrified me, as I have never liked children, and normally avoid them as much as possible. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed teaching.  As an assistant, I did so many varied tasks in order to get my students to speak English- we sang songs, danced, played games and did quizzes. The worst part was 8.20am lessons- I was in worse shape than the kids!

The highlight of my school year was going skiing with 4ème (year 9), three weeks before I finished teaching. We went to Ancelle, a small resort in the Alps. It was awesome to see them behave differently out of school, whilst still learning a new skill. Many of them had never seen mountains that big before. However, I think the part we all enjoyed the most was the Raclette and Boum (party) on Thursday night.

My year abroad has made me so independent! I am now especially good at making complaints- once you have done it in another language; it is never again quite so difficult in English! I am also a British Council Ambassador for my final year at university, which means that I can promote the programme and provide reassurance to others!

 I would recommend doing a year abroad to anyone who has an interest in getting to know the culture and language of another country. Who knows, as a British Council assistant, you might learn something about your own country too!