Language Assistants

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Your role

Contacting your school

Travel, Insurance and Visas

Finding Accommodation

Education and lesson planning

Looking after yourself

Education and lesson planning

Ideas for your classes

UK Education
You are not expected to hold teaching qualifications or have teaching experience, but most of the school staff and students will assume you have a basic knowledge of our education system and issues facing schools and universities in the UK.

Take a look at the following sites to help you prepare:

Department for Education

General Teaching Council for Scotland

BBC Education

Guardian Unlimited – Education

Try to find out some basic facts before you go about the education system of the country you are going to. Information about the education systems in Europe can be found on the Eurydice website.

Lesson planning

LanguageAssistant is a site designed especially for you! It is updated weekly from September to May with teaching tips, materials and links to help you in the class and there is a discussion list for sharing teaching ideas which is supported by a ‘virtual mentor’. Tell your school about the site! You will also receive a manual prior to departure that complements the site.

The British Council is actively involved in the teaching of English abroad and organises a range of cultural activities which may be of interest to you. Books, tapes and films from the UK may be borrowed for a small fee from some offices.

Contact your local British Council office for ideas.

Language Study
If you want to enrol at a local university, you might have to produce a copy of your birth certificate, copies of your school exam or degree certificates and written proof of your appointment. You should take several photocopies of each.