Preparing your stay abroad

Improving your linguistic skills

Foreign language classes in ECLA département

ECLA is in charge of teaching foreign languages and provides to the normaliens some adapted training formula, such as TOEFL preparation courses as well as scientific English. Lessons in ECLA also help students to develop their oral proficiency. 

List of languages taught in ECLA: Arabic, Bambara, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Sign Language, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Yiddish.

Tandems

The large numbers of foreign students at the ENS and the interest many students have in language exchanges have prompted the setting up of the “tandem” system. Two speakers of different languages meet in an informal setting to converse, alternating between the two languages. The ECLA department puts students expressing an interest in the system in touch with each other.

For more information: http://www.ecla.ens.fr/spip.php?rubrique62

Debating

Debating classes allow pupils at all levels to improve their oral expression in English and accustoms them to speak in public - all this, of course, without for a moment taking themselves too seriously. Pupils who attend the classes can then, if they wish, join the team representing the ENS at the Grande Ecoles Debating Contest organised by the French Debating Association’s.

For more information

Preparation of FLE teaching by ECLA

Training is provided for a FLE (French as foreign language) qualification. It is particularly aimed at students who are going to teach French abroad. It includes teaching practice, an introduction to the use of multimedia teaching aids and the creation of educational materials as well as language learning. The FLE certification is gained after two semesters.

For more information

FLE Workshops for future French language Assistants (International Relations Office)

ENS Students who have been selected to be French language assistants in foreign universities have the possibility to take part in a workshop about French as a Foreign Language (in May, during 2 half-days). This workshop allows to acquire the core principles and provides practical examples of lessons (estimating the teaching context, defining learning objectives, assessing the students’ level, choosing the media, etc.)

For more information, please contact the International Relations Office. 

Financial matters

According to your type of stay, you have the possibility to receive a grant. The International Relations Office directly manages some grants or aid. For these, the practical details are to be found on the intranet. 

These organisations can offer grants. Please contact the International Relations Office for more information:

• Scholarships for students and trainees abroad
• Jean-Walter-Zellidja grants from the Académie Française 

You can contact directly the following institutions:

Europe

• Germany – Deutsher Akademisher Austauschdienst
• United Kingdom – British Council

North and South America

• United States – Franco-American Fullbright Commission
• Canada – Canadian cultural centre
• Brasil – The French network for Brazilian studies (REFEB)

Asia

• China – Chinese Scholarship Council > please contact the International Relations Office
• Hong Kong – Research Grants Council
• Japan –Monbukagakusho grant
• French society for Japan studies