Year Abroad

Erasmus

Students of French may opt to spend their Year Abroad at one of our partner universities in France or Belgium as part of the Erasmus programme:

Université d’Aix-Marseille (AMU)

Université d'Angers

Université d'Avignon

Université Marie & Louis Pasteur (Besançon)

Université de Bretagne Occidentale (Brest)

Université Libre de Bruxelles: École de Traduction et Interprétation (Belgium)

Université Clermont Auvergne

Université de La Rochelle¹

Université de Liège (Belgium)

Université de Bretagne Sud (Lorient)

Université catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

Université Côte d’Azur (Nice)

Université de Poitiers

Université de Rennes²

Université de Strasbourg³(Institut d’Etudes politiques)

Université de Toulon

 Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès

Université de Tours<sup>4


1</sup>   I.T. Dept. Link           
²   Irish Dept Link
³   History Dept Link
⁴   BA Connect (Theatre & Performance ) Link

Refer to the INTERNATIONAL section of the host university's website (see section dedicated to "Etudiants en échange") for details and procedures for incoming Erasmus students.

Language Assistantships

Students in 2BA and 3/4BA (as well as recent graduates) may apply to spend a year (7 months approx. - normally 1st October until 30th April) as an English Language Assistants in primary and secondary schools all over France.  Apart from improving your language skills and confidence in speaking, gaining in-depth knowledge of French life and culture, a year abroad can also boost future employability and give you an insight into the world of teaching.  It's also possible to apply for a post in Belgium.  Details below.

Important Note for 2BA Students:  As with students who go abroad on ERASMUS, students are liable for fees (at the University of Galway) for their third BA year abroad. Students who are normally in receipt of a grant should liaise with SUSI in relation to their grant.

French Ministry of Education

English Language Assistant posts are on offer within the primary/secondary education system in France as part of the Franco-Irish Language Assistant scheme.  The programme is open to Irish nationals aged 20 to 35.  See the CIEP website for further details. 

• Consult the information here to verify your eligibility for the programme.
• Please note that applications are made via the online platform ADELE.  A Teacher Evaluation Form needs to be completed by a Lecturer/Teacher and uploaded by the candidate to his/her dossier. 
• The link to the online application portal ADELE and a tutorial on how to use the portal and what is required can be found here.  The portal for 2027-28 applications will be open in early December 2026. The deadline for uploading your dossier is normally early March.

Programme Administrator (French Embassy, Dublin)

Any queries in relation to the programme or the application process can be addressed to the contact in the French Embassy in Dublin at the following email address:  linguistic@ambafrance-ie.org

• The deadline for completing your application dossier online: early March 2027 (exact date to be confirmed).  Please note quite a bit of paperwork is involved in the application process for these posts.  It is wise to start the completion of the required paperwork as soon as possible.  

Assistants normally do not work more than 12 hours per week alongside an English language teacher. The function of the English Language Assistant is to help the pupils to see the foreign language as a living language of millions of people rather than as a "school language". The basic duties of an Assistant are:

• To assist the regular staff of the school;
• To conduct conversation classes in the foreign language;
• To supplement such classes by exercises in reading, dictation and oral composition;
• To give the pupils an insight into the institutions and way of life in his/her country.

Find out more!  Click here.
(and read about the experiences of previous participants in the programme).

The Department of Education and Skill's website has more general details on the Language Assistant Scheme between Ireland and France (and five other EU countries).  More details on the Assistantships in Belgium, for example, can be found below. 

Belgium

Students are also offered the opportunity of applying for English Language Assistant posts in Brussels or Wallonia (French-speaking) southern Belgium.  Applications are managed by the Department of Education, International Section in Dublin, ELA@education.gov.ie. 
Deadline to apply is normally March with applications opening in December.  More information can be found here (but exact details for 2027-28 yet to be confirmed, including the Application Form: English Language Assistantships (Belgium)