Text only Print this page | E-mail this page| Add to favourites|Suggest similar pages
What is a Foreign Language Assistant?
How much will it cost?
Chinese Language Assistants FAQs
How to apply
WHAT IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE ASSISTANT (FLA)?
Find out more about FLAs
FLAs are native speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin and Russian who are usually between 20 and 30 years old. They range from advanced students, intending teachers or experienced teachers with a strong command of English and are looking to gain valuable work experience as well as improving their English and learning more about UK culture.

Find out more about FLAs in our FAQs below and in our online booklet.
Where are FLAs from?
Currently the British Council offers FLAs from Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Latin America, Spain, Switzerland, China and Russia.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AN FLA?

FLAs (except those from China) are only very rarely trained teachers: the vast majority of them are either undergraduates or recent graduates and they will therefore require support and guidance from the modern foreign languages (MFL) department of the host school(s).

Their role is to bring the language and culture of their country to the classroom and make language learning relevant, fun and “real” for your pupils.

FLAs’ tasks could include working together with a teacher in the classroom, working on their own with small groups of pupils, helping to prepare pupils for oral examinations and contributing to cross-curricular work in collaboration with other subject areas. FLAs can undertake exercises in reading, comprehension, pronunciation, dictation and oral composition, and may also contribute to international projects.

However, since the majority of FLAs are not trained teachers they should not be asked to take sole responsibility for a whole class, to supervise, to deal with pupils’ discipline problems or to take responsibility for marking pupils’ work or exam papers.

FLAs from China (CLAs) are all qualified teachers and so their role may be slightly different. Visit our CLA page for more information.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO MY STUDENTS?
FLAs will support language teaching and inter-cultural understanding. They can also inform discussion on citizenship. The FLA will often take small groups of a class which will encourage communication and improve pupils’ confidence. In this way they can also be used to support less able pupils or the gifted and talented.
WHAT WILL BE THE BENEFITS TO MY SCHOOL?
Employing an FLA will bring an international dimension to the curriculum. They can play a key role in developing intercultural understanding. They bring a fresh cultural perspective to language learning and provide access to authentic teaching materials. Teachers can also refresh their knowledge of the target language or you could arrange the FLAs timetable so that they spend a lesson teaching teachers or parents.
WHEN WILL MY FLA START WORK?  

The standard period of appointment is from 1 October to 31 May in England and Wales and from 1 September to 31 May in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This period may be extended for up to a month either side of the appointment by mutual consent. The FLA must be paid for the extra work pro-rata.

The standard period of appointment for CLAs is from mid September – 30th June in all of the UK.
SHARING FLAS

The British Council arranges around 2000 assistantships per year and FLA allowances are paid by the school(s). You can share an FLA with up to two other local schools each employing the FLA for four hours (see costs on our 'how much will it cost?' page.)

If you wish to employ an FLA for only 2 hours, you could approach another local school with a view to sharing their FLA (see costs on our how much will it cost? page).

Any combination of hours/schools is possible as long as the FLA works at least 12 hours, no more than 18 hours and works in no more than 3 schools.
WHO ORGANISES VISAS AND WORK PERMITS FOR FLAS?
No, most FLAs are from EU countries and are legally eligible to work in the UK. If you host a Spanish FLA from Latin America, a French assistant from Quebec or an FLA from China or Russia, all you need to do is send a copy of your offer letter (see our 'Contacting your FLA page for more information) to the British Council, before the summer holidays.  We will prepare a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ which they can use to apply for their visa.  The British Council acts as sponsor for the FLA.
WHAT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES NEED TO BE CARRIED OUT?
Once you have been allocated an FLA, one school needs to be the ‘Host School’ for the FLA and co-ordinate the timetable and arrival arrangements with any partner schools. You will need to write an offer of appointment and a contract, the British Council provides templates for these. The British Council provides an online PDF booklet on the administrative procedures for both schools and FLAs which covers important issues such as registering with a doctor, completing income tax forms and opening a bank account. The link to the booklet will be sent along with your FLAs' dossier. See this year’s booklet here.

Each school must also appoint a mentor teacher who is the FLAs' main contact both prior to arrival and during their assistantship.
HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK?

You can apply online. Please apply through Schools Online from 28 January for 2013-2014. Please visit the website then for further details.

   Return to homepage

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Registered in Singapore as a branch (T09FC0012J) and as a charity (No 0768).
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.

 Positive About Disabled People