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We receive a lot of queries about the Language Assistant programme. Before you contact us, please consult the information below to see if your question has been answered here.
If your question is regarding eligibility, please check our eligibility criteria to self-assess your eligibility for the programme.
After the deadline has passed we are unable to accept late applicants. This includes candidates hoping to be allocated a place in the case of withdrawals over the summer.
We have a strict and time-limited process and exceptions will not be made.
If your question concerns filling in the application form, please consult the Apply to be an Assistant page. If you have read this document thoroughly and cannot find an answer to your query, please contact us using the email address at the bottom of this page.
If you pass our initial assessment stage, you will hear whether you have been shortlisted for a placement.
Applicants will usually be notified about the outcome of their application in May each year but this is subject to change. Please see the Shortlisting section on the ELA Lifecycle page for more details.
Due to the number of applicants to the programme, the assessment and shortlisting processes can be long. We thank you for your patience during the process.
If a problem arises while you are in your host country, we advise you to follow the below line of referral:
1. Consult the relevant country notes. These can be found on your host country webpage and offer advice on settling in, administrative matters and further country specific advice.
2. If you are unable to find the answer in the country notes, we recommend contacting your mentor teacher. Every Language Assistant is assigned a mentor teacher in their host institution who they should approach in the first instance if a problem arises. Problems are best dealt with at the source and your school will appreciate hearing from you directly rather than via a third party.
If the problem relates to your work with them, contacting someone outside the school first will mean it can take longer to resolve and may even exacerbate the problem. If you do not feel able to approach your mentor, there may be another member of staff who can help.
Matters such as timetable, holiday dates and absences should be discussed directly with your school.
3. If you require further support please contact the in-country partners. They can advise on topics such as payment or concerns regarding your host institution.
The contact details of the partner agency can be found in your country notes. If you an undergraduate student, we strongly recommend also contacting your university tutor or year abroad coordinator to make them aware of the situation.
4. If you need further assistance please contact the Language Assistants Team in the UK. We will be happy to answer any queries you may have. However, we can only offer advice and we are not able to contact your host institution overseas directly.
If you must withdraw from the programme, you must contact us by email as soon as possible and outline the reasons for your withdrawal. If you withdraw from the programme we cannot reinstate your application that year.
Owing to the negative impact that late withdrawals have on the programme, we reserve the right to disqualify any future application from you if you withdraw late on in the process without a valid reason.
Please be aware that it is not possible for candidates to defer their application to a later year.
Candidates no longer able to complete an assistantship in the current application round should contact us immediately to withdraw their application and then re-submit an application for the following academic year.
We aim to provide a high standard of service to our customers. Whatever your experience, we value your feedback.
To give us feedback, make a complaint, or appeal a decision, please see our dedicated webpage.
There are three ways to contact us:
By email: languageassistants.uk@britishcouncil.org
By phone: 0161 957 7755
By post at our addresses in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland. Please address your letter to 'Language Assistants Team'. Please note that we have limited access to the office and we cannot guarantee a current timeframe to receive postal enquiries. We would advise that you email your enquiry if you are able to.