School information

Contact : sjdc.dax.cdi@orange.fr

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  The school situation: medium Catholic school in the southwest of France (town of Dax).
  
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  From primary school (3-4 YO) to secondary school, college and lycée (general and technological curricula) and also further education (two years after the baccalauréat exam for “BTS”).
  
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  The assistant will work in the secondary school (12 YO to 17-18 YO) : 850 students in the “college-lycée”
  
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  We have worked on international projects (formerly “Comenius” projects) for several years (three multilateral projects with European partners) and we would like to start a new project in” Erasmus plus” the new programme.
  
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  The school develops a positive strategy towards foreign languages. We have already had two assistants (Comenius) two and three years ago and we would like to continue to give our students the opportunity to work with a language assistant in languages lessons (English and Spanish particularly).
  
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  We have two “European classes” (Spanish and English from 13 yo to 18 yo : in the junior school they have two extra language lessons and in the senior school they are taught two subjects in a foreign language, two periods a week).
  
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  For three years we have had a language laboratory to develop oral language skills.
  

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  The assistant will be involved in the language classes.
  
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  He/she will be take part in foreign languages lessons of English AND/or Spanish in the secondary school with the language teachers.
  
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  He/she will be also the assistant of the teachers in charge of the English AND/or Spanish classes in the European section. The students who choose this option have more lessons of English or Spanish in the junior school (first part of the secondary school) during two years but in “ lycée” , high school, (last part of the secondary school) one subject is taught in English or Spanish (for example, Geography or mathematics). And they take an oral examination at the end. It’s the European option of the baccalauréat (final exam) and we have this option in English and in Spanish from the first year (13 YO) to the last year (17 YO)
  
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  The assistant will always work with a language teacher and won’t be alone with a class. But he/she could be alone with a small group of pupils. He could also work in a special international project with the persons in charge.
  
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  He/she’ll work in remedial language lessons with the colleagues.
  
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  He/she’ll support and help the pupils taking part in international mobility (English or Spanish)
  
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  We expect the assistant to communicate a positive experience of the international mobility to the young people and consequently the importance of practicing foreign languages.
  
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  We also expect the assistant enrich the pedagogic and educational relationships through his/her different culture and his/her foreign language.
  
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  The assistant may be involved in school travels, exchanges and of course if he/she is willing to take part in extra-school activities.
  

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  From mid-September to the end of May maximum (8.5 months maxi) approximately.
  
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  We would prefer a long period (minimum 6-7 months).
  

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  The working hours will depend on the profile of the assistant (number of languages he’ll teach) and also of the schedule of the classes. These time tables are known at the beginning of the school year, beginning of September.
  
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  During the last few years we have tried to be convenient for the planning of the assistant with the constraints of the school’s plannings.
  
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  The weekly average would be at the end around 14-15 hours maximum.
  

Look at the website : http://www.dax.fr/

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  Walking and cycling to the town centre (also local bus)
  
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  Bus, trains for regional and national destinations
  
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  Plane for international destinations (airports : Biarritz or Bordeaux or Paris by plane and after train to Dax
  
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  Transportation with colleagues in car eventually
  

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  If the assistant wants to know more about our team work from the assistants we had two years and three years ago, we can give information to contact them. So that they could share their experience.
  

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  We want to develop the oral languages skills of the pupils with the assistant.
  
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  We would like to find an assistant who would be qualified to teach English AND Spanish in our European section (it would be ideal). We also prefer an assistant with some knowledge of French : it is important for team work and integration in the school. But the assistant will take advantage of this time in France to improve his/her level in French too.
  
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  The priority will be for the trilingual assistant BUT if the assistant have qualification only in one teaching language (English or Spanish) and in French, we’ll also consider the application.
  
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  If the mother tongue of the assistant is not Spanish or English, it will be an advantage for the school as the assistant could teach pupils and staff the basis of the language and of course it will be an opportunity to make us discover his/her national culture.
  

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  Teaching language (English AND/or Spanish)
  
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  Working with the teachers in European section (English AND/or Spanish)
  
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  Remedial language lessons
  
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  Taking part in Erasmus + projects
  
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  Supporting the pupils involved in international mobility (English and Spanish)
  
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  In the European curricula the subjects studied are Mathematics and Geography in English / and Geography –culture in Spanish. Not necessary to have big skills in each subject but curiosity to work in these educational fields
  

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  Use and work in a language laboratory.
  
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  Mastery of basic computer skills to help the teachers to build teaching activities (particularly in European curriculum): mailing, use of Skype, power-point, research on Internet, downloading, uploading… )
  

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  If the assistant is trilingual it would be perfect (English French and Spanish)
  
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  If the assistant is bilingual (English- French or Spanish-French) + mother tongue, we’ll also consider his/her application.
  

We’ll look forward to having an assistant who is motivated by team work, by the goals of our school and by the challenge to prepare the students to the European exams.