School of Languages, Linguistics and Film

The Year Abroad

1

st

year briefing session Wednesday 20 March 2013 Dr Laetitia Calabrese Dr Annja Neumann

What is the Year Abroad?

• third year of your degree course • compulsory for all students of French, German, Portuguese and Hispanic Studies. • minimum 6-7 months studying or working abroad • Studying from introductory level : recommend full year abroad •Studying two languages : recommend spending time in the country where your weakest language is spoken. (Also possible to split your Year Abroad between two countries)

Benefits

Employment prospects Research shows that the Year Abroad is highly valued by employers.

Compared to graduates without the Year Abroad, graduates with the Year Abroad experience are: •

less likely

to experience a period of

unemployment

•

more likely

to be involved in

higher-status employment

sector • have

much higher

than average

income

Benefits

Personal and linguistic benefits

It helps you: • gain near native fluency in the language • develop cultural awareness, confidence and resilience • prevent dementia In March 2012, ThirdYearAbroad.com

conducted a survey in which

86%

of 600 interviewed graduates said that the Year Abroad was

the most valuable part of their degree course

Year Abroad options

• Study placement at a university under the European exchange programme (Erasmus) or independently • Work placement: Teaching English as a foreign language assistant (British Council) • Work placement within Europe (Erasmus) and beyond (Canada, Latin America)

What our students did in 2012/13

British Council Language Assistantships 14% Work placements 38% Study placements 48%

Study placements

•Study at one of our Erasmus partner institutions . We have Erasmus agreements with universities in France, Spain, Germany (and Switzerland).

• Erasmus grants available to support your studies

German-speaking study placements

• • • • Augsburg Bamberg M ünchen Heidelberg • Mannheim • • Mainz Hildesheim • Dresden • • Frankfurt (Oder) Postdam • • Berlin T übingen • And in

Switzerland

: Zurich

French-speaking study placements

• Université François-Rabelais (Tours) • Aix-MarseilleUniversité • Université d’Avignon • Université Paris Sorbonne-Paris IV • Université Catholique de Lille • Université de

la Réunion

• Université dé Genève Ecole de Traduction et d'Interprétariat

(Switzerland)

Study placements in Spain

• Universidad de Granada • Universidad de Vigo • Universidad Complutense de Madrid • Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona • Universidad de Salamanca • Universidad de les Illes Balears • Universidad Pablo de Olavide [Seville] • Universidad Carlos III Madrid • Universidad de Valencia • Universidad de Girona • Universidad de Malaga • Universidad de Oviedo • Universitat Jaume I • Universidad de Murcia • Universidad de Almería • Universidad de Santiago de Compostela

Study placements in Portugal

• Universidade de Coimbra

Other study placements (non-Erasmus)

Partner universities in Latin America:

• Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico • Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil

Independent study placement

This option is for those who: • • • wish to study at any other university within the European Union that we do not have an Erasmus agreement with or wish to study at a university outside the European Union or are not eligible to participate in the Erasmus Scheme.

Work placements Language Assistantships

• Teaching English as a foreign language assistant • Teaching in primary or secondary schools or in universities •Locations: France, Germany, Spain, Belgium (French), Canada, Latin America, Austria, and Switzerland • Generous salary in addition to Erasmus grant (if eligible)

Work placements

•

Employability skills

and

relevant work experience

are seen as increasingly critical by employers, and are among the most significant factors considered when recruiting graduates • Great way of gaining valuable work experience in an international setting whilst improving your language skills • Earn a salary in addition to an Erasmus grant (if applicable) • Developed a number of relationships with employers over the years

Where our students have worked

Fees and funding – Home/EU students

Erasmus study or work placement

(including British Council) for a minimum of 24 weeks*: •

A tuition fee waiver

. No fees will be payable to Queen Mary or to your host institution (

subject to annual review

) •

A small ERASMUS grant.

If you choose to work or study outside of the EU , you are required to pay half the tuition fees and will not be entitled to Erasmus funding * Less than 24 weeks - You or your funding authority will be required to pay half rate tuition fees unless studying under Erasmus

Fees and funding – International students

Study or work placement

(including British Council) within the European Union and/or Switzerland

for a minimum of 24 weeks

will receive: •

A small ERASMUS grant

• You or your funding authority will be required to

pay half rate tuition fees

to Queen Mary. If studying under the ERASMUS scheme, you will not be required to pay any fees to your host institution.

If you choose to work or study outside of the EU , you are required to pay half the tuition fees and will not be entitled to Erasmus funding

Santander scholarships

QMUL will be offering 10 scholarships of £1,000 each

• Based on best academic performance and attendance (class attendance + events and involvement in other activities within the SLLF) • Open to Second Year students who wish to study or work in any of the “Santander countries” Grants available: • Spanish = 6 • German= 2 • Portuguese = 2 • French = 1

What can I do to make my mind up about the Year Abroad?

• Visit the QMUL Facebook group: • Visit

'Help! I'm on my Year abroad'

• Talk to final year students about their experiences http://www.thirdyearabroad.com

• If you're interested in:

study placements

: visit the website of our different partner institutions •

British Council placements

: visit www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistants •

work placements:

start thinking about the type of work you would like to do; make an appointment with the Careers Office and try to gain further work experience over the summer!

Year Abroad contacts

•

Dr Mar Encinas-Puente, Hispanic Studies [email protected]

•

Dr Mariana Liz, Portuguese [email protected]

•

Dr Annja Neumann, German (Maternity cover for Dr Sylvia Jaworska) [email protected]

•

Dr Laetitia Calabrese, French (Maternity cover for Dr Elsa Petit) [email protected]

•

Dr Elsa Petit, French (back in April 2013) [email protected]

•

Birgitta Hall, Work Placements (not British Council Language Assistantships) [email protected]