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School of Languages, Linguistics and Film The Year Abroad Meeting for 2nd year students Wednesday 16 October 2013 1-2pm Fogg Lecture Theatre Overview • Compulsory for all students of French, German, Portuguese and Hispanic Studies • Minimum 6-7 months studying and/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) •Worth 120 credits and you will have to complete an assessment for Queen Mary whilst you are abroad (accounts for 12.5% of your degree) Year Abroad and its 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 Year Abroad and its benefits Personal and linguistic benefits It helps you: • gain near native fluency in the language • develop cultural awareness, confidence and resilience 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 are currently doing Work placements 28% Teaching Assistants (British Council) 19% Study placements 53% Erasmus Study placements •Study at our ERASMUS partner institutions. We have ERASMUS agreements with universities in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. • ERASMUS grants are available to support your studies German-speaking study placements •Augsburg •Bamberg •Berlin •Dresden •Heidelberg •Mainz •Mannheim •München •Potsdam •Tübingen •And in Switzerland: Zürich French-speaking study placements • • • • • • • Université François-Rabelais (Tours) Université de Provence Aix-Marseille 1 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 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 Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC) 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 If you split your YA between France and Spain or France and Germany We recommend that you spend your 1st semester in France, and your 2nd semester in Spain or Germany. It is essential that you check the academic calendar of the universities you’re interested in to avoid clashes with beginning of classes and final examinations. Work placementsLanguage 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) •BC registration forms must be downloaded directly from their website: http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/language-assistant-programme 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 your work placement is in the EU • Developed a number of relationships with employers over the years Where some of our students have worked Fees and funding – Home/EU students (1) Students on Erasmus study and/or work placement(s) (incl. British Council) for a minimum of 24 weeks* : •will have to pay 15% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £1350. •will be able to take out tuition fee loans to cover these fees. •will NOT have to pay any fees to their host institution(s). •will be entitled to an ERASMUS grant since their study or work placement(s) is within the EU (including Switzerland). (in 2013/14, the Erasmus grant was 375 € /month) * This can include split placements although each placement MUST be at least 3 months long. Fees and funding – Home/EU students (2) Students on study placements outside Erasmus for a minimum of 24 weeks* : •will have to pay 15% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £1350. •will be able to take out tuition fee loans to cover these fees. •will have to pay tuition fees to their host institution(s). Students on work placements (incl. British council) outside Erasmus for a minimum of 24 weeks*: •will have to pay 20% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £1800. •will be able to take out tuition fee loans to cover these fees. Fees and funding – Home/EU students (3) If a student splits his/her Year abroad between 2 placements which involve different fees (for example an Erasmus study placement in semester 1 and a non-Erasmus work placement in semester 2), then this student will have to pay 20% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £ 1800. Note: Those students who will have to pay 20% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate need to specify when re-applying for their student loan for their year abroad that they are on a SANDWICH year involving a work placement. If they don’t, the system/the assessors may only award the ‘study abroad’ rate of £1350 when students will in fact have to pay £1800 to QMUL. Fees and funding – Overseas students (1) Overseas students on Erasmus study and/or work placement(s) (incl. British Council**) for a minimum of 24 weeks* : • • • will have to pay 50% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £6375. will NOT have to pay any fees to their host institution(s). will be entitled to an ERASMUS grant since their study or work placement(s) is within the EU (including Switzerland). (in 2013/14, the Erasmus grant was 375 € /month) * This can include split placements although each placement MUST be at least 3 months long. ** There are certain eligibility criteria to be able to work as an English language assistant through the British Council. Fees and funding – Overseas students (2) Overseas students on study placements outside Erasmus for a minimum of 24 weeks* : • will have to pay 50% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £6375. • will have to pay tuition fees to their host institution(s). Overseas students on work placements (incl. British council) outside Erasmus for a minimum of 24 weeks* : • will have to pay 50% of the full time QMUL tuition fee rate, i.e. £6375. Forthcoming meetings More details about the Year Abroad will be shared with you in the departmental meetings on Wednesday 23d October in room tbc which will take place at the following times: • Portuguese & Spanish : 12 noon -1pm • French : 1 pm – 2pm • German : 2pm – 3pm Attendance is compulsory!! Decision time! • Talk to final year students about their Year Abroad experiences. • Contact students currently on their Year Abroad by going on QMUL Facebook group: ‘Help! I’m on my Year Abroad’. • Research your placement options by looking at thirdyearabroad.com. • If you’re interested in studying abroad, visit our partner institutions’ websites. Year Abroad contacts • Hispanic Studies – Dr Mar Encinas-Puente • Portuguese – Mrs Patricia Sequeira Bras • German – Dr Martina Deny • French – Dr Elsa Petit • Work placements (not British Council) – Birgitta Hall • Year Abroad and Erasmus administrator: Debra Hurcomb • QMUL Erasmus co-ordinator: Wiebke Leugers