English Assistant in Corsica

Hi! I haven't posted on here in a long time but I have recently moved back to France and started a new job as a primary school English assistant for the British Council in Ajaccio, Corsica and I wanted to share my experience so far.

Getting here

I quickly discovered that Corsica is not the easiest place to get to, especially off-season, so it is sometimes necessary to get a little creative with travel arrangements. There are multiple options to reach the island by air or sea. In the end I decided to take the overnight ferry from Toulon to Ajaccio. Since I had the time, I made a 5 day journey with stops in Glasgow, London, Paris and Toulon, visiting people and places along the way.

On day one I took the bus to Glasgow then the train to London. I spent two nights in London catching up with friends. I then hopped aboard my favourite overnight Flixbus to Paris - always a bit of a rough journey but it went as well as an overnight bus ride can be expected to go! I spent the day in Paris with a friend from university before catching the train down to Toulon in the south of France. A night in a hostel in Toulon followed by a day exploring the city and hiking Mont Faron had me ready for a rather cold night on the floor the overnight ferry to Corsica!

Of course, it was not the quickest way to get there and I arrived exhausted but it meant I did not have to worry about airplane luggage restrictions and I could catch up with long-distance friends along the way. I arrived at the port in Ajaccio at 7am and was picked up my by new landlord who I would live with for the next 7 months.

Accommodation

It can be difficult finding accommodation in Corsica, especially from a distance. Corsica is an expensive place to live and there are limited options in Ajaccio. I had previously had success in finding accommodation through local Facebook groups and so I put out a message detailing my requirements and a number of people reached out with proposals. Most were apartments or studios which were outside my budget. I also did not want to live alone. Finally I got a message from a woman who offered a room "chez l'habitant" which is what I had when I lived in Bayonne and, having had a positive experience there, I agreed to have a call with her to discuss the arrangement. After some deliberation I decided to accept this option and I now share an apartment with her and her dog. My room is usually rented out over the summer as an Airbnb but since it is low season she was happy to arrange a long-term let. I have a stunning view over the city, the sea and the mountains and a balcony off my room. The price I pay for this is having to walk 20 minutes up a steep hill every time I go home but overall I think it's worth it!

Work

I work in two different primary schools in Ajaccio, teaching English to CE2, CM1 and CM2 (ages 8-11). The pupils are expected to have level A1 English by the end of primary school and so the classes I teach are beginner level. There is a suggested curriculum and lesson plans for each class which I can use or adapt as I wish. My contract is for 12 hours a week and currently I teach only 8 classes which leaves me with plenty of spare time. Before taking my own classes I was able to observe another English teacher giving a lesson and we had a training day which laid out information on the French school system and the expectations the academy had of us as assistants as well as explaining the teaching resources available to us.

For the most part I enjoy the teaching and it is wonderful to see students learning and progressing. However, I do miss teaching smaller classes where I could really adapt lessons to individuals' needs. With a class of twenty or more, it is not possible to allow those who are motivated to further progress, nor to dedicate the time required to help those who are struggling. In some of my classes there is a huge disparity in language level within the class which is difficult to navigate. One of my schools has mixed classes (CE2/CM1 and CM1/CM2) as well as students from Morocco and Tunisia who do not speak French or English. Some students have never had English lessons before whereas others have spent time living abroad and have a very good level. In all my lessons, the class teacher is supposed to stay in the classroom to maintain discipline, however, this does not always happen and it can be challenging to keep the pupils' attention. I am gradually learning which activities are most effective and what they are more willing to engage with and it is interesting to see how children learn a foreign language from scratch.

Social life

In Ajaccio, the capital city of Corsica, there are 12 language assistants, so I am lucky to have a ready-made network of people in the same position as me. We have managed to meet regularly to do things together. We are from a range of countries: Scotland, Ireland, Kenya, India, the USA, Spain and Italy. There is not any one language that everyone is comfortable in, so a mixture of French, English, Italian and Spanish is spoken when we come together. I love mixing in international groups like this where I can practise speaking French with other non-natives. I am also trying to learn Italian so I like to try and follow the Italian conversations. We have been to the weekend market, had picnics on the beach, watched the sunset from the citadel and gone to bars together, amongst other things. This week some of us also went on a trip to Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio in the south of Corsica.

Unfortunately Corsica has an aging population and it is not easy to find other people of our age. However, there is a group which organises language exchange nights as well as other events. I have been to one of these so far and it was a good way to meet some locals and other young people so hopefully some more activities will be organised by this group soon. I have also been up one of the hills just behind Ajaccio with a walking group and this was another good opportunity to meet locals. However, the demographic was considerably older so I'm not sure I'll join that group often!

I have also joined a nearby gym and have been going to classes there. It is good way to get out of the house and do something physical after a day in the classroom. I have also been on some walks from Ajaccio. The scenery around the city is stunning and so no matter where I go I have enjoyed the walks so far, both in the mountains and along the coast. There are plenty of footpaths and beaches to be explored from my doorstep!

Overall I have enjoyed my first month here in Corsica and there are many things I am excited to try here such as hikes, trips to other parts of the island and the chestnut festival in December. I'm not sure Corsica is for me long-term but, for 7 months, I am happy to have the chance to explore this beautiful part of the world and experience the Corsican way of life.