British Council English Language Assistants (ELAs)
"The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We call this work cultural relations.
We are on the ground in six continents and over 100 countries bringing international opportunity to life, every day. Each year we work with millions of people, connecting them with the United Kingdom, sharing our cultures and the UK’s most attractive assets: English, the Arts, Education and our ways of living and organising society. We have over 75 years experience of doing this.
In line with our Royal Charter, we aim to bring high quality English materials to every learner or teacher who wants them around the world. We work with governments to transform whole education systems to increase opportunity and employability through English. We also deliver English teaching and train teachers by radio, web and broadcast in developing and post conflict countries."
- taken from the British Council website.
For you, the British Council is the third-party company who provide foreign schools with English Language Assistants, which could be you.
Who should apply?
Becoming an English Language Assistant with the British Council is a brilliant opportunity to explore both the world of working and, more specifically, the idea of working as a teacher. For this reason, it is certainly the best option for those students who are seriously considering teaching as a career, whether that may be teaching English or any other subject. It is a far better alternative than, for example, embarking on a PGCE without having tested the academic waters first.
One of the attractive aspects of working with the British Council is the salary that comes as part of the scheme; however, do not allow this to cloud your judgement when considering applying. For those who are not serious about the prospect and who are just choosing the "easy option", be aware that it can be far from that. Of the students who go abroad it is probably the ELAs who have the most challenging time integrating. This isn't to say that you should be warned away from submitting an application, but it means that you should consider how well you think you would suit the role and therefore how easy it would be for you, personally, to adapt to the teacher/school lifestyle.
On a similar note, the British Council is the option that probably requires the most flexibility. This is because, whereas with the study option you choose 8 potential placements and with the work option you choose specific companies (i.e. in both cases you know exactly where you're potentially going), the British Council only allows you to choose regions of countries. This means that, whilst you may be allocated a school in "Bordeaux", you could either be in a school in the centre of the city (rather unlikely) or in a small town 100 km from the centre (comparatively likely). As such, you should not apply for an English Language Assistantship if you are not willing to work anywhere that you are put, especially as it is not possible to refuse a placement once you have been allocated.
The British Council as a third party
The ELA department of the British Council is a relatively small team working to satisfy applications from all participating universities in the UK. For all intents and purposes, they act as a kind of arbiter between you, us (the University) and the host school overseas.
During and after the point of application all correspondence and contracts made will either be between you and the British Council or between you and the host school. For this reason, it is important to note that we, the University or College, cannot influence or change any decisions that they make or processes that they employ. However, please also note that you will be in regular contact with the Placements team regarding your work abroad placement paperwork.
Similarly, when you arrive at your destination with the British Council, any questions or issues that you have regarding payment (i.e. salary) should be directed towards the British Council Language Assistant team or to the Local Educational Authority that pays the salaries of the teachers in your host school.
That said, if you have any questions relating to wellbeing or the College or University's involvement in the process, please do not hesitate to contact us.