Degree/Year: French and Japanese, 2016
Employer name: Université François Rabelais
Position/Title: English Lecturer
City/State: Tours, France

Put genuine effort into your classes because, as the saying goes, a little bit goes a long way.

As an English instructor at Francois Rabelais University (Université François-Rabelais), I prepare lessons for several English courses that I am assigned to teach, including Oral Language (a listening class), Oral Expression (a speaking class), and a course called “Allogènes” (a class with varied/varying themes). On top of that, I attend departmental meetings at the school and work with the secretaries in relation to various administrative issues that occur from time to time. All in all, it’s the responsibilities of a university professor taken down a notch.   

It goes without saying that my French major prepared me for this role because I teach French students and live in France; without it, I wouldn’t be able to understand the specific issues my students have with their English studies or do important things like dealing with visa paperwork or visiting the doctor. Also, my Japanese studies have helped me because the more foreign languages you study, the more you are able to comprehend your maternal language better and understand why it works in the way that it does.

My advice for fellow Spartans interested in a similar path is to practice conversing in a foreign language as much as possible and put genuine effort into your classes because, as the saying goes, a little bit goes a long way. I can personally vouch that all my hours in the study lounges worked and, along with the help and support of all my teachers, I was able to make it to where I am today. As an educator, you may think because you know how something works it will be easy to teach, however, not only do you need to be able to explain it in detail, but you must also have patience and be willing to work with all kinds of students, and be prepared for different and dynamic situations.