TAPIF – Teaching Assistant Program in France 2026-2027

Are you ready to embark on a new cultural adventure? France attracts millions of visitors annually to experience the latest in fashion, fine art, and world-class cuisine. As an English language teacher, you might have the opportunity to live in France and teach through the TAPIF teaching program.

The Teaching Assistant Program in France — TAPIF is a major initiative led by the French Ministry of Education, France Éducation International, and Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education. Since 1945, the program has been at the heart of France’s cultural diplomacy mission in the United States, offering young Americans adults the opportunity to gain valuable classroom experience, improve their French language skills, and immerse themselves in the francophone world.

Let’s explore what the TAPIF program is, and how you can apply to it!

About the TAPIF program

TAPIF, which is managed by France Éducation International (an institution under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education and Youth), is the American cohort of France’s worldwide Assistants de langue en France program. Each year, the program recruits around 4400 teachers from 78 countries to teach 15 different languages in the French public schools system.

TAPIF is responsible for allocating 1,200 teaching assistant positions to U.S. citizens and permanent residents with an intermediate level of French (B1). This offers young American adults a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience by working in French public schools.

The TAPIF program’s main objectives are to:

  1. Strengthen English language instruction in French schools by integrating native speakers.
  2. Provide American Francophiles with a rewarding teaching experience and immersive exposure to French language and culture.
  3. Encourage students to pursue careers in fields where they can utilize their French language skills.

Where are the schools located?

The program offers positions in all 30 académies (administrative districts under the Department of National Education) across metropolitan France and the overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion.

When submitting your application, you are encouraged to select up to three preferred académies.

However, placements may be anywhere within the académies and you cannot request a specific city. Accepted applicants will not know the exact city or schools where they are placed until the summer before they travel to France (typically receive notification in April).

How long is the program?

All TAPIF contracts last 7 months, starting in October 1st through April 30th. The program does not offer short-term contracts, summer contracts, or alternative start dates.

Accepted applicants can participate in the program up to three times (consecutively or not). Your eligibility for renewal is dependent on a positive review from the host institution, and whether or not the assistant wishes to remain at their institution or be transferred to another school or Académie (among other factors).

What are the job duties?

As an English language teaching assistant through TAPIF, you’re expected to fulfill certain job duties.

TAPIF teachers will generally have the following job duties:

  • 🏫 Teach 12 hours per week in up to 3 schools (maximum).
  • 🧑‍🏫 Lead all or part of a class completely in English.
  • 💬 Facilitate discussions in English.
  • 👩‍👧‍👦 Organize small group tutoring sessions.
  • 🗣️ Deliver presentations related to American studies.

The specific duties can vary depending on the school’s needs and the abilities of the teacher.

Benefits included with the TAPIF program

As a participant in the TAPIF program, you’ll have access to a range of benefits that can help make your stay in France all the more enjoyable:

📑 Work Visa: Through the TAPIF program, you will be able to apply for a long-stay work visa. This visa needs to be applied for in person at a visa center of your choosing in the U.S. Costs of travel to the assistant’s regional visa center office are NOT covered by the program

*Please note that you are not legally allowed to work in France without a long-stay visa and you cannot apply for this visa once you are in France.

💶 Assistantship stipend: As a teaching assistant you’ll receive a monthly stipend of €1,010.67 gross, which is approximately €810 per month net (the total amount may vary slightly depending on regional/local deductions). In most cases, (depending on personal spending habits) the provided salary is enough for teaching assistants to live a comfortable lifestyle in most regions of France.

Urban areas like Paris can be very expensive, making it difficult to make ends meet with only the provided stipend. Also, due to the higher cost of living in the overseas departments, assistants in those regions will receive an additional salary allowance of approximately 30% to 35%.

⚕️ Health insurance: You will also receive health insurance through the French “Sécurité sociale” or “Sécu”. The health insurance (only valid in France) covers 70% of medical costs incurred, 35–65% of prescriptions filled, and 80% of hospitalization fees.

The health insurance is mandatory in order to keep your work visa.

🏠 Housing aid: Participants are fully resposible for finding and arranging their own accomodation. TAPIF will do their best to help assistants with their search by probiding information on where and how to find lodging in France.

Beyond this, a lot depends on your specific school(s) in France. Some schools are able to help arrange housing for their teachers but it’s safest to work off of the assumption that you would need to find your own place to live in France.

🎓 Scholarships: In addition to provided salary and health insurance, TAPIF alumni also have access to significant scholarship opportunities. There are 15 TAPIF Alumni scholarships available at prestigious U.S. universities, including Boston College, Columbia University, the CUNY Graduate Center, Middlebury, and New York University.

Additionally, there are 6 TAPIF Alumni scholarships available at French institutions. These scholarships cover between one-third and the full cost of tuition, and some include paid teaching assistantships.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the TAPIF program you need to meet the following requirements:

🌎 Citizenship: Be an American citizen or permanent resident with a US green card.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Age: Be between the ages of 20 and 35.

📚 Education: Have completed at least 3 years of higher education. Applicants must also have completed the majority of their elementary, secondary, and university education in the US.

🗣️ Language: Applicants must be native English speakers. They also need to possess a minimum B1 level proficiency in French according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) framework. French language skills are essential when it comes to facilitating work in the classroom and integrating into a new community.

Not essential but preferred:

📜 A TESOL/TEFL certificate: While a TESOL/TEFL certificate is not a requirement to be eligible for the program, it is nonetheless a meriting qualification that can help give you an edge during the application process.

As long as you meet the program’s eligibility criteria, you are encouraged to apply!

Getting your TESOL/TEFL certificate: To teach English overseas and online you’ll need to have an accredited and recognized 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate.

If you haven’t enrolled in the course you can do so here:

TESOL/TEFL course

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How to apply for the TAPIF program

To improve your chances of being selected for one of these competitive spots, it’s important that you apply at the correct time and with all the required documents.

When do applications open?

Applications for the 2026-2027 academic school year can be submitted from November 3, 2025 up until the the application submission deadline on March 15, 2026.

What do you need to prepare for the application?

Strong language skills are essential for working in the French school system and integrating into the community.

When submitting the application, applicants must provide:

  • 📓 Copy of your US passport or green card: The accepted file formats are PDF/JPG/PNG/SVG.
  • 📝 Personal statement in French: A 500-word personal statement explaining why you want to become a language assistant in France.
  • 📑 Official university transcript: Should include the degree, the major/minor, the institution, and the start and end dates of your studies.
  • 🗣️ Proof of French proficiency: Scores from a standardized French-language test (level B1 on the CEFR Scale) or recommendation from a university French professor or teacher from the Alliance Française. Strong language skills are essential for working in the French school system and integrating into the community.
  • 🤝 Recommendation letters: One addressing language proficiency and the other a general professional reference.
  • 👮 Criminal history check: This can be requested from the FBI, your local or state police, or an online service.

For further guidance on what you should prepare, feel free to follow their step-by-step Application Guide.

How are successful applicants selected?

In addition to the qualifications listed above, applicants are also evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

  • 👩‍🏫 Interest in education: Applicants with prior teaching experience or experience working with children, teenagers, young adults (e.g., tutoring, babysitting, camp counseling) is a plus but not required. Applicants should also demonstrate an interest in education and a willingness to explore a career in this field, if applicable.
  • 🗺️ Skills for promoting cultural understanding: Experience living, working, or traveling abroad, or working with international communities (e.g., teaching ESL, volunteering at a university international center) is an asset, as it highlights an appreciation for other cultures and the ability to adapt to life abroad. However, TAPIF recognizes that this may be the first opportunity for many participants to travel or live abroad.

Does it cost anything to apply?

There is a non-refundable $149.00 application fee to apply to the program. Payment instructions will be sent by email after submitting the application.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can also follow their step-by-step Payment Guide.

Where do you apply?

Once you’ve prepared all the required documents, and are ready to send in your application, you can do so via TAPIF’s Online Submission Form.

If you’d like to learn more about the TAPIF program before applying, please visit their official website.

💡 Bonus Tip — Joint Applications:

In addition to the standard program application, TAPIF also offers joint applications together with a few other organisations:

🔗Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) positions: The Fulbright Commission has 11 reserved spots in the TAPIF program, and they come with extra benefits such as travel allowance and health coverage (in addition to the normal teaching assistantship stipend). If you wish to increase your chances of receiving a teaching position in France, you should apply to both programs.

🔗 TAPIF to Teacher: This joint program offers teaching assistants in France a full scholarship to study for a graduate teaching certificate from the Université de Nanterre online while working for TAPIF. The awardees may then transfer these graduate credits to partner universities in the U.S. to complete a MAT.

🔗 Middlebury Language Schools: In partnership with Middlebury Language Schools and schools abroad, up to four selected teaching assistants will have the opportunity to obtain their Masters of Arts in Applied Languages in tandem with their 12-hour work contract with TAPIF in Paris. Interested candidates can apply for both TAPIF and the MA in Applied Languages by January 15.

For more information about these joint application opportunities, click the links above or visit Villa Albertine’s website.

Other participating countries

While TAPIF is the U.S. version of the Assistants de langue en France program and the largest cohort among all participating countries, several other native English-speaking countries also participate through their own partner programs.

🔎 To check if your country has an English Language Teaching Assistant program in France, you can follow these steps:

  1. Visit France Eudcation International’s website.
  2. Scroll down to the “Partner countries” section on the page.
  3. Click on the “English language” tab.
  4. Browse the list of all participating countries in English language teaching to find contact information and links to their respective joint programs and recruitment authorities.

Listed below are a few direct links to some of the countries that are currently accepting applications for the 2026-2027 intake:

However, as the recruitment dates for the countries listed on France Eudcation International’s website can vary to a certain degree, some may not yet have updated their websites with the most current application information.

To check if your country is currently accepting applications, it’s recommended to get in touch with the representative organisations directly.

General eligibility criteria

All participating countries follow a set of general eligibility criteria. However, each partner country may also have its own unique eligibility and application criteria. To confirm what applies in your case specifically, it’s recommended that you contact the recruitment authority in your home country directly.

TAPIF offers a fantastic opportunity to teach overseas, with a paid placement, structured onboarding, a solid support system, and the chance to gain hands-on classroom experience with real students. If you’re ready to start your next teaching adventure in France, submit your application today.

Good luck and happy teaching!

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