Exchange Term
DUAL Program / Formation DUALE

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SFU AND THE UNIVERSITÉ DE TOURS

Have you been accepted into the Professional Development Program's French Module? If so, you have the opportunity to complete your first term abroad at the Université de Tours in France as part of the Exchange Term Only or the Dual program, which would give you the opportunity to work towards a Master's in teaching French as a Foreign Language!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Exchange Term Only and Dual Program allow students, under certain conditions, to complete the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Professional Development Program (PDP) which qualifies them for a BC Teaching Certificate. Dual Program students will also obtain a Master en Didactique du français langue étrangère (FLE) from the Université de Tours (UT).

Students in the Exchange Term Only and Dual Program will gain specific knowledge in teaching French as foreign language by taking graduate-level courses at the Faculté des Lettres et Langues de l'Université de Tours during the first term in the Fall.

In addition, to meet the requirements for the first PDP term (EDUC 400), students must complete two online modules on Indigenous perspectives and inclusion. Once students successfully complete the first term in Tours, the credits are transferred towards EDUC 400 at SFU. 

Designed for

Students admitted to the French Module of the Professional Development Program (PDP) who possess a very good level of competence in French. Exchange Term Only and Dual Program participants are generally required to possess a DELF B2 or equivalence, or higher.

Program Structure

  • In-person classes at the Université de Tours in France and at Simon Fraser University in Canada
  • Combines SFU's PDP with graduate-level courses at the Faculté des Lettres et Langues de l'Université de Tours

Intake Schedule

The Exchange Term Only and Dual Program are offered annually with the Professional Development Program commencing in the Fall term.

Next Start Term

  • September 2024

Application deadline

  • Within 7 days after receiving your PDP offer of admission. Up to April 15, 2024

PROGRAM SCHEDULES & COURSES

Two program options are available:

  • Exchange Term Only: includes one term at the Université de Tours in France as part of the PDP French Module (16 months)
    or
  • Dual Program: includes one term at the Université de Tours in France as part of the PDP French Module + one additional term to complete remotely a Master en Didactique du français langue étrangère (FLE) from the Université de Tours (22 months)

Option 1 - Exchange Term Only

First term of the Exchange Term Only / PDP French Module at the Université de Tours in France followed by three terms of the PDP French Module at SFU.

  • Term 1 - September to December at Université de Tours: Courses at the UT and two online modules with SFU for the PDP French Module (EDUC 400)
  • Term 2 - January to April at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 401/402
  • Term 3 - May to August at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 404
  • Term 4 - September to December at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 405

Upon successful completion of the four terms, students will be recommended by SFU to the BC Ministry of Education to obtain the BC Teaching Certificate.

Note: The term in Tours can only be completed from September to December and cannot be completed during any other term. The credits are transferred as EDUC 400. This term must be successfully completed in order to enroll in the following terms of PDP. Exchange Term Only students are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Education as a second degree as part of their PDP - French Module. Learn more: B.Ed. as 2nd degree

Option 2 - Dual Program

The first term of the Dual Program / PDP French Module is completed in France at the Université de Tours, followed by three PDP terms in British Columbia, Canada at Simon Fraser University, and six months for the mémoire.

  • Term 1 - September to December at Université de Tours: Courses at the UT and two online modules with SFU for the PDP French Module (EDUC 400)
  • Term 2 - January to April at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 401/402 and EDUC 380 (additional mandatory course)
  • Term 3 - May to August at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 404
  • Term 4 - September to December at SFU: PDP French Module, EDUC 405
  • Term 5 - January to June with Université de Tours: Complete the Master (mémoire professionnel) remotely

Upon successful completion of the four first terms, students are recommended by SFU to the BC Ministry of Education to obtain the BC Teaching Certificate. In addition, they will obtain upon successful completion of the fifth term the Master en Didactique du français langue étrangère (FLE) from UT.

Note: All the terms and the mémoire count towards the M2, not only the term in Tours and the mémoire. The term in Tours (including the two online modules with SFU) can only be completed from September to December and cannot be completed during any other term. The credits are transfered as EDUC 400. This term must be successfully completed in order to enroll in the following terms of PDP. Dual Program students are not eligible to complete the Bachelor of Education as a second degree (B.Ed) under the PDP.

LOCATIONS

At SFU, campus life is rich with opportunities to engage with people, ideas and activities that contribute to personal development and a better world.

Université de Tours

You will experience a stimulating life as a student at the Université de Tours in a city that offers a great quality of life. Tours is situated in the Val de Loire, less than 1 hour away from Paris by the TGV, and is a lively cosmopolitain city. Take a virtual tour of the city of Tours.

Discover Tours: a historical center for education

History has recorded that Tours has often been an active center for education. Medicine has traditionally been taught in Tours since the Gallo-Roman time in the III and  IV centuries.  Gatien, bishop of the city Caesarodunum, founded a medical academy. In the high middle ages, medicine was being taught in an Episcopal school, then in the convents, notably in the Abbaye de Marmoutier on the right bank of the Loire river, where patients came from afar. At the times of Charlemagne, bishop Alcuin founded the École de Rhétorique in Tours, the distant ancestor of education in literature and philosophy.

Explore Touraine: a cultural pole of the Renaissance

At the end of the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, Touraine, which was the 'Vallée des Rois' (Valley of the Kings), was the place where illustrious writers, musicians and clerks gathered and it became the cultural pole of the Renaissance. The Touraine is the homeland or adoptive land to Rabelais, Ronsard, Michel Colombe, Léonard de Vinci, then to Descartes, de Vigny, Balzac and Anatole France.

Burnaby

Perched atop Burnaby Mountain, Simon Fraser University's original Arthur Erickson-designed campus includes more than three dozen academic buildings and a flourishing sustainable residential community.

Simon Fraser University respectfully acknowledges the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, on which SFU Burnaby is located.

PDP School Placement

Experience teaching during a practicum placement in a local B.C. K-12 public school.

AN ENRICHING EXPERIENCE

Academic Advantages

  • excellent theory component which complements the practical component of the PDP French Module
  • observations in classrooms in schools or institutions where French is taught
  • option of obtaining the Master from France in teaching French as a Foreign Language Master Dual Program in Tours (Dual Program only)

Professional Advantages

  • excellent addition to your resume: experience in a different education system and different culture
  • job opportunities in language schools in Canada as well as in France and elsewhere in the world (Alliances françaises and Instituts français)
  • completion of a dual certification: Masters from Université de Tours and the Professional Development Program which qualifies you for a Teaching Certificate from BC Ministry of Education (Dual Program only)

Personal Advantages

  • live in a historical region in France, rich in culture and traditions
  • explore other Francophone countries in Europe
  • experience a daily immersion in French language and culture
  • possibility for a bursary from the Université de Tours
  • option to stay in university residences and enjoy meals at student rates

Read about our students' experience:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have questions about DELF-DALF (Diplôme d'études en langue française). Who should I contact?

For more information about DELF-DALF, please visit the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs website: https://www.sfu.ca/baff-offa/en/DELF-DALF/Overview.html

How do I apply for a student visa for France?

To apply for a French Student Visa, visit: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/student

Where will I live when attending the Université de Tours?

Students admitted to the Exchange Term Only or the Dual Program can make their own accommodation arrangements in Tours or they can apply to stay in student residences at the Université de Tours. Students will also have the option to purchase meal plans at the student rate.

MORE INFORMATION

Learn more about admission requirements, cost, tuition and how to apply to the Exchange Term Only or the Dual Program.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about the Exchange Term Only or the Dual Program, contact our admissions team.

Email: educ_french@sfu.ca
Phone:
778-782-7992

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