The foreign language assistants program has been running for over 100 years. It was one of the first student exchange programs: it started with the signature of an agreement by France, Prussia and England in 1905 and today it involves more than 48 countries and 12 different languages.
In France, The Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research funds this exchange program which allows students from all over the world to teach their language and culture in french educational institutions, in close collaboration with language teachers. The CIEP (Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques) runs the program for the Ministry of National Education
More than 5500 foreign language assistants come to France every year from different european countries but also from countries such as the United States, Australia, from Latin America and Asia. They represent their language and culture for french students from primary and secondary schools, and they contribute to increase interest for french language and culture when they return to their home countries. Some countries also host french students as language assistants: in 2010, about 2500 positions were available in 21 different countries.
In 2011, The Académie d'Aix-Marseille hosts 277 assistants in primary and secondary schools. They represent 7 different languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian.
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http://www.ciep.fr/assistantetr/index.php
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