Office public de la langue occitane - "Ensenhar" Scholarship for the Support of Bilingual French-Occitan Teaching

"Ensenhar" scholarship for future bilingual French-Occitan teachers

You will receive 8,000 EUR in total, spread across 3 years of study if you are training to become a teacher at a bilingual French-Occitan nursery or primary school. The funds are paid out in instalments, depending on how far you have progressed in your studies. In the state school system, you will receive 2,000 EUR in the 3th year of your Bachelor’s degree, 3,000 EUR in the 1th year of your Master’s degree and 3,000 EUR in the 2. year of your Master’s degree (the year in which you sit the specialised examination for teaching Occitan). In the Calandreta branch (a network of non-profit Occitan-speaking schools), the grant amounts to 2,000 EUR in the 3th year of your Bachelor’s degree, 4,000 EUR in the APRENE1 year and 2,000 EUR in the 1 year of your Master’s degree. The scholarship is awarded as a lump sum and may be combined with other individual scholarships. It is administered by the Office public de la langue occitane (OPLO) in Toulouse, in collaboration with the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions and the French Ministry of Education.

Who can apply

• Your goal: You would like to become a teacher at a bilingual French-Occitan nursery or primary school, either within the state education system or within the Calandreta network.
• Study level: You are enrolled on the programme from 3 (third year of the Bachelor’s degree) through the Master’s programmes 1 and 2, right up to the CRPE, CAPES or CAFEP teaching qualification examinations.
• Subject: Your Licence 3 does not have to be in Occitan.
• Language level: You have a knowledge of Occitan at levels A2–B1, or are willing to take a language course to reach this level.
• Where you study: Your university is located in the academic centres of Bordeaux, Limoges, Montpellier, Poitiers or Toulouse (in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions).
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Commitment: You agree to teach at a bilingual school once you have completed your training.

How to apply

You should submit your application documents to OPLO. These include the application form, a CV, a covering letter setting out your career plan, a signed declaration of commitment, and proof of your enrolment at the university. The application deadline is 15 September.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined: you must undertake specific training to teach at a bilingual French-Occitan school and be enrolled at one of the five academies listed, meaning that very few people meet the criteria. As part of the specialised Occitan teacher training examination, around 40 posts are advertised each year, which shows that the programme aims to attract applicants rather than turn anyone away. If you clearly meet the criteria and apply by the deadline, your chances are good.