Pacific University is involved in bringing foreign language teaching assistants onto campus.
This year there are four FLTAs; Merlin Le Glaz is from Germany, Lucía Fraiese is from Spain, Sayuri Takagaki is from Japan, and Maïté Choteau is from France.
The teaching assistants bring a different cultural aspect with them to in and out of classrooms at Pacific.
FLTA is through a program called Full Bright. In order for these people to be considered for FLTA they must begin the process in early December.
In December they will apply, and write essays about ideas they would like to offer to the schools and how they would teach.
Later if they are chosen they have to submit recommendation letters, followed by face-to-face interview with the jury.
The jury is made up of people from their country and the other half English natives. The teaching assistants must pass a standardized testing. Maïté Choteau said, “they give out three to five different universities for the people to chose from and the universities have the candidates sent to them and they have to clarify them as well”.
This is so the FLTAs and the schools will get the most out of the experience.
Maïté Choteau is one of the FLTA from France who has been given the opportunity to share her culture with many people on campus. Pacific was in her top five schools of choice.
“Pacific was my second choice” Choteau said.
She has never been to Oregon, but really enjoys the state and is looking forward to hiking and many trips that Outdoor Pursuits put on in the spring.
“In the end I am very happy with my choice,” Choteau said.
The differences from France and here that surprised Choteau were the grants and extra work opportunities.
Choteau talks about how she enjoys driving around to see the coast and can’t wait to see more of Oregon. She hopes that this experience will help her figure out what she wants to do in the future.
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