COLLEGE LECTORSHIP IN FRENCH (St John's College, Cambridge)

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COLLEGE LECTORSHIP IN FRENCH


Applications are invited for the post of College Lector in French tenable from 1 October 2010 until 30 September 2011 with the possibility of renewal for a further year, at St John's College, Cambridge. It is expected that candidates will hold or be about to achieve the qualification of Maîtrise or its equivalent, and preference may be given to those who either have or are preparing for the Aggrégation.


Terms of Appointment


The appointment, which is initially for one year, is normally renewable for a second year (but not beyond that).


The Lector's main teaching duties are the conduct of oral discussion groups; the development of students' listening comprehension with the help of videos, some advanced essay work with students in higher years on literary, cultural and linguistic topics; some translation classes (which may include classes with students whose main subject is English Literature).


The teaching obligation will be nine hours per week for the three "teaching terms". This may include teaching students from colleges other than St John's. The Lector may not undertake any other form of paid teaching without the permission of the College Council, and is required usually to be in Cambridge for a substantial part of the working day during Full Term. Any absence for two or more consecutive days during Full Term requires approved leave of absence.


Candidates should speak fluent English, and should be willing to participate in the social and cultural life of the College. Lectors are normally allowed to use libraries in Cambridge for their own studies and to attend lectures in their field of interest.



Emoluments

The term of the appointment is from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011, though teaching duties are expected to finish by 15 July 2011. The stipend for the post as at 1 October 2010 will be not less than £13,000 per annum. Furnished accommodation for single occupancy or occupancy by a couple will be provided free of rent but subject to payment of a service charge to cover the costs of utilities and the provision of furniture. An entertainment allowance of £175 will be provided for the purpose of entertaining students of the College. The Lector will be provided with 90 free meals per quarter. The cost of three return journeys between Cambridge and the Lector’s home base will also be paid up to the cost of an economy air fare or equivalent and subject to an overall limit of £500 for the year. Assistance may also be available to support research and attendance at relevant academic conferences up to a limit of £775. The Lector is entitled to payment for any agreed teaching done in excess of the teaching duties of nine hours per week.



Applications



Candidates should send a curriculum vitae, together with the names and addresses of two or three persons prepared to recommend them, to: The Senior Tutor, St John's College, Cambridge, CB2 1TP, England, as soon as possible and in any case before 14 January 2010.


Duties of the French Lector

(with effect from 1 October 2010)



The French Lector is mainly expected to provide (up to) 9 hours per week of individual tuition ("supervisions" in Cambridge parlance) for two categories of student:

A - Those studying French as a main subject, and

B - It is possible that the Lector will be asked to teach students of English who are preparing for an examination in French, and (subject to permission from the College Council) to teach students from other Cambridge Colleges.



The expected content of the teaching is as follows:

A(1) First-year students


First-year students should receive weekly supervisions (usually in pairs) designed (a) to prepare them for the oral exam, and (b) to support and develop their work for their Use of French exam. These students will need practice in conversation and discussion, which may be video-based or text based. They will also need advice on how to develop their written style, and the work may include some essay-writing related to their academic studies in French. (In addition to their oral exam and written papers in Use of French and Translation from French, first-year students are allowed to choose between an exam in French linguistics and an exam on a selection of French literary texts, currently by Robert d'Orbigny, Marguerite de Navarre, Molière, Montesquieu, Nerval, and Marguerite Duras. They will also be preparing for a similar set of exams in a second foreign language besides French.)



A(2) Second-year students


In their second year, students of French are likely to need fortnightly supervisions in preparation for a listening comprehension exam. Some work on translation into French may also be required. This work could again be supplemented by oral discussion and some essay-writing related to their academic studies. (Second-year students are allowed a wide range of choice among the academic options available in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages.)



A(3) Final-year students

Final-year students are likely to need fortnightly supervisions in preparation for the Essay in French (a three-hour exam). This option is likely to be chosen by students who have spent the year abroad in a French-speaking country. Topics set for the Essay in French will be related to their academic studies, which may include linguistics, critical theory, and some visual art, as well as the full range of modern and medieval literature taught by the French Department.



Please note that detailed advice about teaching for French language exams will be given by the French Department or the University Language Centre during a briefing session for new Lectors in the first week of October, before the start of Full Term.




David Midgley, Director of Studies