The INTERREG “Linguistic Exchanges and Innovative Learning through Mobility” (ELAN) Project – a French immersion programme, is now open for application.
Scope of the scholarship and immersion programme
The INTERREG ELAN scholarship and immersion programme is a golden opportunity for students of the English-speaking Member States of the OECS who hold the GCSE A level and the CAPE 2. This programme will enable them to access higher education in Martinique or Guadeloupe by improving their ability to master the French language.
In order to enrol a French University or an institution of higher education, students of English-speaking Member States of the OECS are required to have a B2 proficiency in French based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). More selective programmes may even require a C1 level in French. The INTERREG ELAN programme enables students to have a B2 or a C1 level in French, which are accepted to enrol the Université des Antilles in Martinique or in Guadeloupe, or any other institution of higher education. English-speaking students can also benefit from a scholarship of €700 per month which will help to cover expenses (i.e.: accommodation, meals, transportation…) and registration fees. A flat travel allowance is also granted and calculated according to the country of origin and the destination (Martinique or Guadeloupe). The scholarship may be renewed the following year for the duration of the INTERREG ELAN project.
In an effort to reach a wider audience, a pilot project also enables holders of the GCSE A level and the CAPE 2 who have attained an A2, a B1 or an average B2 proficiency in French, to join an immersion programme which aims to improve their ability to master the French language and to facilitate access to higher education.
The INTERREG ELAN project provides English-speaking students with a B1 and an average B2 level in French who wish to apply to very selective programmes with the opportunity to participate in a 5-month immersion programme in Martinique or Guadeloupe, in order to pass the B2/C1 exam and to enrol a French institution of higher education. Students will benefit from a travel allowance and a scholarship of €700 per month for the duration of the immersion programme, as well as the first regular year at the selected university or institution of higher education for the duration of the INTERREG ELAN project.
Students with an A2 proficiency in French can attend classes at the Alliance Française of their home country in order to pass the DELF B1 exam and to join the B2 immersion programme.
| A2 level | B1/ average B2 level | B2 level | |
| Immersion programme | One semester of intensive French classes at the Alliance Française to attain the B1 level in French (classes include both e-learning and face to face sessions). | 5 months of French classes and professional immersion in Martinique or Guadeloupe to attain the B2+ level in French (3 months of French classes and University classes along with a 2-month internship). | For students with average or poor results at reaching the B2 level who wish to apply to highly selective programmes (Foreign languages, school of medicine, preparatory classes etc…) – same as the B1 level applicants. |
| Financial support | Classes fees covered by the INTERREG ELAN project. | A scholarship of €700 per month for the duration of the immersion programme and for the first regular year at the University or another institution of higher education. | A scholarship of €700 per month for a maximum of 10 months, renewable once for an additional 10 months (max.) for students enrolled at the University (Martinique or Guadeloupe) or another institution of higher education in Martinique. |
| Expected outcomes | To obtain a B1 level in French, to integrate the B2 level immersion programme. | To obtain a B2 level in French and to register at the Université des Antilles or any other institution of higher education in Martinique. | To complete the first year successfully and to be enrolled for the second year. |
All students who enrol at the Université des Antilles will benefit from reduced registration fees.
For example, students who apply to an undergraduate degree will pay approximately €170 per year instead of €2,770 like National students.
Eligibility criteria
Students who apply to the INTERREG ELAN scholarship must:
- Be a citizen of an OECS Member State,
- Be a resident of one of the English-speaking OECS Member States,
- Be between 18 and 30 years old,
- Be at least a holder of the GCSE A level or CAPE 2,
- Have at least a B2 proficiency in French based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) and be enrolled at the Université des Antilles (Martinique or Guadeloupe) or any other institution of higher education in Martinique,
- Or have a B1 or an average B2 proficiency in French based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) and be selected to participate in the immersion programme at the Université des Antilles, and
- Submit a completed application form with the required supporting documents.
Students who apply to the immersion programme must:
- Be a resident of one of the English-speaking OECS Member States,
- Be between 18 and 30 years old,
- Be at least a holder of the GCSE A level or CAPE 2,
- Have at least a B2 proficiency in French
- Have a motivated intention to pursue studies at the Université des Antilles (Martinique or Guadeloupe) or any other institution of higher education in Martinique
- Submit a completed application form with the required supporting documents.
How to apply?
Students with an A2 and a B1/B2 level are required to apply to the immersion programme by downloading and filling out the ELAN Immersion Programme Application Form.
Completed applications must be sent to [email protected] and [email protected] before September 6, 2020.
Applicants who qualify will be invited to a selection interview.
About the INTERREG ELAN project
ELAN is a 3-million-euro project co-financed by Interreg Caraïbe through the European Regional Development Fund and the European Development Fund and with the contribution of the institutional partners mentioned below. It seeks to improve the command of foreign languages, facilitate access to higher education, and encourage student mobility, training, and school exchange programs within the region.
The objective is to reinforce youth skills for ease of access to the labour market, and to improve competitiveness among companies; improve the attractiveness of territories and finally, promote a shared Caribbean identity as the basis for an efficient and sustainable regional integration.
The project resulted from close collaboration among multiple partners alongside the Academy of Martinique including:
- The Territorial Collectivity of Martinique;
- The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS);
- Campus France;
- The network of Alliances Françaises of the Lesser Antilles;
- The University of the West Indies;
- The Quisqueya University of Haiti;
- The State University of Haiti; and
- The University of the West Indies and its campuses.
Learn more about ELAN and the French Immersion programme by consulting www.elan-interreg.org
Read up on the student testimonials and on the first edition of the immersion programme.
About the INTERREG CARAIBES 2014-2020 program
INTERREG CARAÏBES 2014-2020 is a programme of the European Union led by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe which assumes the role of Managing Authority of the Programme. INTERREG enables the French and European territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Saint-Martin, to undertake regional cooperation actions with their neighbours in the OECS and the Greater Caribbean, which encompasses more than 35 countries from Mexico in the north to Venezuela in the South.
