Dear students,
As I need to rest more time and stay at home, my sick leave has been extended till January 2010, I will no more be able to have class until the end of this first semester. I will hopefully resume teaching for the second semester.
The administration of the History department and the HCEAI staff are trying to do their best find someone to replace me but this is not that easy. You will be informed on this blog as soon as someone is found.
Some people may think that I am abusing the system of sick leave and our welfare system and still get paid while I am sick. I would like to clarify that because of my precarious and temporary status at La Sorbonne as "enseignant vacataire", unlike the regularly appointed teachers and professors, I not paid at all for all the hours I do not teach, nor of course am I paid during the very long academic holidays. I have been teaching at La Sorbonne for several years and this precarious and temporary status has remained unchanged. I did send a letter of protest to the administration but to no avail so far.
I hope you will continue working on your English (grammar, listening comprehension, vocabulary) from the websites I had indicated and they are still listed on this blog. You are old and mature enough to somehow handle the situation without a English teacher though it is always much better to have an instructor to give you more guidelines and more explanations. Considering the circumstances, try not to be discouraged and keep working!
I also would like to thank those of you who have recently sent me very comforting letters and their best wishes for a speedy recovery. I apologise for not having not been able to respond to most of them.
I sincerely apologise again for this very unfortunate turn of events.
Very best regards,
MN