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Teaching English in France
Teachers' advice > France
teaching english in france
"France is more expensive than the UK unless you are buying a home, no it's not
25% cheaper! 6-8 euros for a pint of beer. In fact, you do not need coins in
France because its hard to buy milk for less than two euros!"
Posted by Jonathon, 07/06/08
"I have been working in France for one year now I would agree that it is the
most expensive country in Europe. It is very hard to get private lessons and be
warned French houses are not modern and are very dirty. They have primitive
kitchens and most have not been decorated in years. In fact, I have never seen a
nice French home and many do not have fitted kitchens or ovens."
Posted by Jenny, 22/03/08
"France is very expensive - food, clothes and drinking in bars is very
expensive, more expensive than any other country in the EU, it is much more
expensive than the UK. Finding a place to stay in Paris which is where most of
the TEFL jobs are is very very hard because most ads you phone are gone or at
least 50 people will call in a day, it can take a month to find a place unless
you get lucky."
Posted by Carl, 15/03/08
"In France you will pay a lot of tax and many students will not be interested in
learning English because the French government makes companies provide staff
with English lessons. French people can also be quite rude and seem to enjoy it.
It is best to move to France to find a TEFL job."
Posted by Paul, 18/10/07
"I have lived in France for 13 years and I think that it is not so much what you
know but rather who you know. The French seem to focus on what qualifications
you have (often without checking them) and if it looks good on paper that's what
counts!
I am a nurse and have taught English for several years. I have just completed a
specialised course in "teaching medical English" if anyone out there is
interested to know more about that, do send me a mail."
(contact Jane through
eslbase)
Posted by Jane, 04/10/07
"I live in Amberieu (small town half an hour outside Lyon) and I teach English
freelance to adults. There seems to be a great demand for English native
speakers, and we are thin on the ground outside the big cities in this part of
France. My advice for anyone considering coming over to teach - go for it, if
you are a good teacher you will have no difficulty at all in finding work and
the quality of life over here is better than that in England (weather, food,
open space, sports, culture etc etc) and it's the best way to improve your
French, actually living in the country."
Posted by Wendy, 12/12/06
"Finding ESL teaching work outside of Paris can be a challenge and it takes time
to orientate oneself. Forget trying to find work between June and September as
the summer holiday period is long and unless you have an interview lined up
beforehand, you will need lots of luck on your side. However, I suggest you
email your CV and letter of motivation (in French) to as many
addresses as possible (try www.pagesjaunes.com) and above all don't give up,
keep trying. There are jobs out there and you don't have to be bilingual, just
very persistent. Bonne Chance."
Posted by Colette, 08/05/06
"French administration is fine as long as you get the paperwork right regarding
things like residency and work permit; that includes any family. Tax and state
contribution issues also need to be well in hand with both UK and France if you
are to avoid double whammy or problems later on return to UK. Once you are
'pigeon-holed' in France it is hell's job to change it!
You will need to a) speak French and b)
drive. France is a big country by UK standards and not all areas use much
English or choose to, and that, along with the different working hours (early to
early/early to late) and odd shop closing days/times can make working schedules
and shopping trips a bit of a juggle, especially as they vary from region to
region. I found north France (Paris included) more problematic with language
than middle and southern France... but I spoke very well quite quickly; you will
need to try to do the same so upgrade/refresh any skills before you arrive. Your
family should also learn to drive and speak asap for obvious
medical/administration and schooling reasons. We lived in a remote village with
no English speakers so be warned - it may look idyllic on the TV but it takes
some handling!
Take all documents on everything - often originals are needed so don't end up
with social security, professional and medical stuff safely in an English high
street bank vault!
Don't be fooled by the laid back attitude of the southern French; they can be
quite inscrutable and that includes students and families of them.
Be prepared for a bit of old fashioned chauvinism - this is often a (rather good
and deep) disguise as it is often 'maman' who really pulls the strings.
Professionally it is rather male dominated but the minority of French lady
professionals are very competent and tough; they have to be so treat them as
real or risk earache and severe 'red-taping' on procedures otherwise.
Students are surprisingly 'primitive' quite often in English even though
(allegedly) they learn English as a first second language in early school; as
usual passive skills are often high and laziness rules OK viz homework and
projects timeframes. Watch out for humour - it takes some very exotic forms in
the south particularly where they often have a rather 'colonial' view of England
and English teachers. Music often works well
as a teaching vehicle... surprisingly poetry does as well. Politics and social
life in other countries is cursory knowledge but stimulating with teen learners
- the Royals can be both fun subjects and mystifying if too much detail is given
or asked for.
Education admin is quite refreshingly traditional (committees, reports) but as a
teacher you will have quite a lot of templated forms and procedures and (at
higher levels) quite a bit of accountability for progress reports and real goal
attainment. Not so 'cosy' as some English language schools for example... more
real and demanding with the irritating French obsession with terminology
exactitude which can be a problem if you do not speak French well; the usual
concept translation problems.
That will do for now maybe. Social/family life issues vary from region to region
so best to do thorough homework and visit the area if you are moving over as a
family. Short term solo existence can be as 'business trip' mentality as you
choose to make it; ranging from 'where is the nearest expat support group ie.
pub... to 'I wonder what happens if' with phrase book and a big smile
adventures. The second one is far more fun and near zero-risk believe me! France
is not (yet) Papua New Guinea so the natives bite sometimes perhaps but do not
chew!
Posted by Mike, 18/04/06
Guide to Teaching EFL in France
by Nadia Zehni
Living and working in a foreign country is never easy at first. I’ve just
returned from a three month contract teaching EFL in central France and would
like to share what I’ve learnt with others who plan to teach there.
EFL is extremely popular in France at the moment, especially within businesses.
English is not introduced at school until quite late in high school so there is
a lack of fluent English speakers in the workplace. Now with business growing in
Europe, English is often the language needed to communicate with foreign clients
(as well as German.)
While in France I worked for a private company teaching EFL to management, sales
executives and administration. This is common place and there are several
language schools offering workshops to different companies. (They are definitely
in need of more EFL teachers so this may be an interesting avenue to explore!)
The following are a few things which I wish I had known before I left to France:
1) Taxes – I will not attempt to explain the French tax system to you (as
it would be practically impossible!) About 23% of my salary was deducted in
taxes which includes health and pension. I believe 1,300 euros is roughly the
minimum gross salary per month so you can use that as a measure of how well
you’re earning. (Wages in Paris will of course be higher.)
2) Medical – you will probably have to have a medical check up to
ascertain that you’re fit to work. Once you are working you will be entitled to
health benefits although you will have to pay upfront and be reimbursed later.
3) Cost of living – It is generally cheaper than the UK, possibly between
25%-35% according to some sources. Food is very reasonable and the French will
often eat a full meal at lunch as opposed to a quick sandwich on the fly as in
the UK. This will mean though that they will work extra hours to compensate for
lunch breaks etc…
4) Property – French property are classified as T or F (which means
apartment or house) with a number alongside it indicating number of rooms (plus
kitchen and bathroom). For example a T2 could be a 1 bedroom apartment, with
living area, kitchen and bathroom. If you’re only staying for a short period of
time you may want to consider making a deal with a B&B or staying with a host
family (which in turn will help you improve your French too!)
5) Private lessons – If you plan to give private lessons in your spare
time (they are in great demand) in addition to your main job, you can ask for
about 20-25 Euros per hour. I was lucky in that I lived with a family and in
exchange for food and accommodation, I gave their 3 children English lessons
every week.
6) Travel – Make the most of France when you’re there, it’s an
unbelievably beautiful and varied country! Trains are relatively cheap and
frequent. You get cheaper deals when you travel at certain times and days so
keep that in mind when planning a journey. If you’re in the North of France near
Paris you could also hop over to Brussels (2 hours) or Amsterdam (4 hours). You
should definitely try to visit the Southern region of Ardesche. It’s a popular
tourist destination, but well worth the visit especially in summer. The French
(despite how people may stereotype them) are really friendly and know how to
enjoy life. Working there will be an unforgettable experience professionally,
socially and gastronomically!
Good luck!
Nadia Zehni has extensive experience teaching English as a
Foreign Language in England, Malta and France. She is a regular contributor to
EnglishForums.com, the world's busiest EFL community, which receives over 30,000
visits a day. It's an excellent resource for EFL teachers looking for
information about grammar, phonetics, EFL jobs and teaching tips. English
students on the other hand can learn English by posting questions and getting
help from volunteer EFL teachers, as well as speaking with other learners. To
benefit from this fantastic resource sign up for free at
http://www.englishforums.com!
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The Rough Guide to France
"My husband and I took a couple of well known guide books with us on our recent
trip to France...but this is the one we found most useful. One invaluable
feature is the inclusion of maps. When we got lost in Avignon we had only to
open the Rough Guide to find our way. Also, we were able to locate the bus and
rail stations on the maps. There is much to be learned by reading a number of
guidebooks before you go but this is the one to take with you."
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