Jean-Noel Moikeenah » 2007 » January

……………………i generally find it hard to concentrate, so embarking on an 80 hour course, i was slightly apprehensive. the last time i studied anything was when i left school, 14 years ago. but, i told myself that, if i wanted to live the dream with my family, i would have to do this. being a tefl teacher where i live enables me to choose the contracts that i want to teach. i don’t have to work full time, i can spend time with my daughter and wife, go on holiday when we want to and have a life without stress. As we have no mortgage, we only have to work to pay the bills, buy food and petrol.

i began the course. interesting, this course is good. not theoritical, a lot of thinking involved, lots of writing, a challenge. i’m actually enjoying this. i’m learning so many different things, about teaching and about myself………………..

……………………Continuing from where i left off. As my wife is working almost full time teaching English and my daughter goes to school full time, it was almost impossible for me to go away to do the TEFL course. So iopted for the long distance course which I can do in the comfort of my home, in my own time and pace. I haven’t done an extensive course like this since i left sixth form. I was a little apprehensive at first, wondering if i would be able to switch my brain to learning mode again.I received my first booklet, out of 4, sometimes in October. By then, i was actually looking forward to it. I saw this as a challenge and i relish them. So, my studying hat came back on and off i went……………………….

My name is Jean-Noel, born in Mauritius but nationalised British, 33 years old, living in the south of France.

I, my wife and my 3 years old daughter moved to the Pyrenees in 2004. We both left our jobs and the rat race in the UK, to come and find a more peaceful and enjoyable life in France. Our initial plan was to run a b&b, which we did. However, that wasn’t enough to pay for all the bills so my wife, who is a qualified TEFL teacher, decided that she would look for work teaching English. She found work with no problems. I continued running the b&b.

As time went by, we found that our heating bills were too expensive, as our house was in the mountains and isolated and my wife was having to drive long distances to her work. Because of these two reasons we decided to move and to stop the b&b. We moved to 45mins north of Pau, nearer to my wife’s work and cheaper heating bills.

That was in August 2006. I have since tried to find a job but with no luck. Unemployment in France is higher than the UK and to add to that, the French dubious and suspect system of having to provide a photo with your CV when applying for jobs and being British, I still haven’t found a job.

So my wife and I decided that I would become an English teacher as there is a big demand for them. As she is already working as one, she has contacts, friends who would, almost certainly, find me a job. So, in October 2006 I started a long distance TEFL course. Keep watching, there will be more…