It’s been a short while since I have made any entries onto my blog, however there has been a very good reason for that. As some of you know I teach English online, generally for free with certain organisations such as Tutor4Ukraine and RefugeNet. Just recently though I have changed platform, and have been experimenting with a new one, Preply. I’ll let you know later how this is going.
Can you be seen?
So how can you teach English in France? It is the age-old question where you have people from all walks of life who feel they have capabilities in this area and offer their services to gain employment. However due to this, many platforms or job opportunities are oversubscribed. So how can you make yourself seen in today’s digital age?
Teaching English in France
Firstly, this is one of the jobs that most English-speaking people think of doing upon arriving in France, however it can be harder than it looks. There are a number of ways you can come to France to teach English, though with the tightening up of visa restrictions since Brexit, this well-trodden path is a less easy one now.
Language
Firstly, you must have some decent level of French and in a number of situations be able to prove it such as having a degree in Modern Foreign Languages including French, or have completed a DELF/ DALF course, minimum level B2. These courses are far more interesting than others as they have a life-long validity and the certificates are recognised nation wide. Most major towns and cities have centres where you can take the tests every few months and they are quite reasonably priced. You can sel- study or take courses with reputable centres.
Qualifications
Some jobs require you to have studied at university with a minimum of a bachelors degree, and also can be even more selective and ask for a degree in Languages, specifically English, or even a Masters or a recognised teaching qualification. Be ready to provide examples of all your certificates including recognised translations through an accredited translator.
I took the CELTA qualification in Bournemouth nearly 20 years ago and haven’t regretted it since. It has opened so many doors for me in France. Being a qualified primary teacher has enabled me to teach in schools, colleges and lycées, and this experience has carried us through some difficult financial situations at times. The DELF qualification I felt was the proof to colleagues that I could communicate in French (in times of stress I often felt I might be making a fool of myself communicating). Having a PGCE has also enabled me to teach in upper secondary which I enjoyed immensely, as the teaching could be topic-based to young adults who are actually interested in being there.
Where
There may be a shortage of teachers in certain areas but competition can be fierce and it can be difficult to get a job, let alone a permanent position, particularly with the visa regulations having changed. You will have an advantage though if you are a native speaker with a neutral accent.
Where we lived, teaching jobs (particularly for the later years) became more sparse. There are always associations who teach English for free which is highly commendable, however for the professionals who are trying to make a living this could be at times trying.
When
Usually the contracts start in September for the school year, however if you are a teaching assistant at university or a home-exchange student these date might not apply. Point to note, a lot of school supply jobs come in the last few weeks of September or the first few weeks of October, where institutions realise after student teaching placements they don’t have anyone for the school year and so they send out job descriptions.
Online search engines for jobs
In this day and age there are many online agencies that publicise job offers. Some people already have an idea who they want to work with and go directly to the company website. If you are doing a general trawl, here are some of the well known sites I like to use.
Pole Emploi: This is the main site for France, an engine that advertises jobs throughout France and is an organisation which people can register on to get unemployment benefits and/or help in finding employment, and even free courses, workshops, and individual advice. You can register with this association and after a certain period of time, if you have still not found a job they are obliged to help you find one. An excellent first call.
Indeed.fr: A general search engine that can give you ideas of job opportunities in France as well as abroad. It is a great place for finding jobs teaching English online and not only that, you can submit your CV and leter of motivation onto the site to make applying for opportunities juts a click away.
Academie de Toulouse: If you are looking for supply teaching posts, this is the place to go. Yes it is for the sector of Toulouse but there are other academies that provide the same service, however not all. It is basically a job board and can give an idea of what offers are available, when, where and for what hours. You can directly apply for the job through the email address provided. Make sure you have your folder of relevant documents ready and be prepared to have to start teaching almost immediately, most of the time full-time. Remember a full-time position in France for secondary education is around 18hrs a week.
Volunteer
This is the most interesting of roles and deserves a mention. It can be difficult but it is worth persevering. France is worlds apart from the UK where you can just pop into the local school and ask to be a volunteer. However, it is possible once the red tape has been gone through, and it can provide a reference and experience for other jobs in your life in France. It can brush up your language skills and help with integration. It can also be an eye opener as to how teachers work in France and how schools function. For example, don’t suggest packed lunches for the children! The French are understandably and rightly proud of being able to provide a three-course meal for all the children in the country up to university level every lunch time for a minimal cost. Again this comes back to the theory that all children should have equal opportunities.
Au-Pair
Whatever anyone says, this is a role where you are teaching English, either indirectly or directly. This position should be arranged before you come out to France, and usually the company you will be working with can organise the right visa and information you will need. Remember there will be some great times and also some low times. You will be living with another family, and perhaps you will be a perfect fit, but sometimes you might not. This is the sort of job where you need to understand that this is a particular type of job that is not suitable for every type of person. If you feel there is any cause for worry or if it just isn’t working out, contact the company assistance line. They are there to help you. The level of English, type of teaching and intensity of training will be dependant on the parents. It will be also combined with other work such as household chores and babysitting. You could be in an isolated house in the countryside or even in a city appartment. Above all, do your research!
Homestays
You can work for a reputable company and offer lessons and board in your home. English lessons are usually held in the morning, with fun activities in the afternoon. Doing this activity with a reputable company means they take on the insurance and the marketing costs, carry out the inspections and even give you the teaching materials. They take on all the administration. You only need to worry about the essentials of having happy students who are well fed, safe, educated, immersed in English and are entertained. The reward can be up to 500€ per child or more for up to 4 children per week. Not bad for having fun.
Summer Camps
You are employed as an activity supervisor or assistant. You can have a teaching degree or some sort of certification to prove you have done this work before. You will be employed by the holiday company and it will be a more entertainment role as this will be work to entertain children whilst they are on holiday. If you are skilled in art, sports or music, you will find this sort of post enjoyable. If you are local to the area of the company base, you could get this work year-in, year-out and if it is more than 7 months you could be entitled to unemployment benefits until the season restarts again.
University assistants
These are generally short-term contracts that are given out by the university. If you are looking for a more permanent position, you will have to take the “concours”, a national exam that enables you to get a permanent job contract.
GRETA/Mairie
Sometimes the local Mairie are interested in providing courses for their residents including language courses. It is always interesting to ask at your local Mairie to see if there any opportunities available. Word of mouth is extremely important especially in smaller countryside communities. You can also apply to associations such as GRETA that provides courses for adults. They always look for people, including native English teachers. It is more of a part-time position, usually a few hours in the evenings and you would probably have to have the status of being an auto-entrepreneur (depending on the contract) but it can be a great position to get, not least because your students will be there because they have chosen to be unlike in colleges!
Face-to-face teaching
There are three methods to still do this. Obviously teaching in a school or institution (either private or public), teaching during holidays (either with a holiday organisation, homestay, or other company) or teaching through your own business usually through the system of auto-entrepreneur.
Private schools
Most people try their luck out with the private schools, or “Catholic-orientated” schools. Point to note, they are not similar to the private schools you find in the UK. They are private because the Catholic Church still retains some control of the school. There might be a small token charge for a student in the private schools, as the ethos in France is that education is inclusive and equal for all children, so unless it is a particular school (international, or special due to academic ability for example) the schools are effectively free for all. Remember you can get a contract for a short period in this type of school if you are not a French citizen. This is unlike the public schools, where you have to have French nationality to teach. Contracts tend to be from a few weeks to an accademic year, however there is a lot of red tape connected to you getting a longer contract and not only that, it can be dependant on what region you are in, and also even sometimes the department. It is however possible to get a permanent contract in a private school (sometimes without the concours), however they are like gold dust.
Public schools
You have to be a French citizen to teach in these schools. Not only that, permanent contracts are only available through entering for the CAPES exam that is effectively a test for your English Language and English Literature knowledge, and your ability to communicate fluidly in French over a variety of subjects. The test is very rigid and each year only changes slightly over rolling themes. Even if you do pass, you will be “mutated” (other than for very specific reasons) to any area of France of their choosing, not yours. If there are no jobs available, or you refuse, you might have to take the CAPES again. There are however the supply jobs, though even then, after a certain amount of years working in the same department you are sometimes are forced to move to another. It is not a simple system but once you are in it, I have had the most wonderful experiences.
CAPES
That needs an article all to itself! It is basically the test you need to take to get into the public education system. You need to have a bachelors degree, preferably in the subject you will be teaching. You can do it either through distance learning or full-time at university. You don’t need to go to university to do the training, however I would recommend it. There are exceptions and rules obviously, including that if you want to get a permanent job in the private education sytem you have to take an identical exam including an interview with heads of local Catholic schools. There is also the complication of internal or external exams, depending if you have been doing supply at the time. These can be either harder or longer depending on your point of view. Not only that, the French system has a clause for people who have three children or are of a high sporting level which enables these people to sidestep certain hurdles. Suffice to say, if you wish to have one of the most prestigious jobs in France due to its status of being a government job, then you have to prepare yourself to take the CAPES. Word of warning though, once taken, it is up to the government to place you in a job (except for extreme circumstances) anywhere in France or its territories.
Online
There is a lot of competition for this type of work, however it has so many advantages for the more environmentally-conscious person nowadays and also cuts out all the costs of travel and physical resources. You know as well as me, how quickly those costs mount up. It also takes away for the most part, time such as staff meetings, parent meetings or even teaching a subsidiary subject you just were never comfortable doing such as PE, health education or being a principal tutor. Money is varied, however from experience it can be two, three, even four times the national minimum wage. Unfortunately a lot of it is down to luck, opportunity and even “chance” timing of looking for jobs at the right moment. Note that you will need a very good internet connection, of at least 25 megabits for both upload and download. No problem if you have fibre, not really feasible if you don’t. Check yor elegibility first before going down this road!
Your own business
This we will cover in a seperate article. It used to be that providing a language centre in France was a licence to print money, however rules have changed and it pays to be careful before thinking of setting up your company and teaching a foreign language. You need to think of which business “regime” will best cover you, will you be teaching one-to-one, classes, small groups; will you teach adults or children?
A Vocation
Lastly, teaching English is rewarding and is a vocational subject. If you do your job well, you may be teaching for an hour but the prep time is another hour on top of that. The thing I love the most about it is that you get to meet a variety of people from so many walks of life globally. It suddenly makes you realise how much you can give to society but also how huge the world is around us.
Good luck!
Edit…
Addition to “Teaching English Abroad”
Sometimes you just have to seize the moment and go with the flow. Or at least that is what everyone says at some point in their lives. Well it appears that it was the case for “Preply”, basically a faceless internet platform that allows you as a language teacher to be able to teach students across the world, even as far as Australia. It is however not just a language platform but also a maths platform, though this is more of a side-offering as my husband can testify. So in the space of a month, I have gone from no clients to over 22 hours a week booked, with thankfully 5-star reviews. It just shows that if you put your mind to it and price yourself appropriately in the market you can earn money to maintain reasonable standard of living. It is a precarious job with a zero-hours contract, but it means I can adjust my hours according to my family needs, and not only that, work in the warm for the first time in years a sedentary job. Happy bunny.
MidLife Crisis In France
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