Teaching English in France

Get a TEFL Certificate

The first thing you will need is an accredited TEFL Certificate to be considered for an English teaching job in France.  Some schools will consider a teacher with a lot of experience that do not have a TEFL certificate, but the better and more reliable schools will insist on a TEFL certificate.

Choosing the right school

There are plenty of academies or private language schools out there, including around 300 in Paris alone, but the reality is some are much better than others, and some are worth avoiding completely.  Do your research and ask to speak to other teachers before accepting a teaching position.  Look out for corporate crooks. Chains of language schools are usually an easy option for getting a quick teaching position, but will not necessarily be the most intellectually stimulating, and will often work out as the worst option financially.  It’s easier to concentrate your job searches around the established academies, as they often have the biggest staff numbers and turnover of teachers. However it might pay off to spend some time looking elsewhere.

Know your salary

In terms of pay, €1,200 after tax per month is the absolute minimum wage you should envisage in Paris, although slightly less could be feasible elsewhere in France.  Make sure the job you get allows you this salary, or the time to do other teaching work to supplement your salary.  Remember that the French take, on average, 5-10 weeks holiday each year and you may not be paid during the time your students are on holiday, depending on your contract.

Consider travel time for classes you will be teaching

A love of travel is why most English teachers end up doing what they do, but travel can also cause many to give it up.  Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region is a huge area, and academies will soon have you travelling to teach at companies far and wide, and your time spent on a [regional] RER train will normally not be paid.  Make sure you find out during the interview how much travel will be required and how it is remunerated. If you teach for three hours but have to travel for five, your day works out much longer, and your hourly rate takes a big blow.

Get your CV out there

Sending a CV is still the best way of getting a job at a language school. The best time to send them off is June and July, before the new term starts. This is when a lot of teachers move on and schools are desperately hunting for new recruits.

What about a work visa

France is a country in which many ESL teachers envision themselves teaching. Although France appears to be the ideal teaching location, its inclusion in the European Union (EU) makes obtaining a work visa quite difficult for non-EU citizens and the process is lengthy. Typically, a sponsoring employer must prove that there are no qualified EU citizens who could fill the position in question. Given that the UK and Ireland are members of the EU, native English language ability alone is usually not sufficient to support this claim. Applicants must prove that they have additional expertise that makes them unique among EU candidates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a job placement program in Peru and guaranteed lifetime job assistance waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

Teaching English in France

Get a TEFL Certificate

The first thing you will need is an accredited TEFL Certificate to be considered for an English teaching job in France.  Some schools will consider a teacher with a lot of experience that do not have a TEFL certificate, but the better and more reliable schools will insist on a TEFL certificate.

Choosing the right school

There are plenty of academies or private language schools out there, including around 300 in Paris alone, but the reality is some are much better than others, and some are worth avoiding completely.  Do your research and ask to speak to other teachers before accepting a teaching position.  Look out for corporate crooks. Chains of language schools are usually an easy option for getting a quick teaching position, but will not necessarily be the most intellectually stimulating, and will often work out as the worst option financially.  It’s easier to concentrate your job searches around the established academies, as they often have the biggest staff numbers and turnover of teachers. However it might pay off to spend some time looking elsewhere.

Know your salary

In terms of pay, €1,200 after tax per month is the absolute minimum wage you should envisage in Paris, although slightly less could be feasible elsewhere in France.  Make sure the job you get allows you this salary, or the time to do other teaching work to supplement your salary.  Remember that the French take, on average, 5-10 weeks holiday each year and you may not be paid during the time your students are on holiday, depending on your contract.

Consider travel time for classes you will be teaching

A love of travel is why most English teachers end up doing what they do, but travel can also cause many to give it up.  Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region is a huge area, and academies will soon have you travelling to teach at companies far and wide, and your time spent on a [regional] RER train will normally not be paid.  Make sure you find out during the interview how much travel will be required and how it is remunerated. If you teach for three hours but have to travel for five, your day works out much longer, and your hourly rate takes a big blow.

Get your CV out there

Sending a CV is still the best way of getting a job at a language school. The best time to send them off is June and July, before the new term starts. This is when a lot of teachers move on and schools are desperately hunting for new recruits.

What about a work visa

France is a country in which many ESL teachers envision themselves teaching. Although France appears to be the ideal teaching location, its inclusion in the European Union (EU) makes obtaining a work visa quite difficult for non-EU citizens and the process is lengthy. Typically, a sponsoring employer must prove that there are no qualified EU citizens who could fill the position in question. Given that the UK and Ireland are members of the EU, native English language ability alone is usually not sufficient to support this claim. Applicants must prove that they have additional expertise that makes them unique among EU candidates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a job placement program in Peru and guaranteed lifetime job assistance waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

Teaching English in France

Get a TEFL Certificate

The first thing you will need is an accredited TEFL Certificate to be considered for an English teaching job in France.  Some schools will consider a teacher with a lot of experience that do not have a TEFL certificate, but the better and more reliable schools will insist on a TEFL certificate.

Choosing the right school

There are plenty of academies or private language schools out there, including around 300 in Paris alone, but the reality is some are much better than others, and some are worth avoiding completely.  Do your research and ask to speak to other teachers before accepting a teaching position.  Look out for corporate crooks. Chains of language schools are usually an easy option for getting a quick teaching position, but will not necessarily be the most intellectually stimulating, and will often work out as the worst option financially.  It’s easier to concentrate your job searches around the established academies, as they often have the biggest staff numbers and turnover of teachers. However it might pay off to spend some time looking elsewhere.

Know your salary

In terms of pay, €1,200 after tax per month is the absolute minimum wage you should envisage in Paris, although slightly less could be feasible elsewhere in France.  Make sure the job you get allows you this salary, or the time to do other teaching work to supplement your salary.  Remember that the French take, on average, 5-10 weeks holiday each year and you may not be paid during the time your students are on holiday, depending on your contract.

Consider travel time for classes you will be teaching

A love of travel is why most English teachers end up doing what they do, but travel can also cause many to give it up.  Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region is a huge area, and academies will soon have you travelling to teach at companies far and wide, and your time spent on a [regional] RER train will normally not be paid.  Make sure you find out during the interview how much travel will be required and how it is remunerated. If you teach for three hours but have to travel for five, your day works out much longer, and your hourly rate takes a big blow.

Get your CV out there

Sending a CV is still the best way of getting a job at a language school. The best time to send them off is June and July, before the new term starts. This is when a lot of teachers move on and schools are desperately hunting for new recruits.

What about a work visa

France is a country in which many ESL teachers envision themselves teaching. Although France appears to be the ideal teaching location, its inclusion in the European Union (EU) makes obtaining a work visa quite difficult for non-EU citizens and the process is lengthy. Typically, a sponsoring employer must prove that there are no qualified EU citizens who could fill the position in question. Given that the UK and Ireland are members of the EU, native English language ability alone is usually not sufficient to support this claim. Applicants must prove that they have additional expertise that makes them unique among EU candidates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 12t

France - Erin

I've spent the last year teaching English in France in two different areas: general English in a public high school and business English to company employees. Of all the countries in Europe, France unfortunately ranks as one of the worst in foreign language learning. The Ministry of Education has only recently awakened to the realization that speaking and listening skills are a necessary component of a foreign language, but they still play a secondary role to reading and writing. As a result, a French student studies English for 7 years without really being able to communicate in it.

I first served as a teaching assistant in the countryside, brought over by the French government to encourage the students to speak English and to make it fun. Basically, the teacher was responsible for the curriculum and grammar - and then I worked with individual groups of students every week to help them take the grammar and vocabulary that they'd been learning in class and make them use it orally. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the students did too because they got to relate English to their lives. Plus, they discovered that if they wanted to hear about the United States from a real American, they had to figure out a way to put a sentence together - it was a motivator.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In general, the teaching style in France is fairly strict and rigid. Teachers scold their students if they get an answer wrong and most classes are conducted lecture-style where the teacher speaks and the students take notes. If a student speaks, it's usually to answer a question, give a summary of an article, or give a description of a picture - and topics remain intellectual. There are few roleplays, pairwork or games. So the students loved having a change of pace and the chance to do something 'non-intellectual' because they were after all high school kids. The problem really is the way teachers are trained to teach, which is influenced by a curriculum that places heavy emphasis on writing and reading.

The particular program that I did, the 'teaching assistantship' program. This is one that I highly recommend for people who want to live in France for seven months without the painful process of trying to find a job in France (which I'll get to later), or who want to get their feet wet in teaching. It requires no prior teaching experience and only a moderate level in French.

If you want to wing it on your own in France, you're in for a challenge. Unless you're an EU citizen, you'll face a very tough time getting a school or a company to sponsor you for a work permit. Currently France has something like a 10% unemployment rate, and it legally has to give priority for any job to an EU citizen. Basically, if the government sees any justifiable reason why an EU citizen can do the job you want, you'll probably be denied a work permit. That is, if you can find an organization to sponsor this permit, which costs them money. (As an EU citizen, you'll have your pick of private language schools or you can do freelance work without having to worry about residency issues.)

Having said that, it is possible to get a teaching job in France as a non-EU citizen, just very, very hard and it takes dedication. What I did to find my current job teaching in a financial consulting company was to convince the Chairman of the company that he needed in-house English instruction. This will obviously work better with companies that are international or planning to go international in the near future. The other alternative is to try to find a private language school to hire you (in which case they'll definitely require some kind of certification and/or experience). The third option, to work as a full-time teacher in a public school, generally takes years of education in the French system and is off-limits to non-EU citizens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos GUARANTEED JOB UPON COMPLETION OF OUR TEFL COURSE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In terms of the differences between teaching high school students and employees in their 20s, I found it much easier to teach adults. There is a difference in level obviously, but the biggest difference is in motivation. Employees in a company generally realize that they need English in their jobs and so they make an effort to speak and ask questions and do their homework. Right now I'm teaching a range of employees, from financial consultants to salespeople, and even if they don't use English in their daily jobs, they recognize that being able to speak English will help them land future jobs.

I would recommend France as a place to spend a couple of months teaching, if you want to try it out through the assistantship program. Otherwise, you'll need a certification and/or experience (and some persistence if you're not European) to get something more permanent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 46

Sue - France

Sue talks about her varied experience of teaching English in rural France and the importance of dressing for the snowy winter in Auvergne!

I'm rushing around tying last minute balloons onto the door and finally I attach my 'Welcome' notice. I've already laid the table with drinks, McVities chocolate digestives (surprisingly found on the shelves of LIDL in Issoire), a plate of crisps, home-made scones and a Victoria sponge cake. I'm a little nervous because today I've invited the parents to stay for the end of year party. Just at that moment I hear shrieks and footsteps on the stone stairway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing I see is not a small child, but a huge red flowery plant. Its progress is a little wobbly and behind it I can just spot Pauline, who has been entrusted to carry it. Behind her are the rest of my group proffering more flowers and hand-made cards. I'm really touched and almost tearful. Thaîs mumbles something in French which I don't quite hear, so maman repeats "We hope you live longer than the flowers!"

"So do I!" I laugh, and everyone joins in.

The ice is broken and the children offer food and drinks to the parents, carefully pronouncing Would you like some…? which we had rehearsed the previous week. The adults try my spongecake and scones, but the children are content with a few crisps. I'm amazed at how restrained and polite the French kids are. They will never take anything unless it's offered to them.

This year has been my first experience of teaching English to 4-11 year olds on a Saturday morning and although I hate to use clichés, it's been a steep learning curve; constantly finding new ideas to keep the little ones interested and spending hours making resources. I've become an expert worthy of a Blue Peter badge.

My other TEFL work is a million miles away from this environment. I've just finished teaching engineers in a car component factory and as a result know far more about what's under my car bonnet than ever before – in English and in French. Unfortunately this didn't help when I broke down recently!

I also give telephone lessons to Business English students which is very convenient in the depths of an Auvergne winter at 1,200 metres altitude.

But … summer has finally arrived! It seems a long time coming. Actually, I don't recall having spring as even in the last week of May we were having flurries of snow. Our niece Katie came to stay then, in desperate need of a half-term break from her demanding teaching job in the UK. We had to tell her to bring fleeces and boots, not shorts and T-shirts.

Summer means a quieter time for me until la rentréein September, a very important time here in France, signifying the beginning of the new school year and when all the sports clubs and other activities start up again. But, for now, France has shut down for the summer so I'll take advantage of the break and get out the deckchair.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 12

France - Erin

I've spent the last year teaching English in France in two different areas: general English in a public high school and business English to company employees. Of all the countries in Europe, France unfortunately ranks as one of the worst in foreign language learning. The Ministry of Education has only recently awakened to the realization that speaking and listening skills are a necessary component of a foreign language, but they still play a secondary role to reading and writing. As a result, a French student studies English for 7 years without really being able to communicate in it.

I first served as a teaching assistant in the countryside, brought over by the French government to encourage the students to speak English and to make it fun. Basically, the teacher was responsible for the curriculum and grammar - and then I worked with individual groups of students every week to help them take the grammar and vocabulary that they'd been learning in class and make them use it orally. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the students did too because they got to relate English to their lives. Plus, they discovered that if they wanted to hear about the United States from a real American, they had to figure out a way to put a sentence together - it was a motivator.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In general, the teaching style in France is fairly strict and rigid. Teachers scold their students if they get an answer wrong and most classes are conducted lecture-style where the teacher speaks and the students take notes. If a student speaks, it's usually to answer a question, give a summary of an article, or give a description of a picture - and topics remain intellectual. There are few roleplays, pairwork or games. So the students loved having a change of pace and the chance to do something 'non-intellectual' because they were after all high school kids. The problem really is the way teachers are trained to teach, which is influenced by a curriculum that places heavy emphasis on writing and reading.

The particular program that I did, the 'teaching assistantship' program. This is one that I highly recommend for people who want to live in France for seven months without the painful process of trying to find a job in France (which I'll get to later), or who want to get their feet wet in teaching. It requires no prior teaching experience and only a moderate level in French.

 If you want to wing it on your own in France, you're in for a challenge. Unless you're an EU citizen, you'll face a very tough time getting a school or a company to sponsor you for a work permit. Currently France has something like a 10% unemployment rate, and it legally has to give priority for any job to an EU citizen. Basically, if the government sees any justifiable reason why an EU citizen can do the job you want, you'll probably be denied a work permit. That is, if you can find an organization to sponsor this permit, which costs them money. (As an EU citizen, you'll have your pick of private language schools or you can do freelance work without having to worry about residency issues.)

Having said that, it is possible to get a teaching job in France as a non-EU citizen, just very, very hard and it takes dedication. What I did to find my current job teaching in a financial consulting company was to convince the Chairman of the company that he needed in-house English instruction. This will obviously work better with companies that are international or planning to go international in the near future. The other alternative is to try to find a private language school to hire you (in which case they'll definitely require some kind of certification and/or experience). The third option, to work as a full-time teacher in a public school, generally takes years of education in the French system and is off-limits to non-EU citizens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos GUARANTEED JOB UPON COMPLETION OF OUR TEFL COURSE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In terms of the differences between teaching high school students and employees in their 20s, I found it much easier to teach adults. There is a difference in level obviously, but the biggest difference is in motivation. Employees in a company generally realize that they need English in their jobs and so they make an effort to speak and ask questions and do their homework. Right now I'm teaching a range of employees, from financial consultants to salespeople, and even if they don't use English in their daily jobs, they recognize that being able to speak English will help them land future jobs.

I would recommend France as a place to spend a couple of months teaching, if you want to try it out through the assistantship program. Otherwise, you'll need a certification and/or experience (and some persistence if you're not European) to get something more permanent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 10 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Teaching English in France

Get a TEFL Certificate

The first thing you will need is an accredited TEFL Certificate to be considered for an English teaching job in France.  Some schools will consider a teacher with a lot of experience that do not have a TEFL certificate, but the better and more reliable schools will insist on a TEFL certificate.

Choosing the right school

There are plenty of academies or private language schools out there, including around 300 in Paris alone, but the reality is some are much better than others, and some are worth avoiding completely.  Do your research and ask to speak to other teachers before accepting a teaching position.  Look out for corporate crooks. Chains of language schools are usually an easy option for getting a quick teaching position, but will not necessarily be the most intellectually stimulating, and will often work out as the worst option financially.  It’s easier to concentrate your job searches around the established academies, as they often have the biggest staff numbers and turnover of teachers. However it might pay off to spend some time looking elsewhere.

Know your salary

In terms of pay, €1,200 after tax per month is the absolute minimum wage you should envisage in Paris, although slightly less could be feasible elsewhere in France.  Make sure the job you get allows you this salary, or the time to do other teaching work to supplement your salary.  Remember that the French take, on average, 5-10 weeks holiday each year and you may not be paid during the time your students are on holiday, depending on your contract.

Consider travel time for classes you will be teaching

A love of travel is why most English teachers end up doing what they do, but travel can also cause many to give it up.  Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region is a huge area, and academies will soon have you travelling to teach at companies far and wide, and your time spent on a [regional] RER train will normally not be paid.  Make sure you find out during the interview how much travel will be required and how it is remunerated. If you teach for three hours but have to travel for five, your day works out much longer, and your hourly rate takes a big blow.

Get your CV out there

Sending a CV is still the best way of getting a job at a language school. The best time to send them off is June and July, before the new term starts. This is when a lot of teachers move on and schools are desperately hunting for new recruits.

What about a work visa

France is a country in which many ESL teachers envision themselves teaching. Although France appears to be the ideal teaching location, its inclusion in the European Union (EU) makes obtaining a work visa quite difficult for non-EU citizens and the process is lengthy. Typically, a sponsoring employer must prove that there are no qualified EU citizens who could fill the position in question. Given that the UK and Ireland are members of the EU, native English language ability alone is usually not sufficient to support this claim. Applicants must prove that they have additional expertise that makes them unique among EU candidates.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 5 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And a guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 46

Sue - France

Sue talks about her varied experience of teaching English in rural France and the importance of dressing for the snowy winter in Auvergne!

I'm rushing around tying last minute balloons onto the door and finally I attach my 'Welcome' notice. I've already laid the table with drinks, McVities chocolate digestives (surprisingly found on the shelves of LIDL in Issoire), a plate of crisps, home-made scones and a Victoria sponge cake. I'm a little nervous because today I've invited the parents to stay for the end of year party. Just at that moment I hear shrieks and footsteps on the stone stairway.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing I see is not a small child, but a huge red flowery plant. Its progress is a little wobbly and behind it I can just spot Pauline, who has been entrusted to carry it. Behind her are the rest of my group proffering more flowers and hand-made cards. I'm really touched and almost tearful. Thaîs mumbles something in French which I don't quite hear, so maman repeats "We hope you live longer than the flowers!"

"So do I!" I laugh, and everyone joins in.

The ice is broken and the children offer food and drinks to the parents, carefully pronouncing Would you like some…? which we had rehearsed the previous week. The adults try my spongecake and scones, but the children are content with a few crisps. I'm amazed at how restrained and polite the French kids are. They will never take anything unless it's offered to them.

This year has been my first experience of teaching English to 4-11 year olds on a Saturday morning and although I hate to use clichés, it's been a steep learning curve; constantly finding new ideas to keep the little ones interested and spending hours making resources. I've become an expert worthy of a Blue Peter badge.

My other TEFL work is a million miles away from this environment. I've just finished teaching engineers in a car component factory and as a result know far more about what's under my car bonnet than ever before – in English and in French. Unfortunately this didn't help when I broke down recently!

I also give telephone lessons to Business English students which is very convenient in the depths of an Auvergne winter at 1,200 metres altitude.

But … summer has finally arrived! It seems a long time coming. Actually, I don't recall having spring as even in the last week of May we were having flurries of snow. Our niece Katie came to stay then, in desperate need of a half-term break from her demanding teaching job in the UK. We had to tell her to bring fleeces and boots, not shorts and T-shirts.

Summer means a quieter time for me until la rentréein September, a very important time here in France, signifying the beginning of the new school year and when all the sports clubs and other activities start up again. But, for now, France has shut down for the summer so I'll take advantage of the break and get out the deckchair.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our beach-front outdoor training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 5 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 12

France - Erin

I've spent the last year teaching English in France in two different areas: general English in a public high school and business English to company employees. Of all the countries in Europe, France unfortunately ranks as one of the worst in foreign language learning. The Ministry of Education has only recently awakened to the realization that speaking and listening skills are a necessary component of a foreign language, but they still play a secondary role to reading and writing. As a result, a French student studies English for 7 years without really being able to communicate in it.

I first served as a teaching assistant in the countryside, brought over by the French government to encourage the students to speak English and to make it fun. Basically, the teacher was responsible for the curriculum and grammar - and then I worked with individual groups of students every week to help them take the grammar and vocabulary that they'd been learning in class and make them use it orally. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the students did too because they got to relate English to their lives. Plus, they discovered that if they wanted to hear about the United States from a real American, they had to figure out a way to put a sentence together - it was a motivator.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In general, the teaching style in France is fairly strict and rigid. Teachers scold their students if they get an answer wrong and most classes are conducted lecture-style where the teacher speaks and the students take notes. If a student speaks, it's usually to answer a question, give a summary of an article, or give a description of a picture - and topics remain intellectual. There are few roleplays, pairwork or games. So the students loved having a change of pace and the chance to do something 'non-intellectual' because they were after all high school kids. The problem really is the way teachers are trained to teach, which is influenced by a curriculum that places heavy emphasis on writing and reading.

The particular program that I did, the 'teaching assistantship' program. This is one that I highly recommend for people who want to live in France for seven months without the painful process of trying to find a job in France (which I'll get to later), or who want to get their feet wet in teaching. It requires no prior teaching experience and only a moderate level in French.

If you want to wing it on your own in France, you're in for a challenge. Unless you're an EU citizen, you'll face a very tough time getting a school or a company to sponsor you for a work permit. Currently France has something like a 10% unemployment rate, and it legally has to give priority for any job to an EU citizen. Basically, if the government sees any justifiable reason why an EU citizen can do the job you want, you'll probably be denied a work permit. That is, if you can find an organization to sponsor this permit, which costs them money. (As an EU citizen, you'll have your pick of private language schools or you can do freelance work without having to worry about residency issues.)

Having said that, it is possible to get a teaching job in France as a non-EU citizen, just very, very hard and it takes dedication. What I did to find my current job teaching in a financial consulting company was to convince the Chairman of the company that he needed in-house English instruction. This will obviously work better with companies that are international or planning to go international in the near future. The other alternative is to try to find a private language school to hire you (in which case they'll definitely require some kind of certification and/or experience). The third option, to work as a full-time teacher in a public school, generally takes years of education in the French system and is off-limits to non-EU citizens.

In terms of the differences between teaching high school students and employees in their 20s, I found it much easier to teach adults. There is a difference in level obviously, but the biggest difference is in motivation. Employees in a company generally realize that they need English in their jobs and so they make an effort to speak and ask questions and do their homework. Right now I'm teaching a range of employees, from financial consultants to salespeople, and even if they don't use English in their daily jobs, they recognize that being able to speak English will help them land future jobs.

I would recommend France as a place to spend a couple of months teaching, if you want to try it out through the assistantship program. Otherwise, you'll need a certification and/or experience (and some persistence if you're not European) to get something more permanent.

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TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town at our outdoor beach-front training centre with great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 120 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 5 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!

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TEFL Success Stories - Part 72

Sue - France

This month has seen me returning to my favourite place to work: the Banque de France printing works. Next time you travel in the Eurozone, spare a thought to where your Euro bank notes are printed, on the edge of the small town of Chamalières, next to the city of Clermont-Ferrand (famous for Michelin tyres and its rugby team).

My students at the Banque de France printing works do a variety of jobs, including machine maintenance, ink mixing, quality control or sorting out damaged notes to withdraw from circulation. Some of my past students have been responsible for organizing the transportation of notes throughout the Eurozone and even travelling with the convoy and its accompanying high-security staff. I find it fascinating to hear about their different responsibilities.

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Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

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The French system of language teaching still embraces the concept of ‘perfect grammar’ rather than the ability to communicate and I’ve been told by many students that they never had any speaking opportunities in school, just page after page of grammar exercises. I think this explains why, on the first day of every course, the group arrives looking absolutely terrified! I always spend a few minutes explaining that the aim is communication and that minor errors will not impede this, so they must not be frightened to speak.

Luckily my group soon began to relax. We had 35 hours of lessons, spread over five days and it was intensive to say the least. I had to work hard to vary the activities and keep up their interest level. The group were lively and responsive and kept me on my toes with question after question, so by the end of each day I was exhausted as well. I still can’t quite remember how we got round to translating the names of the seven dwarves from French into English!

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Our TEFL Certificate course is held at the gorgeous Sunset Club in Zorritos. Sunset Club is a private club and hotel where you will study surrounded by palm trees and overlooking their stunning private beach. Our training site is located within metres of the ocean which provides a lovely breeze and a breathtaking view. The club has various swimming pools, bars, a restaurant, tennis courts, a soccer pitch and a playground.

Included in your TEFL course fee is lunch daily at Sunset Club for the duration of the course, as well as a private taxi twice daily from your accommodation to the club, as it is located approximately 15 minutes from the centre of Zorritos. You can also choose to stay at the club for the duration of course, which we offer in our Course Packages.  

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I had decided that a miming game would be a good way of presenting and practising the present continuous tense so I prepared and randomly distributed slips of paper with various activities written on them to mime, such as walking the dog, doing the washing up, etc. There was a sudden outburst of laughter from Willy.

“What is Willy doing?” I asked, suddenly rather embarrassed as I realized.

“He’s washing his hair!” the group shrieked.

Willy had not a single hair on his head but thankfully he took it in good humour.

I prefer to use a whiteboard rather a flip chart in the classroom, conscious of saving paper (as I do write a lot!) but as the room was arranged so that the group were a long way from the board, I had no choice but to use the paper chart. This worked to Lionel’s advantage as, embracing modern technology he photographed each page to print out later, incurring a rebuke from Martine, who called him “a lazy boy”.

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GUARANTEED TEACHING POSITION IN CHINA FOR PARADISE TEFL GRADUATES:

• Round-trip airfare
•  
• Accommodations
•  
• Complete visa assistance
•  
• Support network in place to help you get settled
•  
• Competitive salary teaching oral English
•  
• Positions starting in February & August each year
•  
• Graduates must be at least 18 years old with no upper age limit
•  
• Bachelor Degree NOT required

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Whilst I love the countryside and the beautiful mountain views from my village, this occasional work in the city gives me a real buzz.

The morning after my return saw the premature arrival of 15 centimetres of wet, slippery snow. Please don’t let winter be here already …

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TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town, great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 160 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 5 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And guaranteed job search assistance in whatever city/country you want to work, waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

TEFL Success Stories - Part 55

Sue - France

I’m rushing around tying last minute balloons onto the door and finally I attach my ‘Welcome’ notice. I’ve already laid the table with drinks, McVities chocolate digestives (surprisingly found on the shelves of LIDL in Issoire), a plate of crisps, home-made scones and a Victoria sponge cake. I’m a little nervous because today I’ve invited the parents to stay for the end of year party. Just at that moment I hear shrieks and footsteps on the stone stairway.

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Study a TEFL course with TEFL Zorritos in Peru, South America and travel the world, live abroad and enrich people's lives by teaching them English. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate is an internationally accredited and accepted qualification to teach English to people from non-English speaking countries. More questions? Head to our What is TEFL? page

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The first thing I see is not a small child, but a huge red flowery plant. Its progress is a little wobbly and behind it I can just spot Pauline, who has been entrusted to carry it. Behind her are the rest of my group proffering more flowers and hand-made cards. I’m really touched and almost tearful. Thaîs mumbles something in French which I don’t quite hear, so maman repeats it for me:

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Our TEFL Certificate course is held at the gorgeous Sunset Club in Zorritos. Sunset Club is a private club and hotel where you will study surrounded by palm trees and overlooking their stunning private beach. Our training site is located within metres of the ocean which provides a lovely breeze and a breathtaking view. The club has various swimming pools, bars, a restaurant, tennis courts, a soccer pitch and a playground.

Included in your TEFL course fee is lunch daily at Sunset Club for the duration of the course, as well as a private taxi twice daily from your accommodation to the club, as it is located approximately 15 minutes from the centre of Zorritos. You can also choose to stay at the club for the duration of course, which we offer in our Course Packages.  

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“We hope you live longer than the flowers!”

“So do I!” I laugh, and everyone joins in.

The ice is broken and the children offer food and drinks to the parents, carefully pronouncing Would you like some…? which we had rehearsed the previous week. The adults try my spongecake and scones, but the children are content with a few crisps. I’m amazed at how restrained and polite the French kids are. They will never take anything unless it’s offered to them.

This year has been my first experience of teaching English to 4-11 year olds on a Saturday morning and although I hate to use clichés, it’s been a steep learning curve; constantly finding new ideas to keep the little ones interested and spending hours making resources. I’ve become an expert worthy of a Blue Peter badge.

My other TEFL work is a million miles away from this environment. I’ve just finished teaching engineers in a car component factory and as a result know far more about what’s under my car bonnet than ever before – in English and in French. Unfortunately this didn’t help when I broke down recently!

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GUARANTEED TEACHING POSITION IN CHINA FOR PARADISE TEFL GRADUATES:

• Round-trip airfare
•  
• Accommodations
•  
• Complete visa assistance
•  
• Support network in place to help you get settled
•  
• Competitive salary teaching oral English
•  
• Positions starting in February & August each year
•  
• Graduates must be at least 18 years old with no upper age limit
•  
• Bachelor Degree NOT required

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I also give telephone lessons to Business English students which is very convenient in the depths of an Auvergne winter at 1,200 metres altitude.

But … summer has finally arrived! It seems a long time coming. Actually, I don’t recall having spring as even in the last week of May we were having flurries of snow. Our niece Katie came to stay then, in desperate need of a half-term break from her demanding teaching job in the UK. We had to tell her to bring fleeces and boots, not shorts and T-shirts.

Summer means a quieter time for me until la rentréein September, a very important time here in France, signifying the beginning of the new school year and when all the sports clubs and other activities start up again. But, for now, France has shut down for the summer so I’ll take advantage of the break and get out the deckchair.

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TEFL Zorritos: What could be better?  Study in a beautiful Peruvian beach town, great accommodations available, including delicious local food.  Fully accredited 160 Hour TEFL course with a practical approach that provides you with 5 advanced certifications at absolutely no extra cost!  And guaranteed job search assistance in whatever city/country you want to work, waiting for you when you complete the course.

Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!