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Not that this will be of much use - but for what it's worth I used to work for an English lawyer in Paris. He was qualified under both legal systems. His law degree and LPC were done in the UK, so I assume at some point he must have transferred across. His French was fluent which I am sure is a necessity. Sorry I can't be of more help, but I know it can be done!

I don't want to be viewed as an authority on this, but I used to work in a lawyer's firm in paris and the females were always called "maitre", even in conversation.  

Hi Chocoboy Google "parler parlor" or pick up a copy of the fusac magazine (available in most english-style bars and the whsmith on rue rivoli) - there are often english speakers wanting french practice and language exchanges etc.

I too had a stint as a teaching assistante and it was so badly organised. I was supposed to be teaching in a college and two primaires, only when I got there they hadn't decided which ones. That took over a month during which time I was doing absolutely nothing (it is forbidden under the terms of the contract to get a second job) and feeling very fed up. When I was finally allocated a school, the headmaster screamed at me saying he wanted a "real" English teacher and not some 19 year old kid on a placement. I am not intending to scare the original poster, as everything worked out in the end, just don't expect everything to be handed to you on a plate. I had to make several trips to the Academie de Lille to sort things out and even then they weren't very helpful.

You would probably not be entitled to practice law as your qualifications would not be recognised. However, if that is somethng you really wanted to do, it is perfectly possible to take exams at the French bar and work as an avocat. Failing that, there is the possibility as working as a secretaire bilingue in a lawyer's office which, whilst patently not the same thing, is at least in the same field. If you are simply looking for work of any nature, the TEFL certificate is probably a good way to go, at least at the beginning and will serve as a good means of getting into the job market and acquiring a social security number etc. As for employment rates in Burgundy, I am not an expert. However, if they are low and opportunities are few, why not move to a major city such as Paris for a few months where work will be easy to come by. You will then be able to build on that experience and your CV will be more appealing to other French employers.  

I must admit most of the "comedy" on French TV doesn't make me laugh, but then that's true of English television humour too. Though I must admit to liking that Chouchou and Loulou, Un Gars une Fille thing.

I tend to agree with the poster above, why not try an anglophone country (GB, Ireland) or one where your lack of the local language (or at least knowledge of English) will prove more of a benefit. Professionally speaking, there is a greater opportunities for English speakers in say, the Netherlands or Germany than Corsica and you might stand a better chance of finding work. What is it you don't like about the US? You might find the same problems in Europe. Just something to think about. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Well, after a stint in Paris I have decided to come home. Everything went as planned, my French is fine so I managed to land a job, a flat and a life but somehow something was missing and I realised it was the UK. I fought the desire to return for a while -I have lived abroad before and know what regular homesickness is like but since this time the move was supposed to be "permanent", it was worse. Now back in the UK, I have no job and at 24 years old am dealing with the shame of having to live back with my parents for a bit until I can afford to rent somewhere but for the first time in what feels like ages - I'm happy. I do feel as though I failed on some accounts and wonder whether I threw in the sponge too soon (18 months) but being back feels so right I have no real regrets. I didn't go searching for a better life, I know France has its problems just as the UK does and I tried my hardest to be happy. Perhaps I'm just one of those unadventurous types for whom home will always be home. Now comes the existential crisis - am I a complete loser so viscerally tied to her roots that I will never go anywhere? And is never going anywhere OK if it makes you happy?  

Hello Nic I did my assistantship in Pas de Calais (v glam) five years ago. I was lucky in that a teacher at the college took it upon herself to organise my accommodation prior to my arrival. Had she not done so, I'm not sure what I would have happened as the town was pretty small and there wasn't much going. However, if you're in a big city you can probably find some info on the web, or arrange a few nights in a hotel as soon as you can to have a good look. It's worth getting things like this sorted out early, as arriving is a daunting enough time in itself even if you do already have a place to live. The best plan is definitely to ask the school whether they know of anywhere suitable, I am sure they will be pleased to help. Failing that, I received an info pack a few weeks before my contract started with the email addresses of other assistants in the area. Perhaps you can contact one of them to see how they have solved the problem? In terms of arrival - my contract began in early October and I arrived the week before. I would definitely suggest you give yourself at least a week or so to acclimatise, find the school and your feet before launching into teaching. Speaking for myself, I was completely unenthused by the whole prospect (but ended up having a fantastic time, fear not!) so left it all rather to the last minute, I think an extra week before starting work would have helped, though beware, before you make any friends there is a lot of "alone time" so prepare yourself to be a bit lonely and make the most of the time you have to settle in by doing lots of preparation and sightseeing. The worst thing you can do is sit around and be glum. (recognise the voice of experience here!) Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. MEG

When you use the word "entre" do you need to include the article in the words that follow? ie, my dictionary gives the example of entre LA vie et LA mort but then further down entre ciel et terre - no article. Is the latter just an idiom?

"L'UE approuve le programme "tout sauf les armes" does that mean "anything but" weapons or "nothing but" weapons? or something entirely different?

from/into french, german, italian, russianm dutch and spanish. i used them to translate some documents for my impending move to france - very impressive! www.thewordsmith.cjb.net