TEFL, teaching English in France etc

[Bartbag]

Hello, all, Just sorting out the freehold on our flat in England before we start seriously thinking about moving to France.  Planning to move to the Limousin and thinking about ways to earn money.  Is TEFL a feasible proposition there?  Are there enough people??  Has anyone done a course in UK that they could recommend?  Thinking about letting out properties to French or British people but will probably need some money apart from that.

Thanks for any useful thoughts!  Wendy

[Fumanzoku]

I've taught English all over the world, usually people prefer to learn from qualified 'native' speakers; not here. All the local 'maison familiale' (sp?) and schools have French English teachers. Unless you can commute to a big city it is very unlikely you'll get enough to live on.

A TEFL course will set you back £1000 just in fees, personally  I don't think it's worth the investment, for rural France that is.

The future for rural living is the Net, in my opinion, think along those lines.

HTH

[Tourangelle]

I've never tried teaching English in rural France, but I can say that in larger cities it is easy to make a living from and they do prefer native speakers, at least within a business environment. I appreciate this may well not be the case in la France profonde. However as for doing a TEFL, while it may not help you to get a job, it will give you confidence if you have never taught before. I would recommend the course I did, but it was at a university and only runs in August. However I have heard that it is possible to do one in Paris, but I don't know where.

[lola777Email [email protected]]

I have recently done a TEFL course, and to be honest, the majority of the content, I could have taught myself. All you need is a good imagination, to make lessons interesting, and a good grasp of grammar (there are some excellent books on the market).
I am hoping to relocate to the Burgundy region quite soon, and I am thinking of doing the same thing as yourself, but in more of a business context.
Hope that you sort something out.

[Pangur]

This is an option I looked into myself...

It seems to be commonly accepted that the best course to do is the Cambridge tefl, with Trinity a close second.  In terms of finding employment in language schools across the world, these are the most commonly requested qualifications.  Both are full time for a month and do cost around stg1k.  They're advertised all over the UK - have a look at the Times Educational Supplement or the Guardian on a Tuesday.  Friends have done the Cambridge one and highly recommended it.  Having looked a job ads in those papers for a few years, they almost always want someone who has done at least a month' training and many specify CELTA.  Also look at www.eslcafe.com for info and forums

As the others have pointed out, clients in rural France might not know or care about the qualifications but I reckon the celta will stand to you, especially if you want to take it seriously.  In my experience of language classes, most English native speakers have an extremely limited grasp of English grammar, especially if they've never learnt another language.  Also, some people might be natural teachers but most aren't - a bit of training is going to help a lot and give you confidence.  As a student it is easy to spot the teachers who don't know what they're doing and they don't get the repeat business.

My sister worked as an English teacher in French private and state primary schools - it's now obligatory for the schools and certainly where she is, they are desparate for native speakers with some experience of teaching or with children and enough French to communicate.  She's a qualified teacher but that's not necessary.  She also built up a healthy private tuition service from that so it is certainly worth a try.

Good luck!

 

 

[Coco]

I agree with everything people have said here IF you live in a town and are looking for a job in a language school.

I started doing an online TEFL course, which a lot of people poo-pooh but my friend also did one of these proper CELTA courses at £1000+ and to be quite honest, even she admits, there isn't a vast difference in what we learnt.  She is in the Aude, and can't find anyone who is interested enough, or prepared to pay enough for her to give lessons.  Here in Normandy I haven't tried but can see that there just again isn't either the interest, or where there is, the money, to pay for private tuition.  I have a French friend who is teaching English people French and she charges 5 euros an hour.  I know of another French lady (proper teaching qualifications to teach French to English people and vice versa) and she still only charges 10 euros per hour and REALLY struggles to find anyone to teach.

[nimportequoi]

I agree with everything that has been said too. I teach English in Brittany and got my qualification through a correspondence course before I left the UK 3 years ago (which cost about £200). However, it was really the fact that I am a native English person and have a business degree and work background in the UK that have enabled my to find work out here. Although I live in the country and get some teaching work in primary schools, the majority of my adult teaching is from large companies in Rennes. It is only from the work there that I get a reasonable income to supplement my gite business, in rural areas no-one is bothered about learning English. I got my first job out here by going through the Pages Jaunes and sending out my (French) CV to every language school in the area. I also contacted the local Education Nationale in order to get an 'habilitation' to teach in primary schools. It may be worth contacting your local CCI as well - they often run BTS and various other courses, some of which which contain an English module. You will be doing well to get 15 hours a week work out of teachiing English. Most language schools pay 13 - 22 euros per hour, although some universities pay a lot more.

[Audois]

As has been said, there isn't much call in rural France unless you happen to live next to a major industrial area, like Clermont Ferrand for instance.

I am one of the very few CELTA qualified teachers in Aude that has a job.  I've been lucky in some respects to have a job but it pays peanuts, I can travel up to 200km in a day and average 40hrs PER MONTH (at 17euros an hour with work coming in via a school this is crippling!)  ... From this month I've managed to change a few things, I have a good accountant as I'm self-employed and some major contracts have come in which have taken a while to get, ie. the Army.

If you are intending to move to rural France then don't rely on EFL work despite your qualifications; it's not a 'sought-after' subject and you'll find that there are a number of 'formations' in your area who probably have already employed someone, possibly French with an English degree .. Despite being an 'English' teacher, it's very necessary to have decent French to at least find yourself some work!

In this area at least, there's more work for French teachers teaching the English French - as my colleague keeps telling me!

Bonne chance!

 

[Lizzie15]

I considered teaching at first but soon realised it wasn't possible ( I am a UK teacher with degree and PGCE)-my friend is a fully qualified English teacher (French) and couldn't get any work in rural France,cities are different! I know someone else who is English but has lived here years,fluent,French husband/children etc and she couldn't find any work.She is now teaching French to English people but only for 8 euros an hour!! Not enough to make a living

 

 

[Bartbag]

Thanks to all who have replied to my query about teaching English in France.  Certainly some food for thought there.

I know - I'll think of a story about a young boy with big glasses who has exciting adventures involving wizards and then I'll write a bestseller!

A bientot, Wendy

[hstraf]

[quote]This is an option I looked into myself... It seems to be commonly accepted that the best course to do is the Cambridge tefl, with Trinity a close second. In terms of finding employment in language s...[/quote]

Do you mind if I ask what area your sister is teaching in?  My wife is currently looking for work as an English teacher, and she's a native English speaker. 

We're living in Corsica...

Thanks!

[Miaviv]

I live near Toulouse where there is work but not always easy to find.  I don't have a TEFL (or TESOL as it is more commonly called nowadays) although I am tempted to start a correspondance course which costs around £270 and takes about 150 hours study.  The language schools that are recruiting would accept a person educated to Degree level, mother tongue English and would probably prefer a TEFL qualified teacher although not essential.  I have been more held back as I don't have experience rather than the right qualifications.  There are lots of parents who would love their kids to learn English and Wednesday afternoon activities are popular times for classes.  Good luck.

[Tourangelle]

Careful, TEFL and TESOL are not actually the same thing (do the course and you'll find out!!!!)

[pearsonb]

One thing nobody has mentioned is the growing importance of telephone teaching. With this, it doesn't really matter where the teacher is based.

Some of my competitors are now using overseas call-centres based in the Philipines or in the US (for cost reasons) but schools such as ourselves are recruiting our telephone teachers from qualified teachers nased in the UK or in France.

 

Pearson Brown

English International Lyon 

[nimportequoi]

I do quite a lot of telephone teaching now too. I think the advantages for students/companies is that it is cheaper and for me I don't have to use any fuel to travel to lessons. However, I'm not sure on the overall effectiveness of this method, I think it is easier to teach face to face and the students learn more than with telephone lessons.

[pearsonb]

Well that depends how it is integrated into the overall course planning.

Most of our students would have one module of face to face, one intensive week and one module of telephone per year.

Of course, for the telephone teaching we also integrate our own private online elearning modules.

 

Pearson

 

 

[Laine]

I have been reading this thread with interest. We have a (very small) language school and are always looking for new ways to teach. We have been teaching in France for 12 years, but I have had very limited experience of telephone teaching or using the Internet.

In fact my husband installs VOIP telephone systems so perhaps we should be looking at this in more detail.

Any advice on this idea would be very welcome.

Regards,

Elaine

[pearsonb]

Telephone teaching isn't really new - we've been doing it for well over 20 years and others were doing it before us.

However, there are some new factors that have come into the equation.

1. The use of on-line teaching materials to supplement the weak areas of telephone teaching.

2. The use of VOIP which reduces long distance rates and makes it reasonable for a teacher to live in rural France and 'teach' in Paris or Lyon.

 

However, this same VOIP is creating new competition. We are now faced with a 'school' which is in fact a call-centre in Manila staffed by Philipinnos (spelling?) who work at incredibly cheap rates. Yet another example of jobs being 'outsourced' from Europe.

 

Pearson

([email protected] if you want some more advice) 

 

 

[createsf<P>nam myo ho renge kyo,<P><P>Createsf<P>]

[quote]I agree with everything that has been said too. I teach English in Brittany and got my qualification through a correspondence course before I left the UK 3 years ago (which cost about £200). However, ...[/quote]

I was actually thinking of obtaining the TEFL certification via the internet and looking for work in Rennes.  I have a friend who's over there for one year, so I have a place to stay.  The teaching was something more along the lines of interacting with the locals and making a bit of money.  I have a business background, two undergraduate degrees and an MBA (all from American institutions), and have been self employed in IT Project Management for 17 years.  I think, as you state, having the business background and being a native speaker is a plus.  However, how does one go about finding business contracts.  I am American, not from the UK, so I'm not sure how difficult it would be.  That was perhaps one advantage of not going through the internet to acquire the certificate, but rather one of these agencies, which might subsequently be able to place me at a business in Rennes. 

[Tourangelle]

If I were you, I wouldn't bother with a TEFL. You will get a job on the strength of your business experience. My personal experience is that TEFL certificate is a good thing to do if it can give you a first taste of teaching and the opportunity to be observed and to observe others, but online it seems pointless. Your money would be better spent learning French if you don't already speak it!

[createsf<P>nam myo ho renge kyo,<P><P>Createsf<P>]

Thanks for the feedback.  I actually do already speak French.  I lived in Montpellier and Paris from 1980 to 1983, and then have spent many mini-trips (3 to 6 months) there since then.  I just returned from 5 weeks in Rennes, and am planning on returning for 7 to 8 months, but was hoping to find some part time work teaching English.  I thought having the certificate might be useful, as well as aide in placement.

[Tourangelle]

I worked in TEFL for four years, and to be honest my experience was that French people had absolutely no idea what TEFL is, and British people would take me on regardless. Good luck!

[nimportequoi]

If you are going to live in Rennes, a good place for you to go to would to find teaching work would be the Franco-American Institute. Why not contact them and see what importance they place on a TEFL qualification?

[createsf<P>nam myo ho renge kyo,<P><P>Createsf<P>]

I did, in fact, already contact the Franco-American institute.  My friend suggested as they had sent a representative to his school indicating that there were volunteer opportunities.  Unfortunately, no one has returned my email, but it's definitely worth a follow up.  Thanks for the reminder.

[nimportequoi]

Failing that, when I was initially looking for work in Rennes, I just went through the pages jaunes and fired off my CV to all the language schools (and there were about 12 or so). I got offered work with a few of them and it was more my business/work experience rather than my tesol qualification that got me the jobs.