Skills and Qualifications do they Transfer?

[mistael]

I am majoring in french and my wife is majoring in biology. She will probly work in a hospital or do something medical. Would there be any problems with Qualifications for her? What kind of job could you get with a french major in france?

I plan to go to school in france and try to live there for 5 years to get citizenship..

Oh I am from the USA if that helps!

 

Thanks

[Mpprh]

Hi

it is worth checking here : http://www.americansintoulouse.com/

Bonne chance

 

Peter

 

[Mpprh]

Hi

it is worth checking here : http://www.americansintoulouse.com/

Bonne chance

 

Peter

 

[Tourangelle]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Having done a joint honours degree myself (I'm sorry, I am not even 100% sure what majoring means, is it that you do other subjects?), in history and French, I can safely say that a degree in French doesn't take you very far. I take degree to mean that you will end up with an equivalent to bac +3 or bac +4. With this could apply for a variety of very general jobs, but you'd obviously be up against many other candidates. In reality, if you live here and study French you will be fluent, but employees will be more interested in your English! My experience of living here has been that it has been easy to find teaching work in a big city, but it is not well paid, although better than the SMIC. There are a lot of vocational qualifications available in France, and these are very attractive to employers, lots of job advertisement specify a BTS. BTS is the name of a qualification and they are available for things like tourism, administration, sales etc

I am sorry not to be able to be more positive, but my experience has been that being bilingual is not enough.

Good luck

[Clarkkent]

 

I am majoring in french and my wife is majoring in biology. She will probly work in a hospital or do something medical. Would there be any problems with Qualifications for her? What kind of job could you get with a french major in france?

I plan to go to school in france and try to live there for 5 years to get citizenship..

Oh I am from the USA if that helps!

Forgive my presumption, but I get the impression that you don't actually know much about France. You may find "Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" by Jean-Beoit Nadeau & Julie Barlow useful. They are both from North America (from Canada) and write very informatively about the impact French culture - in its widest sense - had on them. Their chapters on the French educational system may answer questions you haven't been able to formulate yet.

[Deby]

There is an EU body that officially decides the equivalent qualifications.  It was originally set up by the French to protect their qualification status and therefore biased.  The French believe that all their qualifications are superior to everyone else's.  Unfortunately I cannot remember the name.

Also, the French's view on  qualifications is in my opinion totally against EU law.  I have been  waiting for years for someone to test this in the courts.  I believe there have been a few attempts but it has always been bogged down by  legal hurdles, one day we will know for sure. 

I think it outrageous that teaching qualifications to do not transfer here,  the are French qualifications are accepted in the UK.  Even the basic quals, struggle.  I have a UK batchelors degree and a Dutch HEAO (another degree).  The Dutch HEAO is is the one that is more recognised in France.  I think it has to do with historical politics.

You should try and find out the name of the body that see what qualifications migrate and at which equivalent level in French.  Do not be surprised if your qualification is undermined.
Deby

[Tourangelle]

I'm sorry Deby but I just cannot agree. French teachers are civil servants. Would you seriously expect somebody who was a British civil servant to be able to come to France and have a civil service job within the French administration? British qualifications are accepted in private schools. The difference here is that people want to become teachers. The French qualifications are accepted in the UK because they have a teacher shortage.

[Deby]

Yes, I know teachers in France are civil servants that is one of the problems of the system.  So are nurses, policemen and people in administration of the government bodies. 

However, teachers have been taught to teach and should be allowed to do so in any European Union country so long as their language capabilities are up to scratch.  So why should a qualified UK (or other) teacher be forced to do the French CAPES!  So that they can become a French civil  servant, err no I think not, it is a blatant contravention of the EU Directive, free movement of workers and goods.

C'est mon avis.

Deby

[Teamedup]

Are teachers taught to teach in France or just give their lessons? I always think that there is a great deal of difference between the two notions.

[Deby]

Are teachers taught to teach in France or just give their lessons? I always think that there is a great deal of difference between the two notions.

That IS a good question!  However, I have met some very good teachers too, but they are in the minority.

Deby

 

[Teamedup]

Ah but some people are naturally good teachers whether they are trained or not.

And what can I say when my eldest was in Lycee his french teacher told me that she wasn't there to be friendly with the pupils and just to give her lessons and if my son hadn't understood then that was his problem. What could I say, she was perfectly within her rights to tell me this and I had been told that that was the case by other parents over the years.

Now should I have been surprised when 'son' walked out of Lycee in May of that year, said he would not set his foot in another teaching establishment anywhere ever again......... I do hope one day he will.