Jump to content

Giving English Lessons?


Fi
 Share

Recommended Posts

As one of the three english speakers in the village it has been suggested that I could give some English lessons to the college students.  I have no teaching qualifications at all (I do have a degree and business qualifications) - is this a non-starter because of my lack of  teaching qualifications?    The lady who suggested this is an ex-teacher herself so there must be some potential in the idea, but given the French need for official qualifications and bits of paper for every job I fear I could fall foul of this.  I could do one of those online ESL qualifications, but my feeling is that they are probably of little use in practical terms, but they would give me that qualification.

Has any other equally unqualified people managed to do this?  I could do with the income during the low season, and it would fit in well with family commitments.

Any input gratefully received!

Fi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 65
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Teaching in your own premises (the living room...) or at their homes should be OK. I don't know of any legal requirement for a qualification unless you mean actually becoming a part-time member of the college teaching staff. Even for that I believe there are ways to get around it. I presume that you would be providing conversation practice and the like, rather than explaining the finer points of the contra-factual subjunctive.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Albert the InfoGipsy"]

explaining the finer points of the contra-factual subjunctive.

 

[/quote]

absolutely!  Seriously it would be conversation rather than grammar, because that seems to be covered in excruciating detail (while in England you can get A* french without knowing how to conjugate etre - there has to be a happy medium somewhere!), and tidying up pronunciation  - " w w w w" not "v v v v" .

Fi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may find it is a bit more complicated than that Fi, as your pupils will very often ask you for a grammatical explanation. I have been a teacher of English in the UK and in France and I still have to prepare lessons very thoroughly. A basic book of English grammar for TEfL is a good investment!

BTW I am not sure where your information about the teaching of MFL in UK schools comes from, it certainly doesn't reflect my experience.

regards

L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="LisaJ"]

You may find it is a bit more complicated than that Fi, as your pupils will very often ask you for a grammatical explanation. I have been a teacher of English in the UK and in France and I still have to prepare lessons very thoroughly. A basic book of English grammar for TEfL is a good investment!

BTW I am not sure where your information about the teaching of MFL in UK schools comes from, it certainly doesn't reflect my experience.

regards

L

[/quote]

Presumably MFL is the same as GCSE French?  My experience is from experience - various nieces and nephews and their friends - very few had sound knowledge of the basics of French grammar, including etre in all its myriad and gorgeous forms. And a slightly blank look at the mention of the subjunctive (apart from from those who had studied Latin).  Having "enjoyed" a grammar school education it was drummed into me - tedious at the time but I am very glad about it now.  Past historic anyone?

I wasn't really planning to offer conversation classes on the basis of the latest gossip in Heat magazine (even though the students might enjoy it), I do realise there is slightly more to it than that.  However, having followed a French language course at the Alliance Francaise the text books were singularly uninspiring and most of the teachers taught from photocopied sheets. I doubt if the English versions would be much better.   If I did do this (and this is a big if) I would investigate what was required, and invest in the necessary teaching aids .  I imagine there would be a heavy reliance on what was being used in school to avoid confusion for the students!

My comment about www not vvv was supposed to be lighthearted[:D]  It can be quite entertaining to get a French person to try and pronounce Woolwich.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My comment about www not vvv was supposed to be lighthearted[:D]  It

can be quite entertaining to get a French person to try and pronounce

Woolwich.

You will obviously make an excellent teacher of French people based on that attitude.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"]My comment about www not vvv was supposed to be lighthearted[:D]  It

can be quite entertaining to get a French person to try and pronounce

Woolwich.

You will obviously make an excellent teacher of French people based on that attitude.

[/quote]

Goodness, sense of humour bypass?  I give up.  I'm out of here ............. going to bait some French people!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I teach English as a volunteer and, although I would not deliberately set out to entertain myself with their attempts at pronunciation we often have a good laugh about it. Conversation is not really just a question of sitting down for a chat unless their level of English is good. I do prepare as much as possible but somebody will always ask a question I can't answer. I have to say it is excellent for the understanding of your own language.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="plod"]I teach English as a volunteer and, although I would not deliberately set out to entertain myself with their attempts at pronunciation we often have a good laugh about it. Conversation is not really just a question of sitting down for a chat unless their level of English is good. I do prepare as much as possible but somebody will always ask a question I can't answer. I have to say it is excellent for the understanding of your own language.[/quote]

Nor would I!  It has been known with french friends to try and find the most fiendish word for foreigners in either language and then laugh at each others attempts to pronounce the word.  How easy it is to be misconstrued!

Having been on the receiving end of language lessons in both French (at a reasonably advanced level) and Dutch (absolute beginner, fiendish language to pronounce, not helped by your average dutch person's inability to allow for foreigners trying hard - [:P]), I realise that preparation is key.  The original suggestion by my friend was to give some extra help with whatever the students were learning at school so that would be a good starting point I think.

Many thanks for the informative input - I feel slightly less under siege now!

Fi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fi - don't give up your sense of humour - after all, learning a language is much more fun if there is some laughter in it. And people are more likely to remember their mistakes !

Mr Callie teaches English to adults/business people in Paris - they are usually reasonably advanced. He gives them all sorts of tongue twisters like "six thick thistle sticks" and "Harry had an apple and a hamburger". In turn, they teach him some French ones !!

Whilst now he doesn't need to do the preparation he did when he started, he does say that it is important to be able to explain grammatical points, even when people only want to do conversation. He did a TEFL course about 12 years ago, and has been teaching English ever since.

But if you start by helping your friend, you will find out what you need to brush up on.

Good luck - and have fun !
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Fi"][quote user="NormanH"]My comment about www not vvv was supposed to be lighthearted[:D]  It

can be quite entertaining to get a French person to try and pronounce

Woolwich.

You will obviously make an excellent teacher of French people based on that attitude.

[/quote]

Goodness, sense of humour bypass?  I give up.  I'm out of here ............. going to bait some French people!

[/quote]

Where is the humour in laughing at the attempts of your students?

The main joke is your belief  that you can teach out of ignorance, and display contempt at their efforts.

That is a real laugh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Fi"][quote user="NormanH"]My comment about www not vvv was supposed to be lighthearted[:D]  It

can be quite entertaining to get a French person to try and pronounce

Woolwich.

You will obviously make an excellent teacher of French people based on that attitude.

[/quote]

Goodness, sense of humour bypass?  I give up.  I'm out of here ............. going to bait some French people!

[/quote]

Where is the humour in laughing at the attempts of your students?

The main joke is your belief  that you can teach out of ignorance, and display contempt at their efforts.

That is a real laugh.

[/quote]

I am going to treat this reply with the disdain it deserves.  

I believe there is a place for humour when learning a foreign language.  This poster obviously believes that there is no place for humour - that is his opinion.  He is entitled to it.    However I object to being referred to as

"ignorant"

"contemptuous" (the adjective from contempt just to clear up any misunderstanding).

I do not believe there is any place for personal abuse on a forum such as this.  Perhaps this poster should read all the thread properly, from my original post onwards, before making thoughtless and unfounded comments.

Fi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="woolybanana"]Good vocabulary items for advanced students though, but you try to get across 'ignorant' in the sense of  lowlife.[/quote]

You could explain in stages

* ignorant - unaware

*unaware - no sense, no empathy, existing purely for own needs

in this sense slugs are unaware, as are woodlice and wasps

All fairly low......

F

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Fi,

My advice to you is - go for it. I teach an hour a week to someone who has become a friend through this teaching. I was a professional EFL teacher for many years and have every qualification up to Masters. Nevertheless I still plan every lesson and have come to the conclusion that the most useful qualification for teaching EFL to a French person is the ability to speak French! If you are going to give conversation lessons you will have to ensure that your students are already at a sufficient level to converse with you. Even if they are, you will find that you will probably run out of conversation after about five minutes. The point is that lessons need structure and need to be timed. My experience as a teacher trainer is that trainees think they have planned about an hour's length of material but find that it lasts about ten minutes. You will also need a good grounding in grammar. Last point, if you are being paid students will expect quality lessons.

Hope this is not too negative - just wanted to point out some of the realities. I wish you luck.

Patrick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I believe there is a place for humour when learning a foreign

language.  This poster obviously believes that there is no place for

humour - that is his opinion.  He is entitled to it. "

Of course there is a place for humour. I never said there wasn't .

But at whose expense?

Obviously you think that introducing a phrase into the lesson that you as a native speaker can pronounce, then listening to the failed efforts of your students is 'fun' ..

Fun is not humour.

If you have a lesson plan what was the objective, and how do you think you particular strategy of laughing at your students helped you to achieve it?.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="bixy"]Hello Fi,

My advice to you is - go for it. I teach an hour a week to someone who has become a friend through this teaching. I was a professional EFL teacher for many years and have every qualification up to Masters. Nevertheless I still plan every lesson and have come to the conclusion that the most useful qualification for teaching EFL to a French person is the ability to speak French! If you are going to give conversation lessons you will have to ensure that your students are already at a sufficient level to converse with you. Even if they are, you will find that you will probably run out of conversation after about five minutes. The point is that lessons need structure and need to be timed. My experience as a teacher trainer is that trainees think they have planned about an hour's length of material but find that it lasts about ten minutes. You will also need a good grounding in grammar. Last point, if you are being paid students will expect quality lessons.

Hope this is not too negative - just wanted to point out some of the realities. I wish you luck.

Patrick

[/quote]

Not at all negative - thank you for the input.  I am in the fortunate position of having several teachers in the family (English, Latin etc) who brains will be picked thoroughly about lesson planning.  By the way I can speak pretty good French - this was one reason why my neighbour suggested I think about doing this in the first place because I would be in a position to explain if things got too convoluted.  I might even throw some humour in [;-)], in the kindest way possible of course. 

Fi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"]"I believe there is a place for humour when learning a foreign

language.  This poster obviously believes that there is no place for

humour - that is his opinion.  He is entitled to it. "

Of course there is a place for humour. I never said there wasn't .

But at whose expense?

Obviously you think that introducing a phrase into the lesson that you as a native speaker can pronounce, then listening to the failed efforts of your students is 'fun' ..

Fun is not humour.

If you have a lesson plan what was the objective, and how do you think you particular strategy of laughing at your students helped you to achieve it?.

[/quote]

Whatever .........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this is just how I got started Fi.

I did realise after some time that although I enjoyed it, I really wanted to understand my own language and how to teach it better. I volunteered as a French assistante at our local 6th Form - and got fascinated with the whole thing. when my youngest started school, I went on to University to do a Bachelor of Education Degree - to teach German and Environmental studies. I did however end up teaching French (my MT) and German- and later English.

Providing you make it clear that you are not qualified and keep your fees relatively low- and mainly concentrate on gaining oral confidence - Go for it.

A word of warning - it can be addictive and lead you to further study, etc. I really enjoyed my career - and continue to teach now I have moved to the Jura- although only on a 'swap basis' (a neighbour does my ironing, and another teached OH the accordeon - in exchange for lessons for their children, so far). Bonne chance

How can anyone teach without humour, I do not know! And you can pick my brain anytime (whatever is left of it.xx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="odile"]this is just how I got started Fi.
I did realise after some time that although I enjoyed it, I really wanted to understand my own language and how to teach it better. I volunteered as a French assistante at our local 6th Form - and got fascinated with the whole thing. when my youngest started school, I went on to University to do a Bachelor of Education Degree - to teach German and Environmental studies. I did however end up teaching French (my MT) and German- and later English.

Providing you make it clear that you are not qualified and keep your fees relatively low- and mainly concentrate on gaining oral confidence - Go for it.
A word of warning - it can be addictive and lead you to further study, etc. I really enjoyed my career - and continue to teach now I have moved to the Jura- although only on a 'swap basis' (a neighbour does my ironing, and another teached OH the accordeon - in exchange for lessons for their children, so far). Bonne chance

How can anyone teach without humour, I do not know! And you can pick my brain anytime (whatever is left of it.xx
[/quote]

What is this word "teached", Odile?[8-)]

Please don't take this the wrong way, you know I like to make you laugh, Granny Odile, don't you?[:D]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL Sweet - a typo of course! How was the trip? Get in touch soon re dates for next Spring! Can't wait.

BTW who can tell me the equivalent of 'teaching a granny to suck eggs' in French? Just can't think (not slept much last 3 nights babysitting and hospital etc.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...