TEFL

[Adele3822]

Can anyone tell me how I go about getting this as I wish to teach eniglish on a private tuition basis when we move to france.

[Redcap]

Hi,

Try using the search tool, I think this has been discussed  a number of times and not that long ago, so hopefully you should find some info. Also try googling TEFL, should get enough to keep you going!

Regards,

Bob

[letrangere]

Jane/Alan, with all due respect must disagree most strongly.  You are surely not suggesting that any British university degree equips one to teach English as a foreign language?  I'm sorry, but that's complete nonsense.   Language teaching is a specialist skill and training is a essential. 

M

[Sue56]

[quote]Hi, Try using the search tool, I think this has been discussed a number of times and not that long ago, so hopefully you should find some info. Also try googling TEFL, should get enough to keep you ...[/quote]

Yes it was discussed under "Earning a Living" with varying views on the worth of this qualification and actual use in France.  Worth a read. 

Good luck.

[Tourangelle]

Dear M,

I would certainly not suggest that just any old British degree would equip you to teach a language.  What I am trying to say is that when looking for work in private tutoring, in France, having a degree is something that is recognised and understood, as indicating a certain level of education, whereas TEFL is not. 

Obviously, to be competent, I agree that training is essential, but I would question how useful it is in France to put beable TEFL on your CV in terms of helping you get a job? 

[Linnorton]

Surely, as Adele said she wishes to teach on a private tuition basis, TEFL or CELTA is just what she needs.  Any potential client will want to know if she has a qualification to teach English as a foreign language.  The fact that they may not of heard of the UK awarding bodies will be irrelevant and they will soon find out that she will know what she's doing.  There is always the possibility of further study as well to get the diploma which is at a very high level.

[letrangere]

Let's look at this from another angle.  Wouldn't those of us who've studied for a TEFL cert, even a rudimentary one, admit that they felt far better equipped afterwards to teach English, even on a one-to-one basis privately?  M

[Jirac18]

There is an article in this months FRANCE magazine which is all about TEFL.

[Cjb]

Having a TEFL will certainly help as it provides you with a basis for teaching the english language. Without it you may find that your students actually understand the grammatical terms a little better than you do. As native English speakers we firstly learnt to speak the language before going on to studying the grammar (although this was deemed unnecessary for about two decades!!) and therefore our needs are greatly different to those ESL (English as a second language students). There are a wide range of TEFL courses available, so be sure to choose carefully. It takes french students 3 years to attain the necessary qualification to teach French as a second language (FLE), whereas many TEFL courses can be completed in a month or less.

As with all teaching, qualifications and subject knowledge are important, but it'll be the relationship you develop with your students and your ability to understand their needs and clearly impart information that will determine your success in this field, and that is largely dependent on experience, self-evaluation and personality.

Good luck. It's not an easy task but it can certainly be extremely fulfilling.