TEFL TESOL teaching

[caroline]

Does anyone know about teaching English in France, either to adults or children ? I have got a Pgce for teaching secondary school kids, but not a 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language' one. I was wondering if it may be needed in France, if it's worth doing the course basically - has anyone any ideas or experience in this area please ?  All your comments are appreciated.

 

[Quillan]

Most (86%) French 'junior' schools now teach English for 30 minutes a week and to do this you will need to apply to the Inspecteur de l'Acaémie in your region and take a 30 minute exam known as a habilitation. Typically the maximum number of hours per week of teaching in a single school at this level is around 25 hours so most people seem to teach at two or more schools. I have no idea the earning potential in this group.

Moving up the age group to collèges or lycées the CAPES entrance examination is required. This exam is designed to weed out candidates who do not have the intellectual capacity or knowledge of English (and French) deemed necessary to teach in schools. The exam usually requires one years preparation either at university or by 'distance learning'. This is followed by a years teacher training and CAPES exam, the latter takes about 5 hours. This type of job typically pays around 1,760 Euros per month but I understand it is extremely demanding what with all the prep work etc.

If you want to teach at university then as far as I can make out it's the same as the above but you need to take the agrégation exam at the end, well it's actually three exams which last a total of seven hours. I have no idea what the salary is for this form of teaching.

Private schools are not so fussy apparently and can operate outside the government requirement's for state schools. These jobs can be found on the www.apne.fr website under formateur/formatrice although to be honest there are never that many jobs advertised on this website. My own region currently has only two jobs offered in total and both have nothing to do with teaching.

You could go through the yellow pages and approach private companies that teach enterprises. TEFL qualifications such as the CELTA will help you working in this type of environment. The wages are around  15 to 18 Euros per hour.

For more information read the article in this months (December 2007) Living France magazine.

[Tourangelle]

Just to add to what Quillian said, I worked for many years teaching adults English.  Work is easy to find in big cities.  You say you have a PGCE, but you don't say in what.  If it is a language, you probably wouldn't find a TEFL qualification opens any more doors.  Companies who teach business English generally won't employ you full time, but on an hourly rate.  However, you can accumulate a lot of hours.  These companies may require you to travel or you may give the lessons in their offices.  They tend to favour native English speakers over French people; it is seen as a selling point.

Working in a primary school is a definite possibility, but shouldn't be seen as long term career option because the ability to speak a language is now one of the criteria in the recruitment of all primary school teachers, so they are aiming to do without the outside help.

The capes is actually three five hour exams and then two one hour oral exams.  Then the year's training.  Having done it, it is no picnic, and you have to be really motived. I could write lots more about the capes, but won't unless it will be useful.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Tourangelle"]Just to add to what Quillian said, I worked for many years teaching adults English.  Work is easy to find in big cities.  You say you have a PGCE, but you don't say in what.  If it is a language, you probably wouldn't find a TEFL qualification opens any more doors.  Companies who teach business English generally won't employ you full time, but on an hourly rate.  However, you can accumulate a lot of hours.  These companies may require you to travel or you may give the lessons in their offices.  They tend to favour native English speakers over French people; it is seen as a selling point.

Working in a primary school is a definite possibility, but shouldn't be seen as long term career option because the ability to speak a language is now one of the criteria in the recruitment of all primary school teachers, so they are aiming to do without the outside help.

The capes is actually three five hour exams and then two one hour oral exams.  Then the year's training.  Having done it, it is no picnic, and you have to be really motivated. I could write lots more about the capes, but won't unless it will be useful.
[/quote]

Thanks for correcting me, I only answered because nobody else did and the 'facts' (I know there are sometimes errors) I gave were condensed from the LF magazine. Oher than what I read in the magazine I know little or nothing about the subject so it's great that somebody who has actually been through it has posted

I understand from a friend of mine who studied to become a teacher that the agrégation exam is actually exam's as well but I can't remember the quantity. He went further to say that if you pass, which is more of a selection system really, you don't know where you are going to teach. His problem was he was sent to a inner city school hundreds of miles from his home and he hated the school and the area. Apparently you don't get a choice where you are sent and most end up in inner city schools because that's where they need teachers most. Primary teaching is a bit more flexible he said. He now has a company selling high end bikes and parts which seems a shame after all the years he spent at university learning to teach but there you go.

Anyway to the OP, good luck and I hope it all works out well for you.

[Tourangelle]

Quillian I wasn't correcting you except for the part about the Capes.  The agregation is four days of written exams, one 7 hours and three 6 hours.  The two days of oral exams.  I've looked at it only to decide that I don't want to put myself through it.  I'm going to wait a couple of years until I can do the internal version.  It is a bit like being in the army, you get posted to places.  However, you are guaranteed a job, which is a massive incentive.  There're always the private schools, (state subsidised ones) for which you have to do the same exams, but you stay in the area where you took the exam.  The conditions and the pay aren't so good because you're not a civil servant. 

Anyway OP, do let us know if you think that any of this is for you!

[Quillan]

[quote user="Tourangelle"]Quillian I wasn't correcting you except for the part about the Capes.

 [/quote]

Sorry my words did not come over the way I intended. I appreciate that and  I am greatfull for your correction [:D] .

[groslard]

I have taught in Collège, Lycée, Faculté, and Grandes Ecoles.

English PGCE and TEFL qualifications are of no interest to the authorities in the state system, but they would require a Degree in English.

The CAPES is not the same as a PGCE, because it is a competitive examination, not a stand alone qualification, and half of it is written in French (and has little to do with the work you would do)

Work with adults is different.

A TEFL quailification is needed for a lot of language schools.

You could try applying to Wall Street

http://www.wallstreetinstitute.fr/

[Frenchie]

And to be able to take the Capes, you need to have passed a licence first ( 3 years at university).

 

[samdebretagne]

[quote user="Frenchie"]

And to be able to take the Capes, you need to have passed a licence first ( 3 years at university).

 

[/quote]

You also have to be an EU citizen.

[Rob Roy]

Just to add a bit more to this discussion - I have taught English in primary schools, and at present it works like this:

University students who are native English speakers can apply to teach English in primary schools for nine months October - June. They can ask for where they want to teach, but this will not always be taken into account. If there are not enough applicants for the posts available in a particular area then teachers are appointed from those that live locally and have applied for jobs. The posts are only for the nine months as students have priority each year. In this area you are employed for 12 hours per week, and in my case it was spread between 6 schools, and three different year groups, in Brive. You are only paid for your working hours, not for travelling or time spent between schools or the time spent preparing and marking work. Resources are not always good although you are expected to follow the designated course and although you are classed as an 'assistant' you are in fact in charge of up to 26 children, depending on the school.

It can be hard work, frustrating and tiring but having said all that I enjoyed it and would do it again should the opportunity arise.

 

[woolybanana]

Generous contracts then[6]

[jlb]

I have been teaching English in France for many years and have the RSA/TEFL Dip (now known as DELTA) which is a widely recognised qualification. There is a big demand for native English speaking teachers paid hourly rates of between 10 - 50 euros. Reputable language schools usually pay between 20 and 25 euros plus travel expenses if you are sent out to work in a company. Universities, IUTs, grandes écoles and sometimes BTS courses pay a higher rate but the catch is that to be a 'vacataire' (houly paid teacher) you need to prove that you are doing 333 hours of 'normal' teaching work (eg language school). That is to say they will ask you to fill in a dossier signed by your 'employeur principal' before you can get paid. Another disadvantage is that you're often paid months after having started work ! A good place to look for work is on the ANPE site http://anpe.fr/  type in 'formateur' as the job description and choose the area you would like to work in. The site is updated daily. Although a TEFL diploma is good to have especially if you want to work in Paris I should think your present qualification would be useful. I have also worked in primary schools but nowadays it is very poorly paid and as another post said you could find yourself traveling from school to school with no travel expenses or allowance for the 'holes' between lessons. Regarding 'college' and 'lycée' you will need the CAPES (although strangely, in higher education - universites, IUT etc - you do not need qualifications if you're a vacataire !

[groslard]

[quote user="jlb"]I (although strangely, in higher education - universites, IUT etc - you do not need qualifications if you're a vacataire ![/quote]

This wasn't my experience.

I had to prove that I had a Master's degree in English.

Your point about there being a big demand may be true in Paris, but sadly not in many smaller cities.

The DELTA is only useful for language schools.

[Frenchie]

Seconded.

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Generous contracts then[6][/quote]

Oh yes, fantastic![;-)] Although having said that I was earning more per hour than my husband was as a qualified panel beater with 25 years experience - he got little more than the minimum wage.

Funnily enough for those students who go to the UK to do the same thing they are paid for their 'blocked time'  i.e. when they are between lessons and can't do anything else![8-)]

 

 

[Hollie]

Hi,

This has been quite an interesting thread. I'm currently studying for a masters in applied linguistics but specialising in Teaching english to speakers of other languages (TESOL), I'm looking to start teaching part-time this year and was wondering if anyone could suggest any books in regards to the french system...

Basically i'm not sure of what level english should be in 6éme etc...

Thanks