Job Discussion Forums

[NMB]

I start a lectrice post in a few days, and I'm a bit paralyzed by fear. My other adult-teaching experience has included one-on-one privates and a language school with a maximum class size of 18. My university lessons have been pre-planned for me by the full-time professors, but I'm told that the average class size is 30. This alarms me, as I've never taught such large groups of adults.

Also, at my language school, lessons were largely compised of interactive activities in pairs, groups, or as a class, with most written work being assigned as homework. In this new lectrice post, I'm supposed to direct reading and writing assisgnments in class, but I don't know how to make such highly academic material interactive and fun! The professors have told me it's not meant to be fun, as the lessons are structured for students to work, plus the classes are too big to allow much interaction anyway.

Help! I don't really understand why they need a native speaker if my role is only to distribute reading and writing assignments! I'm even told not to bother having them read aloud or to encourage discussion, as the students are too numerous and they don't like discussion anyway. What?! Apparently, they are used to just coming to class and doing the written work.

I've also been told by the previous lectrice that the classes will anticipate me speaking mostly in French. Okay, but why is it an English class?

It sounds like I really need to distinguish between the language-school and university mentalities, which appear to be two entirely different beasts?

[lolwhites]

I'm about to start a lecteur post myself and I've been told to speak only English so I'm surprised at your predecessor's comment that the students will expect to be spoken to in French. Are you sure the students weren't being a bit lazy? It makes no sense for a university to employ native speakers to speak French.

You don't say whether your students will be specialists or not. Basically, there are two types of student: the language specialists and those for whom English is an extra subject on top of their business/law/whatever. If your students are the former, I don't think they'll have an excuse for expecting you to speak french to them. If they're the latter, don't expect their English to be up to much even though they've been doing it for years at school. Also bear in ming that the school system concentrates more heavily on reading and writing, so those are the activities they'll be most comfortable doing.

You really need to ask your employer what is expected of you. Have you seen your timetable yet? That will tell you which skills your lessons should be concentrating on.

[NMB]

They are science students, which may partially explain their aversion to discussion. My timetable hasn't been completely worked out yet, though I do know of a few classes. My material for the first week's lesson has been provided, and I'll be teaching the exact lesson each week to all classes that I have at this point.

Despite my predecessor's French-speaking method, I'll try to stick to total immersion, which is highly effective in my experience.

[rogan]

After 7 years of compulsory English classes most French students entering Uni or a private Institute are barely at conversational level because the "system" is that they read in English, answer written questions in English and seldom speak English.

They seldom encounter real language situarions and if they have spent a week on a visit to the UK they usually spend it with their friends speaking French.

This is why ability levels are generally low.

For staff and students learning English is not fun and the system that they know shows that it's not fun.

But it's all that they know - your interactive, fun lessons will probably be seen as not "real teaching" and any students who do not make progress will blame you for not being a "real teacher"

You are likely to face low level disruption because of that.

[Jetset]

just curioius - what qualifications are needed to work at a french university?

I have MA, 2yrs teaching experience, EU passport, Fluent in french.

thanks

JS

[Jamparis]

For qualifications you'll need at least a Masters degree and several years of teaching experience, that's it, now to qualify administratively there's a whole rat's nest of requirements.
Essentially you'll need to have a real full time job, b4 they'll consider you 4 employment; meaning one that gives you at least (about) 900 hours per year (4 teaching hours you divide by 3 point something); and an employer willing to sign a pre-prepared form attesting to that.
You are paid well, 39,03� per hour, but only twice a year, yeah you heard me in my case it'll be in February and June, so you really need another job

NMB, I'm in the same boat as you are, I start today teaching advanced English, English 4 negotiation and TOEIC preparation my students apparently have an international profile, and I was told that they are "supposed" to be bilingual (wahtever that means )
However unlike you I got "nada", they have no books, I got no guidelines, just 2 phone numbers to call the teachers doing the other classes, which I tried doing and can't seem to get through to either one

So.... I've spent HOURS on the net trying to find information or material 4 teaching negotiation !! and finding ways of preparing 30 adults to take the TOEIC, not easy, especially since they have nothing, luckily the University does your photocopying, if u give them a week in advance.
Any suggestions you guys?

[michellem]

Hello,

i was just offered a job teaching toeic to engineering students 10hrs/week(prof. vacataire) paid monthly 39/hours with a CDD contract for 7 months. i have 2 degrees from Canada and 5 years teaching experience.

Did you happen to find any material for teaching Toeic? I'm looking for new ideas. and where are you teaching. i'll be in the 95

thanks

mich

[Jamparis]

me too! in the 95 dept too at the university in Cergy, I assume this offer was from a university? How is it then that u'll be paid monthly, thought there was some kind of law?
Anyway u are lucky; here are are some sites I found on this board

http://www.toeic.or.jp
http://www.ets.org/toeic/index.html (ETS :: TOEIC homepage)

http://www.englishtestprep.com/toeic/tests/ (TOEIC practice tests)

http://www.english-test.net/toeic/index.html (TOEIC practice tests)

http://www.toeiccity.com/ (TOEIC-City.com)

http://www.1-language.com/materials/toeic/index.htm (1-language.com

[michellem]

I will be in Cergy too. I will be teaching just around the corner at a private school. I think I got lucky with the pay.

Did you find an apartment in the area? we are still looking.

thanks for all the sites, very useful.

michelle

[Jamparis]

In fact we have a house in Cergy, since I've been living here for 8 years now, don't know much about the renting situation. But you can try the real Estate agencies in the area.
And yes u did get lucky!! Good for you

[plover]

hello! just wondering if anyone still wanders in this forum.
i am arriving in france in august and looking to become lecteur/ma�tre de langue. (i am eu citizen, have bach., masters, currently completing phd, 5 years of both university teaching and work as an assistant) i am hoping that this will be an option if i can scour various areas with CVs (i realize it will be too late in many cases...or not!?)
thank you in advance for your help/advice/leads!
your posts/thoughts have already been SO helpful!

[Jamparis]

Hi personally I just sent a CV and briefly explained that I was interested in teaching at the University in my town and I got a call two days after... The problem is you need to have another job which gives you at least 300 teaching hours per academic year and your employer needs to be willing to attest to that.

I believe that people enrolled in PHD programmes do belong in a different category though (more advantageous).

Check out the web site of the university you're interested in and I'm sure you'll find the relevant information.
Good locuk!

[lolwhites]

I think Jamparis is referring to the hourly paid "vacataire" jobs that get advertised through the grapevine. If you are under 28 you should be able to do these jobs without having an "employeur principal". The hourly rate for vacataire work is pretty lucrative but you have to wait ages for your money so if you go down this road make sure you have savings to last you three or four months. To give you an example, I was paid in March for work done in the autumn term, and I've only just been paid for the work I did from Jan-March.

I'm over 28 but as a "lecteur" I had the right to do vacataire work this year in spite of having fewer than 300 teachuing hours on my contract, but that may have been down to the reciprocal agreements universities sometimes have.

Lecteurs are often recruited through mutual agreements with overseas universities though sometimes they recruit independently. I suggest you start sending CVs in NOW if you want anything more substantial than hourly paid work in September.

[plover]

hi both!

thank you for your responses!
i'm not sure i'm totally clear yet,
i am under 28, and if need be, i think i could find some other job to bum around in as my "main employment" but hopefully i can get around this. (i have also been accepted as an assistante de langue with the CIEP...just not sure if i was to JUST be at a s�condaire...ideally the town i will be in...their university will want me too...but i think that would be too pipe-dreamy for it to all work out that well!)

yeah i'm worried its too late and the other major hitch is that i am currently in nyc teaching and won't be in france again until late august...
i have sent out pre-emptive CVs hoping that someone might not care randomly (even though i know that they will probably immediately discard it because i am still in nyc), and plan to scour when i arrive again hoping that somewhere is desperate and still looking...

most are on vacation in early august, no? should i try going in person then or would that be futile?

is there any way to be tapped into this 'grapevine'?
i kind of just ruled out the vacataire thing...but will add that in my CV...that i would be willing definately to sub!

anyways sorry for the lengthy post and thank you again!!!!
i think there still mght be hope...!

[lolwhites]

Vacataire jobs can come up any time, sometimes at the very last minute so you'll need to keep checking university websites. Adverts often get forwarded to email mailing lists so it's a good idea to join a few of them (e.g. the TESOL-France Yahoo group).