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haller_79
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 145
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 Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:21 am Post subject: Working in France as an ESL teacher |
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Hi
I am a 27 yo male and am interested in working in France and have signed up to do a TESOL course as I believe it could be a foot in the door (and I like the idea of teaching). Although I am Australian I have a UK passport so have the right to work in France, my French is intermediate. My question is, is it necessary to do some work in Asia or another high demand area before going to France in order to be taken seriously for work there? Is it possible to simply turn up with a TESOL cert and find work within say a month?
Thanks in advance for any feedback
Tom. |
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fancynan
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 77
Location: Kaiserslautern, Germany
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:25 am Post subject: |
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Are you taking your course in France? If so, which one did you choose? I am planning to go within the year and am looking at TEFL Paris, which I visited last fall (it is actually in a village outside Paris). From the references with whom I have exchanged emails, employment was forthcoming fairly quickly for those who stayed in Paris. And, yes, predominantly language schools.
Today I was looking at the major ads on www.fusac.fr and noticed that although TEFL certification was required by some, none specifically required the CELTA certificate. (BTW, I, too, have dual citizenship so can legally work in the EU, have a BA and an MBA, as well as 20 + years of business experience). |
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haller_79
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| Doing the course in my home town (Sydney, Oz) which starts this week. The college said they can line you up jobs in Asia before you leave but not in France. Just a bit worried about going over there with no teaching experience and spending two months looking for work because of lack of experience, in which time my credit card will probably max out due to the strength of the Euro (and the cost of living in Paris which would be my first port of call). Sounds a bit tentative I know but it's a looong way for me to go back if I run out of funds. |
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quoi_de_neuf?
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 48
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haller_79
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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 Great list quoi |
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Perpetual Traveller
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to put a dampener in but unfortunately I think you will find that most places want at least one year's experience. French schools, and those in Paris in particular, can afford to be pretty choosy. You might have better luck in Eastern Europe if it's really Europe that you want to be in.
Bonne chance,
PT |
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quoi_de_neuf?
Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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haller,
You're welcome! Good luck with the job-search
Quoi de neuf |
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loyal_canine
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Haller,
I had the same reservations as you, I kept hearing how hard it was to find work in France. This seemed to be backed up by the fact that I got no responses to the applications I sent to France.
So, after doing my TEFL, I spent last year teaching in a few different countries, some of it volunteer work, some language camp and some with a language school teaching adults.
Having just arrived in France I have had interviews with 5 companies and been offered 4 jobs and have already started teaching. With that bit of experience under my belt teaching both children and business adults I was getting great feedback on my resume. I can't say that I wouldn't have gotten a job without experience, but it certainly does seem to have made things easier.
Combine that with some previous experience in the corporate world, which I can draw on when teaching business people (the bulk of clients at language schools in Paris it seems) and presenting myself decently, finding a job was a piece of cake in comparison to the stories I'd heard.
Presentation is important, I heard stories from 3 of the people I interviewed with about people turning up looking like hippies or yawning in interviews and they seemed relieved to find someone they wouldn't feel uncomfortable sending to clients. Your clients are likely to be in big companies, so present yourself as if you were prepared to teach in such an environment.
Above all, don't be put off by some of the negative comments on other threads about finding work in France. I'm glad I read most of it after I had found work and not before. If you're determined and positive you are certain to succeed.
Bonne chance! |
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