Teaching English in France
Finding Work
If you thinking about teaching English in France, you will be surprised to know how easy it is to gain employment there.
Differing from other countries, you do not need advanced qualifications to teach here. The French are likely to hire you if you are a native English speaker and have a TEFL certificate. A degree on top of that will give you more opportunities too. It is worthwhile doing some researching online. Good organizations to look at are - The Cultural Service of the French Embassy. They provide placements for English teachers and teaching assistants. These are usually in low-level educational facilities or teacher training institutes. The French Council Exchanges are also a good organization to look at.
The Teaching
Language institutes are abundant in France, especially in large cities like Paris and Lyon. The students you would be teaching could range from children to adult. Institutes pay around €15-20 and you would be working up to 25 hours per week and possibly more in Paris.
If you are not interested in working in schools, colleges or institutes, you could teach English at a more casual level. You could look at doing private lessons where you could earn around €15-€20 per session. This will not give you a great deal of money but it is a good way of supplementing your income if only planning a short stay in France.
If you are wanting to learn more about the French culture and want to learn more of the language, teaching English is a great way of supporting yourself while doing so. Remember to do research before leaving on your adventure. This will put you in good stead for starting out on your career of teaching English.
Living
Living in France is a very rich experience. You will meet friendly people who are curious to hear about you and the country you are from. They will also be very ready to tell you all about France and they’re pride in being French!
Learn some French before heading out there. Although it is not totally necessary, it will earn you favour and help your integration into local life. Your linguistic efforts will be appreciated, no matter how terrible your French is!
A few customs particular to France which you should look out for are shaking hands before and after meeting someone, every time you meet!
Use titles of respect at all times, e.g. Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle Etc. This is of course until the person requests that you use their first name.
Living Costs
Renting apartment - €600 per month average
Meal in restaurant - €10-20
Glass of wine in a bar - €3
Litre of milk – €0.90
Loaf of bread - €0.90
Newspaper - €1.10
Pack of 10 metro tickets - €10.70
Cigarettes – €5
