How Do You Get To To Teach English in France?
Teachers who are fortunate enough to teach English in France will agree that the job market is very competitive. Secondly, the French education system is one of the best in the world. French schools have high entry standards. If you are looking to teach English abroad in France, your credentials need to be impeccable, and you need several years of experience on your resume.
In short, if you want to teach English in France, one of the best countries to teach English abroad, you must make your moves in a planned and organized manner. Your documentation has to be perfect; your qualifications must match the school’s requirements to the T.
French schools and the famous French bureaucracy will brook no argument, nor will they be persuaded otherwise! Below are some tips on the best way to ensure that your dream to teach English in France comes true.
The Job Market To Teach English In France
Expat teachers in France are experienced and usually teach English in Europe. Given the difficulties in getting work visas for teachers in France, there is no getting around the fact that your country of origin will determine your success in the job market. This is because schools are unwilling to sponsor a work visa for non-EU residents. This makes it much tougher for the latter to get a break to teach in France, a high ranking entry of our best countries to teach English.
But, though tough, it is not impossible to get a job to teach English in France if you are a native English speaker from America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia or some other part of the world (non-EU). However, if you are a non-native English speaker, then your chances of getting a job to teach English in France are practically non-existent.
Here is a table that gives you the probability of getting an opportunity to teach in France, depending on your citizenship.
Citizenship |
Probability of Getting a Job |
|---|---|
|
EU citizen
|
Good
|
|
Non-EU, native-English speaker (UK/US/Canada etc.)
|
Difficult
|
|
Non-native English-speaking country
|
Very tough
|
In short, if you are an English-speaking European, then you make it to the top of the list of potential candidates who are likely to get a chance to teach in France.
Opportunities to teach English in France are available in the private K-12 schools, private language institutes and universities. If you are an American, you can also explore the Teach Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). There are also government-to-government exchange programs with Canada and other countries. This is a route often used by ex-pat teachers in France to get a job in the country.
Here is a pro-tip. Do not get hung up on getting a job in Paris. You will make your task that much more difficult. France is a beautiful country with lots of lovely towns and cities. Do explore jobs in places like Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Strasbourg and Montpellier. They are great places to live.
The cost of living is also lower in these cities as compared to Paris. This is important as teachers in France do not earn very high salaries. You can always visit and explore Paris during school holidays!
If you are looking for opportunities to teach English in France’s private schools, be prepared to face tough competition. If you are an EU resident, it makes sense to come to France and personally network and circulate your CV. Apply to private schools only if you meet all their criteria. With so much competition, the schools really have no reason to compromise or lower their entry requirements.
If you do not have the qualifications demanded by private schools, your best shot to teach in France might be to try out the private language schools. They are a bit more flexible as far as academic credentials are concerned.
Yet another opportunity for teachers in France lies with the corporate sector. Several companies hire English tutors to upgrade the language skills of their workforce. Again, networking plays an important role in getting access to such opportunities.
For Americans looking to teach English in France, TAPIF is a good place to start. The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers you the opportunity to work in France for 7 months, teaching English to French students of all ages. The program is open to citizens and permanent residents of the USA.
Nearly 1500 Americans are selected under the program every year. You will teach English in public schools across all metropolitan France regions and in the overseas departments of France such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.
Educating Abroad Quick Tip: The smaller cities in France have many language schools. Since the cost of living is relatively lower as compared to the bigger cities, do explore this option.
How & When To Apply For Jobs To Teach English In France
The academic year in France begins in September. Most private schools begin their recruitment process by June-July. If you plan to teach in France, it makes sense to do your research and get your resume ready by May.
The first step is to find out the opportunities available in the coming academic sessions. Several international and private schools, including language schools, advertise openings on the internet. You can also make cold calls or send emails to schools asking about their requirements in the coming academic year.
Once you have a short-list of possible opportunities to teach in France, it is time to move to the next job search stage. EU residents have the advantage of being able to enter France and look for work without any legal formalities. Make the trip to France and visit the schools on your shortlist.
There is a financial cost involved, but you will get a first-mover advantage. Besides, schools are likely to take a closer look at your application if you are right there on the ground and can personally follow up on any developments.
However, making a trip to explore opportunities to teach English in France may not be financially viable for non-EU residents. The travel costs will be quite high. Also, France is an expensive country.
Expenditure on travel, boarding and lodgings may make an exploratory trip to France unaffordable. However, if a school is interested in your resume, they are generally open to having interviews via video conferencing apps.
You can also explore online job sites and recruitment agencies. Do check out the various exchange and working holiday programs run by education institutes and the government.
Private language schools and companies hire language professionals throughout the year. So, if you have missed out on getting a job to teach in France for the coming academic session, you can send your application to language schools and business houses. If you are a non-EU resident, check out if they are willing to sponsor you for a work visa.
Educating Abroad Quick Tip: Before you launch your job search, make sure that your documents are accredited. The French love for correct and proper documentation is legendary and non-compromising.
The Qualifications You Need To Teach English In France
If you do not have the right qualifications, it is extremely tough to teach in France. Most private schools require a four-year degree certificate as well as work experience. A TEFL or CELTA certification is also necessary. Your application will get to the second stage of scrutiny only if you have the relevant work experience. Most universities and corporate houses usually appoint candidates with a Master’s degree for their language courses.
However, if you have several years of work experience and a Bachelor’s degree, do send in your resume. If they are impressed by your body of work, they might decide to overlook the lack of a higher degree. The smaller language schools may hire you even if you do not have a degree but have TEFL or CELTA certification. However, be ready to make compromises vis-a-vis the salary and work environment.
Here is a quick guide to institutes/places you should apply to with your qualifications
Qualifications |
Type of Institute |
|---|---|
|
Master’s Degree/Work Experience
|
Good
|
|
Bachelor’s Degree/TEFL/Work Experience
|
Difficult
|
|
TEFL Certificate
|
Very tough
|
How To Get A Visa To Teach English In France
There are no legal formalities for EU residents working as teachers in France. But non-EU residents have to go through a long and cumbersome process for a teacher’s work visa. The school must sponsor your work visa. Be warned that most schools are unwilling to do so. French schools also do not hire teachers without the right work documents. You cannot work as a teacher in France on a tourist visa, under the table payment!
Here are the steps involved in getting a work visa:
- The school must request work authorization from the French administration. The management will have to fill and submit form 15187 * 02 to the immigration department.
- If the duration of your employment contract is more than three months, your visa will be a long-stay visa. This is equivalent to a residence permit and must be validated within 3 months of your arrival in France.
- If your employment contract’s duration is less than or equal to three months, your visa will be a short stay visa.
- The long-stay visa has a limited duration of between 3 months and a year. You will need to apply for a residence permit in the prefecture to continue your stay beyond the period of validity of the visa.
- When filing the visa application, you must enclose the work authorization in addition to supporting documents regarding your personal and professional credentials.
Some Quick FAQ's On Teaching English In France
How much can you make teaching English in France?
If you teach English in France, you can expect to earn $1000 – $2000 within the language centres based upon the amount of hours you decide to work. If you have higher qualifications and teaching experience you may be fortunate to work at an International school of which you can expect to make $2000+ per month.
Are English teachers in demand in France?
Yes English Teachers are in Demand to teach English in France. France has a cyclical recruitment period as many of the english teachers who teach English in France come for short terms when perhaps travelling through Europe. They stay for 6 months and then move on creating a demand to replace the leavers.
Do you need to know French to teach English in France?
No you do not need to know french to teach English in France. A lot of the time you will be teaching french people how to speak English, within ESL & International school teaching you are usually only allowed to speak English.
Since it is challenging to get a work visa, non-EU residents opt for other ways to teach English in France. You will find that several teachers in France came to the country on a student visa. A student visa permits you to take on paid work of up to 964 hours in a single year. You will require a valid residency permit and provide assurances that the work does not interfere with your course’s completion.
Given below is the procedure to get a student visa:
- Register and apply for your chosen course
- Once you get the enrolment papers, register with Campus France.
- After your papers are processed at Campus France, apply at the consulate in your home country for a student visa with the necessary documents.
- You will be called for a visa interview.
Once your application is approved, the visa will be stamped on your passport.
Educating Abroad Quick Tip: The type of visa that you require to teach in France will depend on your nationality and other factors.
Work Environment, Salary & Cost Of Living If You Teach In France
Work Environment
Teaching is not a lucrative profession in France. Teachers in France make between $800-$2000 per month. If you are teaching in an international school, you may expect additional perks and a basic salary. However, in most private schools, perks are unheard of, and teachers in France get just their take-home pay at the end of the month. Expat teachers in other countries do get perks like housing allowance and travel reimbursement.
But do not expect this in the French education system. With the competition for a position in their schools so intense, the French have little incentive to attract ex-pats with additional perks and bonuses!
However, one of the advantages of teaching English in France is that you get between 6-10 weeks of vacation time. This gives you enough time to explore the country!
French schools normally function from 8 am to 4 pm. Saturdays are usually half days. Several private schools give the students a day off on Wednesday. This is to encourage children to take up extra activities like sports or music. One of the enjoyable aspects of teaching in France is the 2-hour long lunch breaks. Classrooms have a strength of 23-25 students.
The Salary, Benefits & Classroom Atmosphere You can Expect When You Teach English In France
Benefit Type |
Expectation |
|---|---|
|
Work Day
|
5-6 days a week (Sunday & Wednesday off. Half day on Saturdays)
|
|
Timings
|
8.30 am-4.30 pm
|
|
Class Sizes
|
23-26 students
|
|
Salary
|
$800-2000 per month
|
|
Annual Leave
|
6-10 weeks per year
|
|
Housing
|
No
|
|
Airfare
|
No
|
|
Healthcare
|
State health insurance if you have been a resident for more than 3 months
|
*Please note you can expect airfare, housing & private healthcare at International Schools
Educating Abroad Quick Tip: Do negotiate further if your employment contract does not include paid leave.
Cost Of Living
Can you save money working as a teacher in France? Unfortunately, the answer is negative. France is an expensive country to live in. The Worldwide Cost of Living Survey (2020) ranked Paris as the fifth most expensive city globally. Other French cities where the cost of living can be formidable include Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Bordeaux. Metz, Versailles and Montpellier are among the cheaper cities.
If you are located in Paris during your stint as a teacher in France, be prepared to spend a substantial percentage of your income (44%) on rent. In most other French cities, including Marseille and Nice, your rent would account for 20-25 per cent of your monthly income. The rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the centre of the city is as high as $750.
You can reduce your housing bill slightly if you move outside the city centre. You may be able to rent an apartment outside the city centre for $550-$600. Most French apartment complexes have an additional maintenance charge. The more upmarket the complex, the higher the charge. On average, the maintenance charges will be around $30 per square feet. The utility bill for electricity, water, cooling, heating and garbage collection will be an additional $150
One of the pleasures of living in Paris is the wonderful shopping scene! It is not all about fashion and clothes. Even something as mundane as shopping for grocery and food can be an exciting experience. The French prefer to shop at speciality and small neighbourhood grocery stores. Once you move to France, you will probably slip into the French habit of buying your daily bread from a particular bakery and the meat from your favourite butcher shop. The weekly markets are a delight, and you can wander around the aisles picking up the freshest of produce.
It would be a pity to live in France and not sample the delicious French cuisine. From the lively cafes on the sidewalks to the gourmet restaurants, France offers a gastronomical journey that is quite unmatched by any other country in the world. From the simple baguette fresh from the oven to the slow-cooked confit de canard, from the range of wines to the varieties of gateaux, French food is quite simply delicious.
Unfortunately, eating out frequently may not be possible for salaries paid to teachers in France. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant can cost you $15. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant for two people can set you back by $55.
France has excellent public transport. If you are in Paris, you will not need a car. The metro system covers the entire city. A monthly pass on the public transport system is around $60. If you buy a car, the maintenance, including fuel costs and parking fees, would work out to around $175 per month.
Given the high cost of living, ex-pat teachers in France can at most hope to break even. There is a minimal scope or potential for savings.
Educating Abroad Quick Tip: You are guaranteed health coverage under the government-funded Protection Universelle Maladie (PUMA). It provides mandatory health care for all foreigners and long-term residents who live in France for at least 3 months.
Places To See And Things To Do Whilst You Teach In France
Tour The Country:
In Paris, the Eiffel and Louvre, the elegant French Riviera in Nice, the charming markets and quaint cafés in Marseille – France will seduce you with its charm and culture!
Get a Taste of France:
One of the highlights of your stint in France will undoubtedly be your exploration of French food. From light-as-air souffles to spectacular crepe flambe, the use of fresh ingredients, innovative flavours, beautiful presentation and flamboyant technique make every meal a delightful treat.
Raise a Toast to the Vineyards:
Take a journey through the French vineyards in Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne’s wine-producing regions. The beauty of the countryside, the stunning chateaux and the experience of wine tastings will leave you intoxicated for a few days!
International Teachers Experience Teaching English In France On YouTube
Teach In France: Our Final Thoughts
Teachers in France have the privilege of working in one of the best education systems in the world. Besides, you get the chance to explore this exciting and much-visited country. The only downside is that given the high cost of living, the potential for savings is negligible. However, there is no denying that France is one of the most sought-after works abroad destination for professional and qualified teachers.
In short, if you want to teach in France, you must make your moves in a planned and organized manner. Your documentation has to be perfect; your qualifications must match the school’s requirements to the T. French schools, and the famous French bureaucracy will brook no argument, nor will they be persuaded otherwise! Below are some tips on the best way to ensure that your dream to teach in France comes true.
