Teach English in France

Details

Summary

Demand is high, but the market is competitive. The law compels French companies to provide staff training, so there is big demand for Business English classes. The government also pays for the unemployed to take classes at private language schools.

Main TEFL regions

Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, Marseilles.

Types of teaching

Private language schools: General English, Business English, Cambridge FCE/CAE
In-company: General English, Business English
Telephone lessons: General English, Business English
French chambers of commerce: General English, Business English, Cambridge FCE/CAE, Franco-British Chamber of Commerce English diplomas

Accommodation

You’ll pay about €500 for a studio apartment in Paris, but much less if you share or live outside of Paris. The biggest problem is finding someone who’ll rent to you: most landlords want 3 months’ deposit, lots of references and proof of stable employment.

Alternatively, you could apply for accommodation through The CAF, a government assistance scheme for people on low salaries.

Flight reimbursement

Not usual

Salary

The average wage is about €1,400 before tax, but you’ll earn more depending on your qualifications and experience. Most teachers charge between €18-28 per hour for private lessons, or €10 per half hour for telephone lessons.

Taxes

On the average teacher’s salary, you’ll pay about 7% of your total earnings in tax.

Cost of living

The cost of living is high here: slightly more expensive than the USA, but slightly less than the UK. A fast food meal is about €5, a beer in a bar starts at €4, while a monthly travel pass for the whole of Paris will set you back a whopping €122 (€55 for just the centre)!

Potential to save money

The cost of living is so high that you’re unlikely to be able to save any money. But for most teachers here, this is outweighed by the great food and the chance to become part of this usually -impenetrable culture.

How much TEFL training is recommended?

Most teachers in France have a TEFL qualification at the very least, so you’ll need to get one of your own to be competitive. Almost as important is some sort of business experience - i-to-i’s specialist Teaching Business English certificate should give you a good head start.

Common teaching conditions

Most positions involve teaching businesspeople, who tend to be good students if a little intimidating. Employers often hire and fire at will, so try to get a permanent contract and take advantage of the excellent government-enforced benefits such as holidays and sick pay.

Be aware…

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the French love bureaucracy! Arranging anything seems to involve lots of red tape, and it can take a while for your application to be processed (six to nine months for work permits!)