Teaching English... Help!

[acrainbow]

Hello!

I am currently considering teaching English in France this upcoming year. I have been accepted to a CELTA certification program in France that would take 4 weeks to complete but would qualify me to be hired to teach English in a language school or perhaps elsewhere.

Does anyone have experience with this? I have been told that as an American, I should not go to France without a visa first because I will not be hired without one. So my plan is to register for a language course to qualify me for a student visa. I am planning to go to France in order to learn French anyway, so this works for me.

Also, with a student visa, how early before my course begins am I allowed to arrive in country?

Are there any simpler ways of doing this? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Bevdeforges]

On a student visa, you will be limited in how much you can work. It's a fixed number of hours, which some people choose to do "full time" during school vacations and holiday, and others work while their classes are in session, working out to about 20 hours a week max.

Jobs teaching English can be difficult to get. You're competing against all the English native speakers from the UK who don't need a visa to live and work in France. Besides the CELTA qualification it would help to have some teaching experience and perhaps a university degree in a related subject (English, Education, Business, etc.).

As a student, it might be easier to find private students to tutor in English - so as to avoid conflicts with your classes and study requirements.

You may want to take a look at the Campus France website CampusFrance - Education en France - Study in France - Estudiar en Francia - Etudier en France - Study abroad in France - Centre pour les Etudes En France - CEF which has specific information on study programs and on student visas that you might find useful.
Cheers,
Bev

[_Sarah_]

I have been told that as an American, I should not go to France without a visa first because I will not be hired without one

Exactly right, it is illegal to work if you don't have a visa with work rights.

I did the CELTA this Dec/Jan, it's a really awesome course and well worth the effort. I agree with Bev in that you have more chance if you have another degree (at least a Bachelors) and some experience. You'll be able to get lots of private lessons no matter what, and depending on where you are job opportunities will be more or less easy to come by. Paris is where your biggest chance is, and Lyon aswell. Anywhere else you really need experience to get hired.

[acrainbow]

Thanks to both of you for your responses.

I actually do have a bachelor's degree and have almost 3 years of tutoring experience, in addition to being a professor's assistant for a year.

Sarah, are you an American? How did you handle your visa situation? I'd love to hear more about your experiences with CELTA. I'm considering taking it at ILC France in Paris. Did you work immediately after you got your cert?

Thanks again!!

EDIT: I just noticed you are from Australia, so maybe the visa requirements are different?

[_Sarah_]

That's good, the experience will give you much better chances at finding work, and the Bachelor's is a great help - most employers want people with a 'license'. Depending on what area you did your Bachelors in, you could potentially be able to teach Business English.

I'm Australian but my husband is French. I did the CELTA because I'd like to work as an English teacher while we're in France for a while - I will have a spouse visa but I am very aware that it won't be easy to find a job (we won't be in any big city), so I'm trying to get work experience before we move, volunteering, ect. I don't know about your long-term plans, but if you stay in France on a student visa (perhaps going on to study French), you'll be able to work for around 20 hours a week I think. You shouldn't have any problems working on a student visa.

I did the CELTA in Melbourne but because Cambridge very stricly regulates the course, it's pretty much the same in any centre. You will love the course - it's a big commitment for a short period but really worth it. Getting to teach real students in a real classroom is a great experience, the tutors are really helpful and guide you the whole way, and in the end you get to completely plan your own lessons. Between learning about methodology, grammar, teaching and observing, there's never a dull moment !

[Bevdeforges]

One caveat on the teaching English idea - it is VERY difficult to get a work visa for a job teaching English. The way the work visas work is that the employer has to justify hiring a non-EU national in order to sponsor a work visa for the person. With an ample supply of UK nationals available to teach English and in no need of work visas, this makes the competition kind of fierce for those in need of a visa.

As Sarah mentioned, she is married to a Frenchman and as such is part of that large group of potential English teachers who does not have to have a visa in order to work.

One further caveat on the student visa - to qualify for one, you need to have adequate resources to fund your entire stay as a student. While you are able to work, you can't be relying on that income to meet your living expenses. You'll need savings or a promise from your parents to fund your stay. The work provision is really only to give you "pocket money" - and you are expected to adjust your work around your classes, not the other way around.
Cheers,
Bev

[acrainbow]

Thanks for the input, both Sarah and Bev.

My current plan is to enroll with Campus Langues language school in Paris (the forum won't let me post the URL) to be eligible for the student visa. I've been communicating with them and they are telling me if I pre-register with them then they will provide the adequate acceptance letter for a student visa that will be valid for a year. They are telling me once I arrive in France, however, I only need to register for their 12-week intensive course. Does this seem strange or is it okay?

Also, how early before my course begins can I arrive in France? I would love to take the CELTA course for 4 weeks and THEN begin the 12 week course so I don't have to worry about missing any of it.

I've looked at Campus France's website up and down, and my Consulate's page, and haven't found information on how early you can arrive on a student visa.

Thank you!

[Bevdeforges]

I would be extremely wary of the idea of applying for a one-year student visa and then only enrolling in a 12 week course on arrival. AFAIK, the student visa is supposed to be for the duration of the course you're enrolled in and what they're suggesting sounds a bit fraudulent to me. (Though they may simply be offering to do this "to be helpful.")

If you want to take the CELTA class first, why not enroll in that plus the French class and then apply for a student visa that covers the full period of both courses? I think they only allow you to enter France on your student visa a couple of weeks early at best and you are expected to return home within about a month of the completion of your program.
Cheers,
Bev

[acrainbow]

Ok, so although the CELTA doesn't qualify me for a student visa (only 4 weeks), do you think I could present both acceptance letters (4 weeks for CELTA and the language program beginning at the end of those first 4 weeks) and receive a student visa to allow me to arrive early enough for the CELTA course?

This would be IDEAL! Then I could take my CELTA course and when it is finished I could start taking French classes while I work (I know only 20 hours per week) for the rest of the year.

Does that make more sense?

Thanks again for your incredible help!!

[acrainbow]

Just wanted to update the forum with my results from this endeavor!

I ended up applying for a student visa for both my CELTA course (starting in June) and the French classes. I had my visa appointment yesterday and I made a small mistake on the bank statement requirement, but otherwise had all the documents they needed. They requested proof of housing (not on their website list of requirements) so today I am sending them my reservation for my apartment. Otherwise, everything is good to go!!!!

So, to those people looking to learn French/teach English in France, it can definitely be done. With a lot of research, hard work, patience, and creativity.