[jjayoo]

I find myself at a crossroads, and unlike previous occasions when the decision was solely my own, I now have the feelings/hopes/fears of my girlfriend to factor into this already confusing situation.

I am Irish and she is French, I speak only English while she has English and her native French. We have been going out for two years and she has almost finished her studies and plans to come to Ireland. I am currently working night at a job which I have no love for and pays poorly. I am also a qualified personal trainer and have completed a TEFL course.

She has done very well in college and has already been offered a few positions in jobs I know she would enjoy as she has a real passion for her work. If I spoke French there would be no problem, I would go to France and find something, I am a pretty simple guy give me some decent weather and access to the gym and I would be content with pretty much anything. Unfortunately I never saw the importance of another language when in secondary school.

So getting back to the title, I have a number of friends who have worked as English teachers around the world, most in South Korea and a few in Spain. In Spain there seems to be a good demand for these positions and from the positions I have checked out, I must admit I am in the early research stage, the lack of Spanish does not seem to be an issue as all the classes are confined to English.

I am just wondering are there many of these schools in France, or could anyone steer me in the right direction. My girlfriend is from the South-West close to Biarritz. I know it’s a long shot, but there is no harm in asking and learning from others.

Thank you for reading, and sorry if I was ranting

 

[Bevdeforges]

To get any sort of job in France, you'll do well to have the appropriate "qualification." The French are nuts about "qualifications" - even if it's a certificate showing that you're trained in the field and not a full blown university diploma.

Teaching English in France is a rough road. There are plenty of unqualified (in the French sense) anglophones around, picking up private clients for whatever the market will bear - and as a result, the going rate for English teaching isn't all that good.

With a TEFL or TESOL certificate and/or some sort of teaching experience, it may be possible to get hired on by a language school but again, don't expect huge wages.

The better gigs are those being paid for by employers who want their employees to be able to speak English. For this, it helps having something of a business background.
Cheers,
Bev