Teaching English in Paris: Some Good Tips for future teachers

By Elisabeth Schneiter

Paris no longer is, if it ever really was, a mecca for native English teachers!

There are now probably more than 300 language schools offering English classes so the fees are not getting higher. Teaching English in Paris is popular, and the wages start at 12 Euros an hour, which is very low. But it can be more for private instruction.

These schools compete in the lucrative market of continuing education (formation continue), a system whereby companies pay for courses on behalf of their employees, who take advantage of it and are not, usually, very motivated.

So the status of being a teacher is not very rewarding in Paris since these students are not as respectful or keen as in other places. Still one can hope to survive here teaching English, mostly because it is still possible to live quite inexpensively.

Contrary to London, for example, where one feels naked if poor, Paris is quite a civilized place. Cheap transportation system, food not too expensive, but apartments hard to get.

How to find a teaching job

It is easier to get a job in France if you are a European Union (EU) citizen. The best is to arrive in Paris around June or July before everyone has gone on holiday and send CVs around to the schools’ addresses, which can be found in the yellow pages.

You can also look in a French-American magazine called Fusac fusac.com where the schools advertise. This magazine also offers all sorts of jobs, furniture, lodgings, and other classified ads.

Think of having some money in advance because the school doesn’t start until September.

Select schools that seem serious, and send them a C.V. with a smiling photo and a letter written in good French. Include all your skills on your C.V./resumé! And prepare for the interviews.

The turnover of teachers is quite high so the chances are that you’ll get many answers. It’s important to have at least a bachelors degree and better yet to have a TEFL degree but it can work without the latter. Consult this page for some TEFL teacher training courses.

Much of the teaching in private schools requires skills in teaching business English: telephone English, meetings, presentations, socializing, negotiating, attending conferences, writing proposals and documents, etc. You might also be asked to prepare students for the TOEIC test of English, and information on this can be found at this website

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