How to Teach English in France for Americans With a Celta Certificate
Teaching English in France can be a difficult job to secure, but it is made easier by gaining a CELTA qualification. The CELTA is a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. It is administered by the University of Cambridge and can be obtained in several authorized centers, including those in New York and Boston. The CELTA course gives teachers a foundation in English language teaching, providing them with ideas and practical experience. In France, teachers with a CELTA can expect to earn approximately 1,000 to 1,200 euros per month.
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Instructions
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Learn some French. It is not essential, but if you have a basic working knowledge of the language, employers will know that you are serious about applying for a job.
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Prepare your resume and cover letter. This should be in English, but it may also be helpful to bring a copy of each in French. Include a passport-sized photo in the upper-right corner of the first page of your resume.
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Bring or buy a mobile phone that will work in France. This way, potential employers will be able to contact you in regards to a job.
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Get a list of schools in France from your CELTA course provider. Alternatively, you can also consult the French yellow pages, as suggested by former teacher Amber Foster in her article, "Teaching English in France."
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Travel to France in September or January, using a three-week round-trip ticket. These are the months when schools look to hire teachers. You will need to return to your home country in order to apply for your legal work visa before commencing your teaching position.
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Go door-to-door in France with your resume, visiting the schools you earmarked from the CELTA list or yellow pages. Be persistent and expect to wait at least one week before receiving any return calls.
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Once you are hired, your employer will need to request a work permit for you. After this has been done, you will return to France and begin teaching.
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Tips & Warnings
Bring copies of your passport, birth certificate and original CELTA certification documents when traveling to France on a job search. Alternatives to a company-sponsored work visa include enrolling in a course and traveling to France on a student visa or finding a relative who may qualify you to apply for an European Union passport.
It is difficult to obtain a job in France without an EU passport or work visa, as French law states that non-EU citizens can only be hired if the company can prove that the needed skills cannot be found in the country. Although there are English teachers working illegally in France, it is never recommended that you do so.
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