Hi,

I've been offered a job in Grenoble. And I'd really like to take it up.

The problem is that I of course want my girlfriend to come with me. She's got some French, but is not very confident in her ability to quickly pick it up. She thinks this would massively impede her chances of finding work, and as she's unemployed now she's growing very tired of "living off me", as she calls it.

I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice or point me into the right direction when it comes to employment which doesn't require fluent French. She speaks fluent German (and English, of course), which I guess could be a bonus.

So yea, I'm afraid I don't have any exact questions. Pretty much any advice or guidance will do - especially from someone in or around Grenoble

Thanks in advance!

Hi

I lived in Grenoble for 3 years, and while I can't offer to many pointers on finding work, I can tell you there is a large English-speaking community in Grenoble, and people are generally quite ready to help each other out. They're always looking for English teachers there, and perhaps your girl-friend could teach German. There's even a club for English speakers there called Open House - http://www.openhousegrenoble.org/ . I resisted joining it for a year, but eventually gave in and did so and really found it enjoyable.

I hope this helped even a little!
Sharon

Oh, and I forgot to add, it's always quite useful to take a course at CUEF - http://w3.u-grenoble3.fr/cuef/en/index.php3 - the centre for French studies at Grenoble University which will assess your level and French and then place you in a class appropriate for you. I took one when I first arrived in Grenoble, and some of my classmates went on to take 3 or 4 as it is very good there. They teach at all levels. It's also quite a fun way to meet people.

I've posted you 2 replies making recommendations about what made life easier for me during my stay in Grenoble, but they don't seem to have been posted yet. I don't THINK talking about CUEF and Open House was advertising!

Don't know what went wrong, maybe the wonders of technology

I googled CUEF and realised I should've added that French lessons will be included with the job, for me and her. Haven't signed off on anything yet, though, as a "full offer" depends on a medical examination, which - unless I have contracted something scary and symptomless (don't mean chlamydia btw) - will be fine

Of course further study should be encouraged, however I'm afraid the money situation will be tight the first few months (as it is now in the UK).

Welcome Khensu (and to Sharon)

Seeing as how you're coming here with a job and getting french lessons, I wouldn't let her hesitate. Finding a job isn't easy, but she can register with www.anpe.fr and would be entitled to french lessons from them too, whilst at the same time being helped to find a job. They're very pro-active and assign an advisor to you, who helps write a CV and organises a "stage" - work experience for you. Until her french is fluent there is the opportunity of working in menial jobs, washing up, fruit picking, all the time gaining experience and french. Pay isn't great, probably most jobs are minimum wage - 8,40E an hour - but once you find one, it helps the chances of getting another.

This is a wonderful chance for you both, life here is a different pace and you'll both pick up french in no time.

Good luck

I'm with Jazz n Lol (did I get that right? ) - if you have a job and French lessons, say yes immediately!

The ANPE is always an option, but also teaching - they always want English teachers in Grenoble, and I knew an Austrian (I lived there for 3 years until recently) who taught both English and German. Of course, your girlfriend would actually have to like teaching... but if she does, and whether or not she has a degree, she should be able to do that.

I advised in a reply which didn't get posted to look into Open House (Google it as I posted the link and the moderator may not have liked that!) which is the English speaking association in Grenoble. I didn't join for a year (wanting to 'integrate'), but found it fun and useful when I did.

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies and advice! I'll be sure to drop all of that into the several "big talks" we're bound to have


[edit]
It looks like the two first replies have decided to show up

If you do not have enough posts and include a url, then they are held in a queue until they have been checked.
This is to stop spammers. ;-))

Ah, thanks for the explanation - a good system, might I add

Open House Grenoble's website was down yesterday, but today it's back up. However, yesterday I sent an e-mail to them through angloinfo.com regarding work advice for my girlfriend who speaks English/German but has very limited French, whether there were any organisations/companies with jobs that didn't necessarily require good French (a long shot outside of menial jobs, I know, but I figured it's worth a try). I'd like to reiterate that question here

Unfortunately, as it has suddenly become more "real" (going to France), the girlfriend has become scared. That's understandable, of course: lack of French (before I start sounding like an a-hole: mine's not great either, but that's where the lessons come in), no job (she doesn't want to wait any longer to start work), and she's never been to Grenoble.

I don't want to force or deceive her, but I do believe that we will have a better future there. More financial security (I find my "skills"/experience to be undervalued and underpaid here, as opposed to when I was working in Belgium; or the pay for this job), a different lifestyle, no/less youths in tracksuits shouting at us, ...

That's why I want to try to take away that fear (a little) by taking her there when the medical for the job is due, but mainly by finding as much information as possible on employment opportunities for her. So, again, any help would be much, much appreciated.
(And, as I still have to pick up some old stuff in Belgium, possibly rewarded with chocolate and beer!)

Hi Khensu

Your girlfriend should be able to find a job teaching English/German very quickly, and if she were to sign on with the ANPE they will probably ask her if she's willing to do this (the ANPE is the Job Centre). A tip is that I (and many of my friends) found that it's difficult to get a job in France in something you haven't done (they don't tend to believe in putting you in to something new).

One of the reasons we no longer live in the UK is (apart from my husband's job which means we live in various countries) that I don't want to bring my children up in the yob culture that is so rife in the UK. We're moving back to France soon (he's French), and the quality of life is great there. Food isn't particularly expensive, and the quality is very good. Grenoble is very French, but enough expats to make settling in less scary. The city centre is beautiful, although you may be rather less enamoured of the 'modern' buildings that make up most of the city. Driving around the mountains you get the most spectacular views, and in the winter people (locals and expats alike) regularly nip off for a bit of skiing, a sport there not just for the well-off. And if you miss your Marmite, there's an Irish shop right in the city centre!

Thanks for the reply. I've just come off the phone with her and the thought of teaching gets her really excited. Some people....!

I guess contacting the ANPE about this wouldn't be a bad idea, and having a look around at all the teaching institutions. The medical examination for this job isn't until late August so that should give us plenty of time to research things.

Also, you said in a previous post that one wouldn't need a degree to teach, but what sort of course or experience (if any) would be needed? She hasn't taught or worked in education before.

Ah, and to not be near yobs/tracksuited youths/coked-up chavs staring at me trying to pick a fight/... - and decent food... 't must be heaven!

I didn't work there myself, as after looking around and rejecting teaching (anyone who knows me could not imagine me teaching - "What do you mean you don't understand this - it's so EASY!"), I decided to have children instead. 2 in our 3 years there - the medical care in France is very, very good, the best free healthcare I've ever experienced anywhere.

BUT a fair few of my friends did teach, and I know for a fact that at least a couple didn't have degrees, and one of them had never even taught before, but thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't remember if she went through Assedic or the ANPE (the first is like the Unemployment Office and the second the Job Centre) but either way, she got a teaching job, she and many others went away for a couple of weeks training and she worked for a year and half until they left Grenoble.

There's quite an emphasis on learning English out there, and even a junior school (the Houille Blanche) that has English & German sections. A lot of older foreign children go to Europole, the senior school. Whatever, there are a lot of schools there keen for their children to learn English.

Ah, wonderful I'll give them a call soon so that we've got as much details as possible before we set foot on terre Grenoblois!

Thanks!