danhewy

Hi All,
Im about 7 weeks into my new life in France since moving from NZ. Im from Yorkshire but have spent the last 6 years living in Auckland where I worked in mental health social work. My Fiancee is French, originally from Paris. She couldnt find work in NZ so we decided to give France a try and also to be closer to our families. We are currently staying with her family in Bavent/Robehomme which is about 5mins from Cabourg and 25 mins from Caen. My other half is applying for work (communications) around Normandy and also Paris, so her success will largely dictate where we will be based. As nothing happens in France during Aug hols and after a tough year of study & work in NZ I have been relaxing and enjoying the cheese and wine. Now reality has hit and Im starting to get my A into G. My level of French has improved rapidly since arriving and I feel I have a good grasp of the language but i'm frustratingly, not so employable just yet. Especially with the work I am trained to do relies mostly on communication!!!! However I am aware that I will need to find work doing something different until my French improves. The obvious work would be teaching english part time, however if I move to Paris Im aware the competition to do this will be fierce, especially since I could realistically only earn enough to survive. So anyone got any ideas of what if any work I could lay my hands on in the mean time? Specifically anyone with any knowledge of Caen and Calvados? Im prepared to give anything a try.
Also Im quite keen to meet some new people so anyone know of any groups in the Caen area? english speaking/social/sports groups etc.
Cheers
D

Ka Ora!

Welcome to the Forum, If you get any issues give myself Sue or Mitzyboy a shout

tinkydinky

Dear Dan,

Wow what a big step, I wish you luck in your endeavours and welcome to Normandy too. This Forum has proven to be a great help and resource for us and is greatly appreciated. Unfortunately the Economic climate is such but if you keep at it I am sure you will be rewarded.

Good Luck to you and your partner.

TinkyDinky

Etoile de Berger

Danhewey....

If you find work in the state schools sector as an English teacher, you will be the first to break the awful protectionsist wall they have thrown around themselves adn I will personally buy you a bottle of Bolly.

There was a highly qualified well experienced English, English language teacher with a Masters who wanted to teach in France...she had admin experience too. She went to the EU courts and didn't win her case.

The French state has it sewn up and defies all rules about exchangign jobs by creating so many hoops to go through most people fail at one or the other. In the first instance you haev to speak French more or less fluently. Then as a civil servant you will have to take a job ANYWHERE in France they send you. You have to do an equivalency course for a year at a university in French.

I am sorry to be a Job but I think it is wise to know before you make assumptions!

dennerlymum

it is very difficult to get work in the state schools but work as a TEFL teacher abounds. Pay isnt superb but is doable if your partner earns a reasonable amount!
good luck

Peabrain

I think this is a little unfair. Firstly, given the working conditions in the average French school, being able to speak the language as well as the kids do is a fairly basic requirement in order to establish one's authority. Otherwise children will make one's life hell. I've seen it happen.
It is no longer mandatory to be French in order to work in the French state system, but obviously it helps if one has French qualifications, simply because, curiously, the French tend to put more trust in their own qualifications than in those from other countries. Those people that decide to go down this path and sit, say, the Capes or agrégation rarely regret it. It lifts them out of the pool of English-speaking graduates that bum around Paris, going from one job to another, never knowing what the future holds, and who spend a lot of time and energy moaning about how awful the French are. It is also useful to know that the two above mentioned competitive exams only exist to recruit teachers, and at the moment, given the low salaries and poor working conditions in so many French schools, there are more places on offer than there are candidates. For someone with a master's degree, it shouldn't take more than a couple of years to get the required qualifications. But there again, good knowledge of the language of the country one is working in is also a basic requirement. And so much the better.
Yes, one may well get sent to regions where there is a shortage of teachers, usually those where the schools are the worst. One may not want to do so. In which case one doesn't decide to go into teaching in France.
Incidentally, the net salary of a professeur agrégé, hors classe, at the end of his or her career is 3,850 euros.

danhewy

Hi All thanks for the info
Not sure teaching in France state schools would be my bag actually, I'm more interested in teaching for a short period of time either privately or in a language school to bring in a little money. Def hoping the OH scores a good job to balance things out until my French improves!!!
I dont have a tefl but I do have a university degree, I flicked through FUSAC and there are adds fom language schools looking to hire native speakers with a bachelors degree.. Anyone have any experience with such institutions?? I have experience in educational environments delivering programs on anxiety management etc.
Also does anyone have any experience with the conversion of professional experience and/or qualifications via VAE Validation des Acquis Professionnel to a Nationally recognised state diploma?
We are starting the ball rolling so I can apply for jobs in the future in my field (social work or assistant de service social) with a French qualification. It looks like it could be a go on paper, but im prepared for it to be a long drawn out process and quite complex.
Have managed to get a weeks work this week as an extra on a movie filmed in Deauville!!!
nice will continue to use this forum as a well appreciated resource.
D

dennerlymum

I work for one such institution. My employer does not require you to have a TEFL qual but prefer native speakers and some teaching experience. They then train you for 5 days initially and more later. If you pass the training then you have 3 months prob then a guarantee of a certain number of hours a week; the usual is around 10! Very few language schools offer full time employment; the max is usually 25hrs a week and in my company considerably less. After 3 years I have clawed my way up to 20+ hours per week for an availability from 8-5 five days a week. (I am open for lessons during this period; I usually get 3 ish lessons a day and am paid for time face to face with a client and travel to companies)
I like my job but it is not for all... good luck

Peabrain

Hi again,
I have no experience whatsoever of private language schools, except what people used to tell me years ago about some of the biggest and best known. They used to pay with a catapult, as the French say, in other words, peanuts. Often referred to as latter-day slave labour, no job security or tenure of course and given the small number of hours on offer, as Dennerlymum points out, you have to work for several in order to make a living. It's not exactly a career prospect.
If you have a decent CV you might try applying to the "Grandes Ecoles", France's top science, engineering and business colleges, mostly situated in the Paris region, although there are a couple in Rennes (Sup. Elec.) or Rouen and minor ones in Le Havre and Caen. They use a lot of vacataires to do classes to post A-level students, but again no tenure, practically no full-time jobs and pay that's nothing to write home about. To be employed as a vacataire, you also need a full-time employer too, for social security payments.
PB

Etoile de Berger

I tell it as I read it and after my own experiences. Nothing unfair about it. In fact I was speaking to an ex English teacher in GB today who said the same thing. I never siad you can't do it...I said you had to do equivalency exams after a year at a university...which you pay for incidentally.

There are openiings in fee paying schools and odd places like adults further education etc but I made it clear I was talking about the state sector.

dennerlymum

actually all employees at our establishment are tenured or permanent on CDI contracts; we have a number of hours guaranteed a year ; if we fall below that he pays the diff; above that by 25% and we get a bonus supplement

I love my job and see it as no worse paid than being a teacher in the uk if I look at the pro rata hours; however I accept it tends to be a secondary income to a house.

Work with the big schools is much better paid but less secure on the whole