Can I work in France even if I don't know how to speak french?

Question

Can I work in France even if I don't know how to speak french?

Answer 1

I moved to Paris one year ago and immediately found a job as a nanny in which the parents insist that I never speak french to the children! You can find many such nanny/au pair/ babysitting jobs. If you plan to stay in France for longer than 3 months, you are required by law to apply for a Carte de Séjour which will give you permission to stay in France for up to one year, and if you plan to work you are required to apply for a work permit. BUT, you are supposed to have already this job before you come to France,  the employer has to explain why you are better suited for this position than a French person (French unemployment rate is high), AND you have to wait 3 months  or more for approval and then pick it up in the United States.  This is all quite cumbersome, especially as French paperwork and bureaucracy is  confusing, meticulous and random. This makes teaching English a good job option in France. There are programs that will help you get over here, so as to capitalize on your english speaking skills, and while it helps to be bilingual it is not always mandatory. When I first arrived I had a hard time practicing and learning French, because immediately everyone detected my American accent and wanted to speak English to me. Eventually I tried a few times telling people I was from Finland and didn't speak English, because even when I asked people to speak to me in French, they continued to speak in English! ;-) There is a huge english speaking community in Paris. If you want to be here, you can find a way, whether you speak French or not. . .

Answer 2

Depends your age and what degrees you have.

Below high level Doctorates, not a chance unless you are hired privately by a family looking for an English only speaker to take care of their kids.

Funny how often that question comes up here

Answer 3

i have had four years of high school french, and in 2007 i went to Paris and Nice for about 10 days. It was much harder to converse with the locals than i thought it would be. True, most french people know some english, but if you are in their country, you need to go by their rules. i would definitely learn some french before going to work there.

Answer 4

sure,but it will be hard cuz u dont know wat they say,lol

Answer 5

First of all you need approval to work their.  Do you have your papers in order?  Because if you don't have that yet then you are putting the cart before the horse.

You are going to have to focus on what skill it is that you have that someone will pay for.  Is it something that is rare and profitable like being a biochemist or a nuclear engineer?  Shouldn't be too hard.  If your skill is easily attainable like being a cashier or a dish washer - good luck.  

Either way - if you want to live and work there you should start to learn the language.  At the bare minimum you are going to have to get some common phrases down.  Make it fun.  Do a little every day and don't stress your self out about it.  It has a lot of common words with English.  If you were to move to the US and you didn't speak English, Americans would expect you to learn English.  This is a sign of respect.  It is only fair that you show the same respect to the French.