Teaching English abroad?

Question

I am an education major and after spending half of the summer studying in Paris, I have decided that I want to teach English in France after I graduate. Are there any special certifications I need? Where would I go to get more information?

Answer 1

It depends on how long you want to teach English in France.

I will be teaching English as a teaching assistant in France for seven months in a high school without a Master's or special certification/license. You can participate in this program more than once, but it's not designed to be a permanent career. If you're looking for more permanency I'd look elsewhere, otherwise here's a start for the French Embassy program I'll be participating in:

Teaching Assistantship:

http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?ar...

A little wikihelp never hurts:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Teaching_As...

There are seven month or nine month contracts available. You can also be placed in DOM-TOMs. There's work available in elementary, middle, and high schools. The work load is minimal because you're an assistant, but the pay is reasonable and there are "allocations familiales" that can even cover (some of) your housing expenses. They hire about 1,500 assistants per year so it's somewhat competitive and I imagine studying education will be to your advantage.

The application for the 2009-2010 school year will probably be available late fall of this year and due sometime in February. I've heard great things about the program and I'm very excited to be a part of it! :)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Yes, you need certification in TEFL/TESOL -- a master's degree program.