- Before you read any further: if you are a non EU passport holder, you first need to read here.
- Irish passport holders are EU and CAN legally teach English in France
Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders under 30 (35 for Canadians) can live and work in France for a year with working holiday visas.
How to start off as a TEFL teacher in France:
The most common scenario is for a language school to hire the newly TEFL qualified teacher tentatively for up to 10 hours a week at the start, before offering you more hours when they realise how good you are!
Can the Irish teach English in France legally?
Absolutely! And not only that – since Brexit, Irish people are now the ONLY ones in the UK who can live and work in France! Our TEFL course in Toulouse is perfect for those who want to train to become English teachers in France without having to translate qualifications, do year long courses all in French or battle with French bureaucracy. Train with us for 4 weeks and get working straight away afterwards!
What sort of jobs can the Irish do in France?
Teaching English makes the most sense, unless you want to be stuck in an Irish pub! What is more, with just 4 weeks training you can begin a new profession that can then take you all over Europe and all over the world
What is the competition for jobs like for Irish working in France?
Since Brexit, the Irish are now the number one choice for English teachers in the eyes of language schools. Language schools in France can no longer rely on Americans or Brits to fill English teacher vacancies, as both need visas now. COVID has meant that a lot of Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders or South Africans can now longer even get to France and many have returned home. The Irish are hot property! All you need is to get TEFL certified
But why should I get TEFL certified in France and not in Ireland?
Because you will get experience teaching French people, you will get a lot of help integrating into the local culture, you will make friends in Toulouse, and you will get a massive head start with understanding the French bureaucracy. We are here to help – we offer lifetime job support. We will help you set up as a freelance teacher in France, help you with accommodation after the course and of course we are here for references. Most language schools in France know and love us!
A new career for translators in France
Sadly, many translators have lost work due to AI. Getting TEFL trained with us in Toulouse will get you started on your new career as an English teacher in France in just 4 weeks, and we offer a 200 euro discount to qualified translators.
You’ll be able to teach English exclusively, or teach English as a supplement to translation and interpreting. As language experts, translators make excellent English teachers. The Pole Emploi may fund the course entirely too, if you are registered with them in France.
French contract types for TEFL teachers:
If a language school offers you a contract, it will usually be either short term (“CDD” – contrat à durée déterminée) or if you are very lucky a long term (“CDI” – contrat à durée indéterminée) contract. After doing a few CDD contracts, companies will often offer you a CDI. As of 2019, tax in France for people on these contracts is now deducted at source, simplifying things a great deal.
Can I be a freelance teacher (“auto-entrepreneur”) in France? Can I work on a “CDD” or “CDI” contract in France?
More and more language schools prefer their teachers to be registered as freelancers (autoentrepreneurs in French -see image below). We show you exactly how to set yourself up. It’s very simple – you just register online to be a freelancer and then receive a SIRET (officially recognised business) number. You then just bill the language school or individual student at the end of each job or month, just as a plumber would! It’s important to work for several schools for you to be a genuine freelancer, but of course this is what you want anyway – plenty of work!
You’ll pay a little more in tax as a freelancer so you should charge more – but you have greater flexibility not least because you can name your hourly fee! Of course if you charge too much some language schools might say “that’s beyond what we can afford”!
And before you ask…yes you CAN work on a contract with a language school and also work as a freelancer at the same time. You don’t have to pick one or the other.
If you get offered a contract it’s often better to take it, even if the pay is quite low, as this enables you to get unemployment benefit and other help when the contract ends. Remember the French government is one of the most generous in the world!
Here is a screenshot of the online form you fill in to become a freelancer once you get qualified with us. And of course we’ll help you do it. You get job guidance for life with us.
We’ll show you how to set up as a freelancer if you want!
How many language schools will I work for? And can I teach English privately too?
Many ex-trainees who stay in France end up working for at least two language schools (either on contracts or a freelance basis) as well as teaching privately, finding private students through word of mouth or by putting up ads around town. Of course many trainees are all over the world teaching!
There are over 30 language schools just in and around Toulouse and a similar number in cities all over France. Some of our ex-trainees are teaching English at Universities in France at up to 60 euros an hour. The catch is that you have to have another contract somewhere else and usually have a year or two experience. So do think about sticking around for that second or third year here – your income may take a leap!
“I’ve just set up as an Auto-Entrepreneur and started sending my CV out. I recently received my SIRET and I’m excited to say that I have landed my first role, teaching professional adults at a language school in Montpellier. This will include small groups, one to one and online lessons. I assisted during an online lesson last week and I’m doing a one-to-one ‘demo’ lesson on Friday morning at a business in Montpellier but officially start in September. I’ve also received interest from 2 other language schools where I submitted my resume so I just wanted to thank you, and all the other instructors, for your patience, guidance, and support. It was a great and worthwhile experience that met all my expectations. I regret not being in the mental space to have given it 100% but I’m more grateful to have made it through and it’s 100% full steam ahead from here on. Thanks and cheers!”Craig. South African living in France
When is the main hiring period in France for TEFL teachers?
Language schools in France look for teachers year round. It’s a simple equation: language schools need teachers when people buy their English classes. If you wanted to learn Italian would you only consider starting your course in September? Of course not. But you are unlikely to start on December 20th or in July…
Bear in mind that almost everyone is on holiday from July 14 to the end of August, so there is very little money to be earned then in French cities. However, language schools often interview in the summer for the September start, so it is great if you can be around to apply for jobs then.
How long after the TEFL course will I start earning money?
Generally, trainees who stay in France start teaching around a week or two after finishing the course, then build up hours to get a full teaching timetable by around a month later. So you will need some money to survive as you wait for your first pay check. Get going by teaching private lessons to friends and neighbours asap after your TEFL course ends.
Can I teach English in English speaking countries?
There can be stiff competition for English teaching work in English speaking countries like the UK, Australia, the USA and Ireland, mainly due to the fact that you are competing against teachers who have been teaching around the world for 10 years or more and finally come back home. Summer work can be had though, at language schools like this
How much do TEFL teachers earn in France?
Rates of pay vary – private language schools in France usually pay from 18 to 35 euros an hour gross (you then lose a bit of this on tax), and most people charge about 25 euros an hour for freelance teaching. Remember that there are other factors to consider. 4 block hours at 20 e an hour locally is better than two hours at 35 an hour if that involves an hour’s travelling! As a rough guideline, most TEFL teachers in France earn between 1500 and 2500 euros a month, depending on whether they do closer to 20 or closer to 30 hours TEFL teaching a week. That’s the beauty of it – if you feel like working hard you can earn more, or if you want a break you can drop some classes.
Teaching English in France without a degree
Quite a few of the former TEFL Toulouse trainees are teaching English in France without a degree. Some employers will ask for a degree, others won’t. For example a language school that is looking for a TEFL qualified business English teacher will chose someone who has a TEFL certificate and 20 years of business experience over a 21 year old with a degree from Oxford! Yet they will probably choose the 21 year old for the job teaching 8 year olds! What all language schools do ask for in France is a TEFL Certificate such as ours (an online one won’t do!).
Working after the TEFL course in France
We offer a lifelong job guidance service for teaching English abroad. This means that as well as providing in-depth help setting up in France, we can give you support for the rest of your life, regardless of the location – we have ex-trainees who have taught in Brazil, Korea, Vietnam, China (one 22 year old earning 40,000 euros a year there!) Mexico, Spain, Italy…… just stay in touch after the course. We are always here to help ex trainees.
See our Working after the course page for more information.
We also have a lot of ex-trainees who make a living teaching English in their home or gite in France, and some have even gone on to open their own language school. Some are running drama in English in their local French village hall! The sky really is the limit -why not think outside the box?
See our Working after the course page for more information.
Universities here in Toulouse are often looking for part time teachers to cover maternity leave etc , and pay TEFL teachers up to 60 euros an hour. This is more for you after you have been teaching for a couple of years and be careful – they pay up to 9 months in arrears (!) so you need to have other steady work in the side.
See our Working after the course page for more information.
Living and working in France as a TEFL teacher
For renting after the course, a room in a shared flat goes for about 300 euros a month, your own little studio for about 500 euros a month. Toulousains love picnicking by the river too when the sun’s out – and it costs virtually nothing! If you want to save even more money, you can pop across the border to Spain and stock up.