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(the
International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations)
(the
International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language)|
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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Here at TEFL Paris we understand that you might be unsure about what TEFL actually is, and which TEFL Certificate Course will be right for you.
That's why we are proud to offer you what we believe is the most comprehensive set of Questions & Answers available covering almost every aspect of spending a month of your lives studying for your internationally recognised English teaching qualification. If we've forgotten anything, do let us know!
'TEFL' stands for 'Teaching English as a
Foreign Language'. It officially means teaching English in a
country where English is not the native language. Nowadays,
however, it is used more or less interchangeably with TESL to
mean simply teaching English to non-native speakers wherever
they may be.
What do all those other strange acronyms like TESL, TESOL, ELT etc. mean? Î
'TESL' stands for 'Teaching English as a Second Language', and usually refers to teaching English to non-native speakers in a country where English is actually the native language, such as Britain or the USA.
'TESOL' means 'Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages' and is basically the same thing as TEFL and TESL to all intents and purposes. It is more common in the USA than TEFL but there isn't really much difference.
'ELT' means English Language Teaching - it's as simple as that!
'EMT' means 'English Mother Tongue', and is often seen in adverts for English teachers meaning that they prefer native speakers.
'CELTA' stands for 'Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, and is synonymous with the Cambridge TEFL Certificate, which the TEFL Paris Certificate follows closely.
'DELTA' stands for (did you guess?) 'Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults' and is where you go when you have a few years' experience and want to take your knowledge and skills to the next level!
'EAP' is 'English for Academic Purposes' and 'ESP' is 'English for Special Purposes'. ESP in particular is a growing field and covers specialised industry-specific materials such as nursing, IT, law or pilots and air traffic controllers.
'IATQUO' is our independent moderating body, and stands for 'the International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations'. They are an extremely competent and rigorous organisation who insist on excellent internationally recognised standards from the schools who wish to use their name. To read a comprehensive document on choosing your TEFL Certificate Course, fully endorsed by IATQUO and many other reputable and independent accrediting bodies, click here.
When you get into English language exams the range of weird names gets even more bewildering, with combinations like TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS, YLE, BEC, KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, LCCI, LTE... and more! Luckily your course director has over 15 years' experience in ELT, strange exam acronyms, reviewing hundreds of new publications, interviewing top authors and developing English courses and programmes himself, so he will do his best to translate these all into, well... English!
Do I really have to have a university degree to do your course? Î
Ideally we want trainees to have a recognised university degree to
prove they are capable of successfully completing an extended period
of serious study. We recognise, however, that some people have the
potential to become excellent teachers even if they haven't
continued their education to university level.
We will therefore consider each application on a case-by-case basis. If we feel that you have the potential to do well on the TEFL Paris Certificate Course based on your adult working experience, your CV, your letter of application and possibly a telephone interview, then we will offer you a place without demanding a university degree or equivalent diploma.
Is it necessary to have some sort of official background in linguistics or teaching? Î
No it isn't. English teaching to adults abroad is a unique career in that you really can get an interesting and rewarding job which will allow you to live in your chosen country after just 4-weeks' study if you successfully complete a recognised TEFL Certificate course.
Of course, previous teaching experience or a keen interest in language will greatly help your chances of succeeding in this new field. But all sorts of normally intelligent people with no teaching or linguistics experience whatsoever take the course and succeed admirably. So much about teaching has to do with your attitude and a general enjoyment of being with people and sharing what you do know that take the course is a marvellous opportunity for all sorts of people from all walks of life to make a new start in their professional lives. Enthusiasm, linked to a strong desire to learn and help others to learn too is the key to your teaching success.
Will my previous teaching experience be of any use? Î
In many cases, absolutely. But in some cases
it could actually be a handicap!
The TEFL Paris Certificate Course firmly follows and teaches modern communicative methods based on allowing the learners to gain functional linguistic independence as quickly as possible. In simple terms that means that we want our learners to be able to use English to get things done in realistic everyday situations, and to do this they need to talk.
Many older methods focus heavily on grammar and written work which don't encourage using the language in realistic situations. While we spend a lot of time on the course discussing the mechanics of the language, we continually discuss ways of making even the theoretical aspects communicative and fun for the learners. Yes, even the 'F' word has a place in modern communicative teaching methods!
Will my last job as a water sports instructor for Club Med be of any use?! Î
Well, strange as it might seem, people from some of the most unlikely backgrounds end up becoming some of our most sought-after graduates. Professions which may prove useful in your future teaching career include those demanding leadership qualities, good organisational skills, skillful time management, quick-thinking and improvising techniques and of course close contact with people.
It goes without saying that many jobs involve one or more of these characteristics and most people find themselves able to apply some already possessed skill to their new vocation.
Indeed, some people have already had a taste of teaching (like our above-mentioned watersports instructor) and liked it so much that they want to do more of it!
Finally, those who have some adult 'life experience' in very different fields often use it to 'humanise' their lessons by calling on personal anecdotes and stories to illustrate language points and add that important personal touch to their lessons.
I'm straight out of college/uni. Can I still become a TEFL teacher and travel the world? Î
Yes, you certainly can: thousands of young
people do it every year! Of course, you will need to show that
you will take the course seriously and that you have a genuine
interest in both teaching and language. Here at TEFL Paris we
are often asked to give references or comments on our graduates
and we want to make sure we will have good things to say about
them.
So although those just starting out on their professional careers will have to prove that they are capable of succeeding, we have many dynamic and bright young graduates on our TEFL Certificate Courses every year who do just that and we support them all the way.
Will I automatically get a job after the course? Î
We've had some people ask this question and we've even had the question 'Will I automatically get my certificate if I come on your course.'!
TEFL Paris is a teacher training centre and we don't ourselves employ English teachers nor could we ever guarantee that you will pass your certificate. The qualification would be meaningless if we did.
Having said that, we are very well established and have an excellent reputation amongst Parisian language schools, as well as having graduates working in countries all over the world. Our pass rate is also extremely high and we do the absolute maximum to help you succeed in this important period of your careers.
We have a very good record of recruitment in Paris for our graduates who want to work in the French capital or elsewhere in France. We can honestly say that practically everyone who has seriously looked for a job in Paris after successfully completing our course has found one. And most of them extremely quickly too.
The demand for English teachers is as high as ever and with our solid links to language schools and our extensive experience in the field you should have no trouble in finding interesting teaching work if you want it.
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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Where is TEFL Paris, exactly? Î
TEFL Paris is located in a town near the
capital called Tournan-en-Brie (like the cheese brie).
You can get to Tournan by fast train from Gare de l'Est in about
half an hour, from Gare du Nord in about 45 minutes and there is
also a quick change at Val de Fontenay from the fast train RER A
which goes through the centre of Paris. There are trains from
Tournan into Paris every 30 minutes.
The school is a short five minute walk from the train station in a beautiful private park. For exact details of how to get to us check the map and location pages on the site.
I'm coming from abroad - how do I get to you? Î
We are conveniently situated between the two main Paris airports: Roissy Charles de Gaulle, and Orly. From either airport you just go straight to Gare du Nord on RER B train line and then take the RER E train line to Tournan. Easy! For maps check out our Maps page here, and go to the Practical Information page for more travel information and lots more details.
What's best: to stay on-site at the school or with friends or in a hotel in Paris? Î
It's a very valid question, and it all depends on your own situation.
If you are coming from far-afield and don't know anyone in or around Paris, then staying with us is by far the best option: you will be able to concentrate on your studies in a wonderfully calm atmosphere in a friendly shared house. In addition, your travel time to work will be between two and twenty seconds, depending on which bedroom you are staying in (the student accommodation and the classroom are in the same building)! And the price is vastly more attractive than paying central Paris prices for the month!
If, on the other hand, you live in or near Paris, have friends you can stay with in the capital, or simply want to be based in the heart of the city, then you can easily commute to us daily - many of our students do so every month. In the end, depending on your own personal situation, the choice is yours!
I'm staying at TEFL Paris - what do you provide? Î
We will welcome you into our 'family' on the Sunday before the course begins in time for our friendly, delicious and typically French Welcome Dinner for all our trainees, hosted by your Course Director Sab Will and the Centre Manager Agnès de Labrusse, who will be with you for the duration of the course.
If you are staying on site, in our lovely calm private park, your self-catering accommodation includes bedding, heating, a bath/shower room with a separate toilet, a fully equipped kitchen (microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.), a dining room, a living area with computers and a printer, and of course a wifi connection which can be used with your laptops.
The student accommodation is actually in the same building as the classroom where we work during the day, so your daily travel time to work will be around 5 seconds!
You provide your own food which can be obtained at a local supermarket (two minutes walk) or a larger one which provides everything you could need which is around ten minutes walk from the school. In addition the local town has cafés, pizza restaurants and takeaways, banks, stationers, chemists, boulangeries, a cheese shop and so on.
You should bring your own toiletries and towels and we provide clean bedding. You may want to have a house 'kitty' to buy communal items, and decide on an appropriate contribution from those trainees who are not staying on site.
We supply ink for the printers but leave it up to you to supply the printer paper you wish to use and other stationery items and consumables.
Is there a TEFL Certificate 'kit list' I should bring? Î
Yes, we recommend you come equipped with the following items:
| ü | At least two files (ring-binders + plastic sleeves?) or your own favourite system: one for class notes and photocopies, the other for lesson plans, materials and feedback: we give out LOTS of A4 handouts, so be prepared to organise them! A well-organised set of class notes and lesson plans counts towards your professionalism grade! |
| ü | A set of 'dry-wipe' white board markers in a variety of colours (black, green, blue, red...) |
| ü | Pens, scissors, glue, 'Blu-tac' (or equivalent), a ruler, a stapler and anything else you think you might need |
| ü | A laptop computer for easier planning of your lessons and creation of materials (not essential, but very useful) |
| ü | A printed copy of your pre-course warm-up questionnaire (sent out two weeks before the course starts) |
| ü | A watch or clock to help your lessons run on time |
| ü | Lots of enthusiasm and interesting ideas to make your lessons sizzle! |
Do you have a WIFI connection at the school / accommodation? Î
Yes, there is a free WIFI connection in the
school and the accommodation. We will give you the name of our
network when you arrive and you can then quickly connect your
laptop to it and surf whenever you like, to prepare your
lessons, look for materials or just chat with your family and
friends.
Can I get a phone / SIM card easily? Î
Yes, you can. The local 'Tabac' (local convenience store) can sell you one for a reasonable price of between €15 - €40 depending on how many hours of phoning you want attached to your card. You also get your own personal phone number with it, although you might want to get someone who speaks French to help you with the set up process. Once your 'line' is set up you can make and receive calls from anywhere!
Do you give refunds if people have to cancel? Î
We refund cancellations more than three months before the start of the course in full.
Cancellations less than three months before the start of the course are refunded minus a £100 handling charge.
No refunds are possible less than one month before the start of the course.
We allow one change of date up to one month before the start of the course at no extra charge.
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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I've just moved to France with my partner and I'm looking for a meaningful occupation. Is English teaching a viable option? Î
Yes, it certainly is! In fact, it's one of the best viable options for those who don't speak French, find themselves here for one reason or another, and want to earn money doing something meaningful with their time.
There are one or two provisos, of course. Employers have a strong preference for native speakers and for those who plan on staying here for more than a couple of months.
Employers are also very keen to take on well-trained people, and they use the possession of a respected TEFL Certificate as an efficient way to relentlessly weed out weaker applicants and therefore make the job of recruiting competent new teachers easier.
But given that, after an intensive but extremely rewarding four-weeks on a certificate course, it is really quite remarkable that you can suddenly find yourself with what is effectively a new career, teaching French professionals in a large variety of interesting situtions. Indeed, many of the best English teachers in France today 'fell into' teaching for unexpected reasons like needing to find a stimulating occupation quickly.
What's the job situation like in Paris and France at the moment? Î
First of all, the French national education system doesn't have a very good reputation amongst the general French population themselves, and exam results prove that the French are amongst the least competent English speakers in Europe.
Secondly, as French companies become more and more international, they are finding that their employees poor English skills are holding them back and are therefore constantly investing in English training for their personnel.
Thirdly, French companies are actually obliged by law to put aside a certain sum for training their employees, and one of the best ways of spending this money is on English training.
Fourthly, the turnover of English teachers in the large cities of France is way above the average. It seems that many people who look for English teaching jobs in the adult education system (with private language schools, for example) are very mobile, and tend to move on after a year or too. This leads to an endless supply of teaching positions opening up which language companies with teaching contracts to honour are only too happy, if not desperate, to quickly fill, with competent, well trained and qualified individuals.
Finally, because of the high demand for English training, there are a lot of language companies out there. Not so good, perhaps, for their profit margins, but great for those of us looking for teaching jobs. Demand for English teachers has been high in Paris and elsewhere in France for many years, and we can't see that changing any time soon.
Speaking concretely, we have literally lost count of the number of TEFL Paris graduates who have quickly found solid teaching positions in Paris, France and around the world. Our experience is that anyone with our certificate who wants to find work here and is ready to approach the recruitment process professionally and enthusiastically can quickly do so.
My French is awful. Can I still teach English in France? Î
Yes. The TEFL Paris Certificate course trains you how to teach English in any country in the world without recourse to your students' native tongue.
Of course, if you do speak some French, potential employers will certainly see this as a plus, but not necessarily as an essential one. Enthusiasm, motivation, dedication and of course a good TEFL Certificate to back up your application, will count for a great deal in your future job search. And here at TEFL Paris your Course Director and Centre Manager are always ready to act as a reference if you need us to.
I've heard that Americans sometimes have problems getting working visas. Î
It's true that for Americans and some other
non-European nationalities (you'll need to check for your own
country's status) the conditions on employment may be a bit
stricter.
Over the years, though, we've come to realise that there are many 'work-arounds' of one sort or another which can help almost everyone to get work teaching here, and often this ends up being just the same as for a European national.
Some of our American trainees have signed up for French courses at one of the many French language schools, or even the Sorbonne, which gives them the right to a student visa which allows them to work in France for up to 20 hours a week, which is an average face-to-face teaching contract. We can give you more details about this when you arrive.
Australia also has a 'working holiday visa', we understand, which allows Australians to work for 12 months and is renewable for 6 months. Other countries have their own arrangements which you will have to look into.
The other way you can make some quick 'survival' money is to give private lessons, which is covered below.
For detailed questions about teaching in France there is an experienced lawyer, Jean Taquet, who specialises in expats, and Americans in particular, wanting to live, work and set up businesses in France. His website address is on our Links Page. His fees are reasonable and he can answer your initial enquiries by e-mail, perhaps simple questions for free, and he also writes a free newsletter every month.
Can you help me find a teaching job/a> in France after the course? Î
We have connections with several large Paris language schools who actually ask us to send them our best trainees as they appreciate the quality of TEFL Paris graduates! Check out this extract from a genuine letter from a large Paris language school recruitment officer for an example.
In the end, though, it is you who will do the ground work of looking for suitable potential employers, sending off well-written CVs and application letters, and of course presenting yourself well at the interview. We have two special modules on our course which will be particularly useful in preparing you for finding work after the course finishes: Business English and Job Guidance. And of course we will happily share the wealth of our extensive experience of the French ELT marketplace with you.
What's the pay like? Can I survive on a day-to-day basis? Î
The pay's ok. And yes, many people are surviving on a day-to-day basis in Paris with a typical teaching contract. Let's be honest, you're not going to live like a king with just your typical 20 or 25 hour teaching contract offered by many language schools. But it's enough to rent a small studio, live reasonably well if you're not extravagant, and generally enjoy your time in France.
We should note that a '20-hour contract' refers to 20 hours of lessons, where you will be in front of your students, actually teaching, and doesn't include preparation time for lessons, which is considered to be included in your overall salary.
In addition, you can supplement your main contract with other teaching work such as smaller contracts, private lessons, translations and so on. And the average contract probably won't require you to work a full 35 or 40 hour week, so you will have time free to pursue other interests or ways of making money, related to English teaching or otherwise.
In terms of how much you can expect to earn, we hear reputable language schools talking about €1300 as a reasonable figure, but as there are so many factors to consider, such as do they help you with transport costs, give you lunch vouchers, pay your holidays, offer extra hours of work on a regular basis, include health insurance, pension contributions, offer on-the-job training, try to keep your travel time to a minimum, try to group your teaching hours together, smile when they see you, and so on that it is very difficult to be precise in this matter. Our week four session on Job Guidance covers many of these points in more detail.
What about giving private lessons Î
There are several ways of giving 'private lessons'.
You may wish to set up your own one-person business under the very popular new autoentrepreneur scheme, which is very simple to do by internet and you only pay tax on what you earn.
Another option is to accept the special cheques emploi service, which allow families certain tax advantages by paying for tuition for their kids or themselves in this way and effectively becoming your 'employers' for the duration of your lessons. In this way also you are part of the system and in principle eligible for unemployment benefit, pension contributions, medical aid and so on.
The other way people make money through private work is simply by finding people through small ads or word of mouth and giving their lessons in their own flat or at the student's place, or in a nearby café. Students will generally pay in cash or by cheque, and the teacher may decide not to declare this part of their earnings. This is called working au black by the French and you will clearly not become part of the system in this way. It's a fact, though, that there is an endless demand for this sort of service and the more effort a teacher puts into promoting himself or herself, the more work they get.
An all of the above cases you will still have to find your own customers (students), which is something that isn't an issue when you have an official contract with a language school. Many people use private lessons to supplement their main teaching contract and this is certainly a viable and popular option.
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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I've got a bachelors degree in languages and a masters degree in linguistics. Do I need to do your course? Î
If you've
never taught before and your aim
is to teach, then yes, the TEFL Certificate course is an
excellent way of learning the basics AND getting some solid
teaching practice under your belt fast.
There are some fundamental and major differences between knowing about language and knowing how to teach it. On our course we don't make many assumptions other than that you are generally well-educated, enthusiastic, genuinely interested in the English language and keen to teach English to learners of various sorts.
Of course, having studied language to an advanced level should make the grammatical and phonological sections of the course relatively straightforward for you, but you will still find plenty to challenge and stimulate you when it comes to teaching methodology sessions and, of course, actually standing up in front of a class and doing your best to help them learn your language.
My background is more artistic than linguistic. Can I still become an English teacher? Î
We don't see why not. As explained in the previous section, there's a lot more to teaching than just knowing the names and uses of different tenses. In many ways, teaching is like being on stage, with the major difference that your aim as an 'actor' is to redirect the spotlight onto your learners as soon as possible.
Many more 'artistic' qualities can be real plus points for an English teacher. An appreciation of art, the cinema or music, for example with both help you to find common areas of interest with your students and help you to make your lessons more interesting for them.
And the confidence which comes with 'performing' in some way will be very useful to you in situations where it is you who is leading the proceedings and driving things along at the pace you want.
Do you accept non-native speakers? And if so, on what conditions? Î
Yes we do. We believe that non-native speakers can be great teachers of English, as just being a native speaker doesn't guarantee that you have the skills and sensitivity required to teach well.
We also believe that the TEFL Certificate can be extremely enriching for non-native English teachers who often bring a fascinating new perspective to the course.
Having said that, we do insist on a high level of English from non-native speakers. Once we have received your CV and letter of motivation the Course Director will call you to discuss your application further with you.
I've just been made redundant at 55 and I'm looking to make a new start. Could English teaching be for me? Î
More and more people are experiencing 'new beginnings' these days after many years in what they thought was going to be their career for life. English teaching is one of the easiest and more rewarding ways of changing career even later on in life.
Unlike many professions, English teaching to adults is relatively easy to learn and get into for an articulate adult, and the experience gained from years in another field is often a real bonus for language schools. Many recruiters look for teachers with 'solid business experience' which is exactly what someone who has worked for many years in another area has.
I've been teaching English for ten years without a TEFL certificate. Why should I take your course? Î
One reason otherwise experienced teachers
take our TEFL Certificate course is because practically all
language schools systematically demand for it. They also use it
as an efficient way of making their shortlist. People with the
certificate normally get an interview. Those without one are
more likely not to.
There are two other main reasons why people with teaching experience do the certificate course. Firstly, they are sometimes unconfident and feel that the lack of an official teaching qualification is holding them back in their careers and in their ability to give fully rounded and competent lessons to their students.
The other reason is because they are keen to progress and open themselves to new ideas and techniques, in a positive atmosphere with others as equally motivated as themselves.
For all these reasons the certificate is usually a marvellous opportunity to develop both professionally and personally and we don't know anyone who has regretted their choice.
I'm great with people and love language but I'm slightly dyslexic and my spelling's not so good. Can I become an English teacher? Î
All sorts of people can be great English teachers. Having said that, we expect you to let us know if you believe you have a condition or any particular reason which could make learning to teach English difficult for you.
We will discuss your situation with you in detail to make sure that the final decision on the suitability of the course is mutually agreed and is the right one for all concerned.
By 'all concerned', we mean the other trainees, the Course Director and Centre Manager, TEFL Paris as an organisation, the students you will be teaching on the course, your future students as a qualified teacher and, most important of all, you!
I come from a country where English is an official language but I don't think our version is very 'standard'. Will I have problems teaching it? Î
India
and Sri Lanka, and many countries in
Asia and Africa come under this category, and we have had
successful trainees from all of them.
The main things to ask yourself (honestly) are: Do I really have a strong accent? Do native English speakers such as Americans / British / Australians have problems understanding me? Do non-native English-speakers have problems understanding me? If so, can I modify my accent it to make it more neutral? Will I be comfortable doing so?
If you are confident that your accent will not be a problem in teaching English to people from any country then we will be happy to consider your application. The Course Director will then contact you by phone to discuss your application in more detail.
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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My grammar's not so hot. Do I have to be a grammar ace to do the course? Î
No you don't, but you have to be willing to
(re)learn! As an English teacher you will be spending a lot of
time explaining the English tenses and their uses to your
students so you need to understand them yourself! The grammar
input sessions are there to help you grasp the basics and
prepare you for teaching your students later on.
We believe that teaching is a holistic process in which even the teacher learns from every lesson, and in the beginning that includes learning what you are teaching!
As long as you are interested in language and ready to study hard during the course you should be ok.
What if I love language but I don't have a university-level qualification? Î
A university-level qualification proves that you can study intensively over an extended period. The TEFL Certificate is an intensive 4-week course so we are reassured if we see evidence of your ability to concentrate over an extended period.
We do understand, however, that for many reasons you may not have continued in the education system to university level. What we want to see from applicants is a solid CV plus a detailed motivational letter which gives us a very good idea of who you are and why you want to do the course.
In many cases, evidence of a passion for language or teaching or innovating or leading will tell us much more about your aptitude for communicative English teaching than a higher education qualification in an unrelated subject.
How do I know if my English is good enough? Î
Many of our potential candidates are worried
about this basic question. If English is your mother tongue and
you don't speak a really far-out version of it, then your
English is probably more than good enough.
If you are worried about the grammatical 'correctness' of your sentences, spelling or pronunciation, then you can send us a piece of spontaneous, uncorrected writing, a short recording of yourself speaking, or call us for our opinion.
We have a lot of experience in the teaching field and will be happy to help you understand where you lie on the spectrum of English teaching accents and aptitudes.
I think I have a strong accent from where I come from. Will this be a handicap? Î
It could be if it's really strong. But as long as you can understand 'standard' English pronunciation, such as you would hear on the radio or TV, and are capable of modifying your accent to match these 'norms', you will be fine.
There's a bit of a dilemma at the moment as to whether people with strong regional accents should modify them when teaching. The bottom line is: If your students learn to speak English with your accent, will they be understood and be able to understand English all over the world?
We owe it to our students to make sure the answer to the above question is 'yes'. Check out any British, American, Australian... dictionary which includes phonetic transcriptions after the words to see what is considered 'standard' pronunciation for a given country.
Another important point is, if your accent is too far from all the other sources of English your students are used to, such as films, radio programmes, podcasts, other teachers, and so on, they may not appreciate your lessons as much, however great your teaching techniques may be.
It's up to you to know when to 'clip back' your native local accent to make life easier for your students, and ultimately, for you too.
I'm a native speaker but I can't remember ever having studied any of the rules or structures. How can I prepare for the course? Î
How often do we hear this? Very often! Which is one of the reasons non-native speakers, who have studied the grammar in great depth, often do better in the grammar sessions than those native speakers who have never actually studied their own language!
It doesn't matter! The only thing we look for is a willingness to learn and an ability to take on new ideas and concepts quickly and try them out in your lessons to see what happens.
That doesn't mean you can do any old thing and we'll think it's ok! But within the clear lesson planning structure we give you in the first week you will be able to experiment with what you are learning during the input sessions with the guidance of our experienced trainers.
We don't expect you to master the intricacies of the English language in four short weeks! In fact, you only really start to understand everything once you have taught it a few times. This may seem ironic but it's terribly true.
To warm you up for the course we will send you a fascinating and fun Pre-Course Quiz to get you in the mood. Apart from that, you could read a grammar of course or one of those numerous a general public books on the wonders of the English language would be quite good, but the most important thing is your enthusiasm and positive attitude - that will count for loads!
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THE BASICS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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There are so many TEFL courses out there. Can you help me choose? Î
Yes, we can actually. There is a very good
independently written document on choosing a good TEFL Certificate
course which has been approved by all the top TEFL Certificate
validating authorities. You can read it
read it here.
For a more subjective opinion see the next section where we give you 10 good reasons to choose TEFL Paris!
Give me 10 good reasons to choose the TEFL Paris Certificate course! Î
OK, let's see...
| 1) | It's an extremely thorough programme, carefully mixing theory and practice, language and methodology input, the professional approach with a real human touch. |
| 2) | We have run over five years of successful TEFL courses, with graduates now teaching all over the world. |
| 3) | The TEFL Paris course is run by an internationally recognised teacher trainer, Cambridge University Press author, and on-line language learning pioneer. |
| 4) | Our certificate is delivered by a highly respected and rigorously independent international TEFL standards organisation. |
| 5) | We propose a syllabus flexible enough to include the latest developments in English language teaching and a deep knowledge of the local ELT world. |
| 6) | The world's most visited and romantic capital is almost literally at your doorstep. |
| 7) | Our school offers a uniquely tranquil working environment just two minutes from a charming medieval town on a fast direct train line into Paris. |
| 8) | Our 'guinea pigs' as we kindly call the students you will practise your new teaching skills on, are friendly, forgiving, enthusiastic local French people who will appreciate your efforts. |
| 9) | The TEFL Paris team is totally dedicated to the success of our trainees. |
| 10) | We believe the three essential pillars of a successful English teacher are all based on Love: a Love of L_______, a Love of T_______, and a Love of P_______... |
| 11) | We think that humour, intrigue and surprise are important elements of the language learning equation! |
| 12) | We also can't count, (although our spelling is reasonable ;-). |
Is the TEFL Certificate course really as tough as they say? Î
Some people say they didn't expect it to be this
tough. Others say they expected it to be tougher. How long is a piece
of string? It's an unanswerable question.
What is certain though, is that it will be a significant month in your life, and for some a life-changing experience.
If we simply look at what people have said about the course we can see that it's generally considered a highly rewarding, if intense experience.
You don't do a TEFL course twice in your life, and things are never the same afterwards.
Most people walk out with a brand new global career ticket in their pocket, which you can't say about every four-week training programme...
Yes, to be honest, the workload is quite heavy. Do you have to put your life on hold for a month? Well kind of, but not on Sundays (or Saturdays). You're in Paris, after all! If you're not having a day off per week then something isn't right, and if you organise yourself well this should certainly be possible!
At TEFL Paris we are very aware of the stresses this course places upon our trainees, and while we don't compromise the quality of our course for an instant, we take a very humanistic approach to helping you succeed. If you're not enjoying the course then we consider we are doing something wrong.
Your success is our success - it's as simple as that. Please read our Testimonials page to see what our trainees think of the TEFL Paris Experience. You can also watch an atmospheric video of one group's experience with us to give you an idea of what it's all about.
Who are you, exactly, and what are your credentials? Î
We are a successful independent Teacher Training Centre, founded in 2004, and specialising in providing an internationally recognised and independently validated TEFL Certificate.
Agnès de Labrusse, the Centre Manager and creator of TEFL Paris, is an experienced English teacher of French origin who ensures the smooth running of the course.
Sab Will, the
Course Director, is an experienced language teacher and trainer who
will accompany you during your time with us.
We also have our Unknown Foreign Language teacher, and other Assistant Teachers, who you will see from time to time.
You say your certificate is 'IATQUO-validated'. What does that mean, exactly? Î
IATQUO stands for 'The International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations' and is a highly respected independent organisation which externally 'validates' TEFL Certificate courses.
'Validation' means assessing the quality of organisations which offer TEFL Certificates to extremely high international standards.
We are proud to be validated by this organisation and you can read more about IATQUO on their website here. IATQUO is also one of the endorsers of this excellent independent document on 'Choosing your first English language teacher training course'. We thoroughly recommend you read it before choosing your TEFL Certificate course.
Do you let us know how we are doing as the course progresses? Î
Yes we do, absolutely. You are continually
assessed over the four weeks, through practical assignments, written
tests, teaching practice and feedback sessions, participation in
class and your overall professionalism.
You will have a personal interview with the Course Director on the second Friday to discuss how things are going and to identify areas to work on.
Your final result and grades will be based on our judgement of your own personal progress and your potential to continue to develop as a competent teacher in the future.
Although you will inevitably be compared to your fellow trainees, we aim to create an atmosphere of friendly collaboration and team work, and indeed we will be impressed when we see examples of trainees 'going the extra mile' to help out their colleagues as they might be expected to in a typical busy language school teacher's room.
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SILLY QUESTIONS
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PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
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WORKING IN FRANCE
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