Teacher
Jobs Using French
I would say that the majority of people who love language become teachers in order to share this love with others. There are different kinds of teaching, and the professional requirements vary greatly from one job to the next.
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Additional Resources Teachers' Links Becoming a Teacher |
If you want to become a French teacher, the first thing you need to do is decide which age group you would like to teach. The basic breakdown of age groups is as follows:
- Early childhood
- Kindergarten - 6th grade
- 7th - 12th grade
- College and university
- Adult and continuing education
The basic requirement for teachers is a credential. The credentialing process is different for each age group listed above and also varies between states, provinces, and countries. In addition to a credential, most teachers must have at least a BA degree. For more information about the specific requirements for each age group, please see the links in the box to the right.
The requirements for adults tend to be the simplest. You usually don't need a degree and for some adult education centers you don't even need a credential. I spent more than a year teaching French and Spanish at an adult education center in California. The school did not require a credential, but paid higher wages to teachers with credentials and higher still to those with credentials and a college degree (in any subject).
Just to give you an idea (although again, please be aware that different countries, states, provinces, cities, and even schools will offer different wages), my California adult education credential cost something like $200 (including the basic skills test and application fees). Valid for two years, and combined with my BA + 30 hours, the credential increased my pay from $18/hour to about $24.
Another option is to become an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher and work in a francophone country. While you probably won't have much opportunity to speak French at work, you will at least be living somewhere where you can speak French every day.
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