How to Teach English in France: Spotlight Interview with an Expert
We met our American friend Emma under stressful circumstances back in 2019. Her hopes of living in Reims for her second year with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) were crushed when she was placed in Troyes instead. Meanwhile, Jalen and I were frantically searching for a way to make our placements in Reims and Bar-sur-Aube work. Thus, the perfect TAPIF placement swap and a wonderful friendship were born.
Though Jalen and I shared every detail about our year as assistants with TAPIF here on the blog and on our YouTube channel, our first-hand knowledge about teaching English in France ends there. That’s why we asked Emma, a two-time TAPIF participant and current lectrice, or university teaching assistant, to share her experience with our audience.
Read on to learn more about Emma, her English-teaching adventures, and her advice for young Americans who hope to move to France.
Tell us about yourself, your background, and how your love for France came to be.
I’m originally from Illinois. I started my journey with French when I was around 13 years old, in the 8th grade. Once I started learning French, I just never stopped! I continued with the language throughout high school and even majored in it during my bachelor’s degree at the University of Mississippi. At Ole Miss, most of my professors were American, but their dedication and accomplishments made them successful teachers that I admired. They really inspired me to come to France.
Let’s talk a bit about TAPIF.
I first found out about TAPIF through the French department at Ole Miss – There is a TAPIF Alumni Scholarship that allows former teaching assistants to pursue graduate studies there, so I had heard a lot about TAPIF. In fact, most French majors at Ole Miss go on to become English assistants.
Naturally, I decided to do the same. During my senior year of college, I applied for TAPIF and was waitlisted. Just before I graduated, I received the exciting news that I was accepted off of the waitlist, and that I would be working in my first-choice placement, the Académie de Reims.
What was your first year with TAPIF like?
My first year, I was placed in the city of Chaumont, about two hours south of Reims. The school I was slated to work with had arranged for me to rent a room from a woman in town, as there was no school-provided housing available for me. It only took about a week to realize that it wasn’t a good fit, and that I didn’t want to pay 300 € monthly for a subpar experience. Soon thereafter, I found another room for rent in a big house for just 250 € a month and moved in. After spending three months there, I came to the conclusion that I needed to move yet again. For the remaining months of TAPIF, I lived with a welcoming host family that my school set up for me and had finally found a living situation that made me feel safe and comfortable.
It isn’t embarrassing to do what you need to do to make your TAPIF experience a positive one.
It can be shameful to admit that I moved three times over the course of my first year with TAPIF. Lots of assistants feel humiliated about a mid-year move, especially considering that the program is short-term and that housing can be difficult to find. My personal belief is that if an assistant feels the need to move, they should move! Assistants shouldn’t settle for living in a space they don’t enjoy. It isn’t embarrassing to do what you need to do to make your TAPIF experience a positive one.
It’s important for assistants to prioritize their comfort and security during their time abroad, and this extends to their living situations as well. If assistants find themselves living with others during TAPIF, setting boundaries, creating written roommate agreements, and working out household rules are key steps to take to create a pleasant and secure home environment.
What made you decide to renew your TAPIF contract?
I was fortunate enough to meet my current boyfriend at the beginning of my first year with TAPIF. Though I lived in Chaumont, I spent a lot of time with him where he was living – in Reims. For this reason, I wanted to spend another year in France as an English assistant with TAPIF. After indicating that I hoped to be placed in Reims on my contract renewal, I was devastated to learn that although I had been accepted to spend another year with the program, I had been placed in Troyes – a city with no direct transport to Reims.
How did you change your TAPIF placement?
I contacted the Académie de Reims and was put into contact with Jalen and Maria, who were facing similar placement troubles. Maria had been placed in Reims and Jalen had been placed in Bar-sur-Aube, a small town outside of Troyes. Luckily, with the help of the Académie de Reims, Maria and I were able to swap placements. I feel so lucky that the switch was so easy and that the situation ended favorably for all of us.
What was your second year with TAPIF like?
In Reims, the teachers I worked with were accomplished, professional, and kind. This go-round, even though I was offered school-provided housing for 200 € a month, I decided to rent an apartment on my own. When I arrived in September, the student population in the city had taken up many of the cheap apartments available. In all, I reached out to ten different landlords whose apartments interested me, and only one contacted me in response. In a stroke of luck, that apartment worked out, and it ended up being the one I rented during the school year for 380 € a month. I am fortunate to have found an affordable place to live without much trouble.
You never know what opportunities await!
After two years with TAPIF, you became a lectrice. Tell us about your job.
I found out about an open lectrice position in Reims through a connection that I made with an administrator during my second year with TAPIF. After hearing about the job, I sent in my CV and cover letter, interviewed in January, and was offered the position. I was able to bypass the normal application procedure and secured employment in France earlier than other lecteurs because of this professional connection I made during TAPIF. Consequently, I recommend that all TAPIF participants try to grow their professional network during their time in France. You never know what opportunities await!
My boyfriend and I moved in together just before I began working for the first time as a lectrice, and we used an agency to find our apartment that costs just 460 € in rent per month.
As a lectrice, my main goal is to build students’ confidence in their English for 300 hours per year. This is my second year as a lectrice, and I have loved my experience. We do speaking activities, have guided conversations, play educational games, watch short films, participate in debates, and more. I teach French students as well as international students from diverse backgrounds. It’s similar to the work I did as an English assistant with TAPIF, but the university students are generally more invested and motivated to improve their English.
What have your years teaching English in France brought to your life?
Working as an English teacher in France has helped me to gain quite a bit of confidence, improve my speaking skills, and learn about group dynamics. After more than three years of teaching, I am really able to be in touch with my students’ needs. I’m definitely still learning!
Has living in France improved your French-speaking abilities?
Even though I studied abroad in France for three months when I was a student at the University of Mississippi, my level was pretty low when I arrived to participate in TAPIF. I realized that I had never really spoken French outside of the classroom, and I didn’t put enough work into building up my vocabulary, grammar, and accent before I arrived. It was really hard for me! The first year, I struggled to have conversations and hold my own in debates. By the time the second year came around, I had improved a bit. I credit much of my skillset to watching French television and listening to French music. I would say that it took me two full years of living in France to get to a comfortable level of proficiency, but I am still working on improving my vocabulary, grammar, and technical language competency.
Would you change anything about your experience as a TAPIF assistant and lectrice?
When I moved to France the first time for TAPIF, I brought three full suitcases. I wish I hadn’t done that! I never wore any of the business casual clothes that I had packed and would have been better off bringing just one suitcase.
I also wish that I had devoted myself more to cultural immersion from the outset. I still struggle with this even now! I wish I had put more effort into learning and perfecting my French earlier on in my journey rather than just letting the improvement happen slowly and naturally.
If you’re invited over for dinner by a French person, go!
What’s your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
Whether you’re a future TAPIF assistant or a prospective lecteur, get to know your coworkers. Don’t be afraid to talk to all of the teachers, even the ones you don’t work with directly. These relationships can lead to cultural experiences, like sharing a meal together. Speaking of food, if you’re invited over for dinner by a French person, go! Never miss an opportunity to try new French food and always remember to finish your plate.
What’s next for you?
Once my fourth year of English teaching comes to an end, I have tentative plans to continue my education in France. Though I like teaching, I don’t see myself in this field on the long term. I am considering a master’s degree in Translation and hope to combine my graduate degree with my native-level English to be a competitive professional candidate. During my undergraduate degree, I enjoyed learning about translation and feel that it’s an art.
One thing is for sure – I undoubtedly want to stay in France.
Jalen and I are grateful to count Emma among our good friends and are thrilled to share her story with you. Would you like to teach English in France? Have you already participated in TAPIF or taught classes as a lecteur? Let us know in a comment!
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