By Jon Duckett
Experienced TEFL teacher and director at TEFL Jobs World

By Taxiarchos228, cropped and modified by Poke2001 (Paris-pano-wladyslaw.jpg) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

There are lots of opportunities for English language teachers to find TEFL Jobs in Paris. There are around 300 language schools in need of teachers, and it’s also possible to make a living freelance teaching.

The focus in Paris in on business English. Businesses in France have to spend money on continued training for their employees or face a higher tax bill. Business English courses are seen as a good way to spend that money, perhaps partly in recognition of English being the EU’s official language. Unfortunately this has led to negative consequences too, in that there are a lot of poor quality schools which keep the wages low for teachers (as little as 12 Euros an hour). Also students can be quite lethargic as often they are not studying out of choice.

Generally teachers need a degree to be eligible to work, and its helps to have a recognised TEFL qualification although this is not always necessary. If you are not an EU citizen, you are going to need a lot more paperwork and should check with your French embassy of what’s required. To find work it’s a good idea to go round the schools dropping off your CV. A good time to start your search is around June when schools will be looking out for teachers for the new term that begins in September. If you want to find freelance work it’s best to put ads in English language publications and local tabacs. If you are good you will soon get referrals from your existing students. You can earn more than in the schools, and most freelancers charge their students around 20 Euros an hour.

Good luck finding TEFL Jobs in Paris!