French is the second most sought-after language after English, with an estimated 175 million native speakers worldwide. Becoming a French teacher requires specialist knowledge and fluency in the language, as well as specific training and credentials depending on the age and background of the students. Private tutoring offers more flexibility in terms of credentials and teaching approach.
French is a Romance language, with many similarities to Latin, from which it derives, as well as Spanish and Italian. With an estimated 175 million people worldwide speaking French as a native language in countries as diverse as France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Haiti, Niger, Quebec, Switzerland and other countries, and the importance of French in diplomacy, it is not surprising that French is the second most sought after language – after English – for directions. With this type of demand, it is important that those who wish to do so can understand how to become a French teacher.
Obviously, a crucial element in teaching French is specialist knowledge and fluency in the language, but beyond this shared criterion, the plan to become a French teacher can be pursued in a number of different ways, depending on whether one wants to instruct native speakers. or non-native speakers and what age a student is looking for. For example, as French is used by international organizations, one could specifically target people in French for business or diplomacy, to enable them to do business or work in an organization such as the World Trade Organization, Interpol, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Court of Justice, the International Water Bureau, etc.
If you wanted to instruct native-speaking students in your own country, the requirements would be slightly different, possibly requiring specialized knowledge of dialect and a focus on grammar, mechanics, syntax and literature. To instruct non-native speakers, you need to be bilingual, an expert not only in French but also in the native language of the students you plan to instruct. Teaching French as a foreign language is a little different from teaching French to native speakers because, in the former case, the students’ native language can often serve as a point of comparison or contrast.
The age of the non-native students you hope to teach will make a difference in the credentials needed to become a French teacher. To teach at a college or university, for example, an advanced degree such as a doctorate may be required, and it may be desirable that it be from a French institution or one where French is the first language. French instruction at this level is often offered by a Romance Languages Department, so fluency in one or more Romance Languages can be helpful in securing employment as a French teacher.
Public and private schools for kindergarten through high school students or equivalent may have both criteria in the area of knowledge of French – usually demonstrated by at least a bachelor’s degree – in addition to expectations for specific teacher training and, maybe a diploma. In the United States, each state’s Department of Education sets criteria for public schools, while private or independent schools set their own standards. France and Australia have an exchange program where native French speakers studying English at a French university can spend a year helping Australian French teachers at one or more schools. In this situation, schools benefit from the experience of native French speakers, who have many opportunities to develop their English fluency.
Anyone wanting to become a French teacher who takes private tutoring has more leeway when it comes to credentials and more freedom to organize their time and teach experimentally and develop approaches that suit their student, whether they work or not as a whole. class. Classes can also be held part-time and held anywhere in the world. By contrast, programs like the College Board’s Advanced Placement French have very specific approaches to language teaching that you have to be trained to participate in.
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