Teaching English in France

The application is simple enough and usually opens in the fall for the following year (it is open now here!). You need to be at least at an intermediate level of French to be accepted, so keep that in mind! They also say that teaching experience is a plus, but it isn’t needed — many of my friends throughout the program had little/no teaching experience, though I did have friends through the program who are teachers. Most of the time, applicants with a higher level of French are placed in primary schools and secondary schools require less French, though it does depend.

The application requires an essay (in French) and two letters of recommendation (one which serves as a testament to your French level). You also give your preference for region, school level, and big/medium/small city.

I would recommend starting and sending the application early, especially when it comes to asking for recommendations! I began mine at the end of October when it opened online and submitted it around the end of November, but they aren’t due until January usually.

One of the hardest parts of the application is deciding where in France you want to be. The salary is not high enough to support living in Paris, unless you have money saved up that you’re planning to use considerable for your living expenses, or potentially find a job as an au pair.

Outside of Paris, the cost of living is much, much cheaper. The application gives you a choice of three types of areas: large, medium, and small academies. I selected the Aix-Marseille académie as my first choice, which was where I was placed. Remember that most of the académies have a wide range of cities and small towns in them; where you will be ultimately placed is a bit random.

Often, your choice will depend greatly on your own personal preference. But I would advise you to keep an open mind — you may be placed in a city you have never heard of and absolutely fall in love.

One of the hardest parts about applying for TAPIF is waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Normally acceptance emails are sent out during the first week of April. As soon as you are accepted, start getting paperwork ready — you will need it for your visa, your OFII appointment, opening a bank account, getting an apartment, getting your health insurance set up…the list could continue for ages.

I would recommend making copies (around 5 each) and saving all of the following documents in a binder and on a flash drive. I promise it’ll make your life infinitely easier (and also, the people at the consulate appreciate organization when it comes to getting your visa!).

• Passport
• Visa (once acquired)
• Birth certificate with apostille and its translation
• Driver’s license or other government identification (for proof of residency)
• Bank information (often not needed, but helpful)
• Vaccination records (they might ask for these at the OFII appointment)

You’ll also receive a folder of documents once you are accepted, the most important of which is the arrete de nomination. Make as many copies of this as you can, as you’ll need it for pretty much everything.

Basically, be over prepared for everything and you’ll probably be ok. You never know what random document you’ll be asked for, or when.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is really, really hard to find an apartment before you move to France. Many assistants arrive a week or so before October 1 to get everything settled. I booked (and recommend) an Airbnb for the first two weeks just to be safe, and was able to cancel the second week and get a refund after I found an apartment. It’s more expensive, but often more convenient and comfortable than staying in a hostel.

I found my apartment through LeBonCoin, France’s version of Craigslist. I was paying 400€ a month for 12m2, which included water (but not electricity or internet) and moved in March with one of my friends (which was ultimately cheaper and easier because I already had a bank account set up and had proof of income).

Finding an apartment requires a bit of luck — my landlord thankfully let me pay him the deposit (caution) and one additional month in cash, then once I got my bank account I gave him two checks as a back up. This is much more than you have to do if you have a French garant, but he gave me the checks back when I moved out.

Your landlord can provide you with a document saying you actually have an address, which you can then take to the bank to set up your account (this often requires an appointment). You’ll also need your passport, and it can’t hurt to bring a copy with you. You’ll also need to fill out some tax forms (if you are American) that then go to the US government. The bank will then give you a justification domicile, which you’ll need for pretty much everything — it proves you actually live in France. Make a lot of copies of this as well, though you can usually get another copy at the bank if you need one (but that is a ~hassle~).

Once your account is open, you have to wait about a week (or more) until you can get a bank card and check book. All of your online login credentials will be mailed to you one by one, so don’t lose these papers!

To send money from your US bank account to your new French account, I recommend using TransferWise. It’s really fast and the fees are minimal (by clicking the link it will give you your first transfer free).

With my students, I did a lot of holiday and cultural lessons, with relevant vocabulary and videos. (My students didn’t know I could speak French until the end of the year, so it was largely immersive for them.)

Here are some of my favorite sources for teaching material, in addition to dictées from songs and short writing assignments.

Amy Walker → good videos to show different English accents
IE Languages → free ESL lessons from a former assistant
Anglomaniacy → free lower level printable worksheets

Teaching Les Français to Speak (English) → an overview of my teaching experience
Vitrolles, a Provençal Mystery → proof that even if your schools are in smaller cities, it is often easy to commute from a larger town
The Cost and Promises of France
Chez Anne, in Cezanne’s City
France Probably Doesn’t Want Me Here, But I’m Here Anyway
Les Marchés Aixoise + I signed a lease!

When I was first getting started, I found many blogs so helpful in guiding me and building a (virtual) TAPIF community. Here are a few of my favorites (I’d love to discover more! Please share yours or your favorites with me via email or Twitter):

As Told by Dana

Quiche Lauren

Little Miss Frenchified

La Vie de Kelsey

Oui in France

For those who wish to renew their contract consecutively, you can apply directly through CIEP (the renewal period closes in March). To apply through TAPIF again, you have to wait a year.