“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
Flora Lewis
Around 2 and 2.5 million French citizens live outside of France and a lot of them are teaching French as a foreign language. This just goes to show that there’s a market for those who’d like to teach French to students in primary school, secondary school, college, or university.
French language classes are mainly for those in primary school and secondary. However, these aren’t the only options. A French teacher can teach immigrants, refugees, children, teenagers, or adults.
So what exactly does a French as a foreign language teacher do?
In this article, we're going to look at teaching French as a foreign language mainly in the UK, what a French teacher needs to do, the qualities you need to teach effectively, the training you'll need, the different types of French teachers, and who you'll teach.
Reasons to become a French teacher in the UK
Aside from an interest in education, becoming a foreign language teacher is essential for breaking down barriers between nations and fostering inclusive global relations.
Language teaching is not just about grammar but also about understanding cultural nuances.
Teaching a language involves much more than showing how to translate; it requires grasping a student's cultural background; in the UK is very likely that you’ll find students whose native tongue is not even English.
As a French teacher, you’ll not only teach the language but also analyze and evaluate the culture, emphasizing diversity in your daily practice.
The UK offers a wide range of opportunities for this specific career path, with over 60 universities offering a BA in French or Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at the undergraduate level. Many of these programmes include a year abroad for immersive learning in France or other Francophone countries.
Language skills are vital tools for humanity. If your interests lie in social sciences like literature, culture, history, and politics, becoming a French teacher is a great option, given the historically significant relationship between France and the UK.
Why French is important for British students?
Post-Brexit, language education has become even more important in the UK, strengthening ties with Europe. In a very competitive market, a language like French, provides a set of invaluable skills, not only for a teaching position.
Language studies are an interdisciplinary social science with enormous opportunities beyond education, opening many doors in fields such as marketing, consultancy, translation, politics, law, public relations and others.
The ability to communicate in multiple languages is increasingly valued in the global job market, as it helps to break down cultural and linguistic barriers, which is essential in a world that requires collaboration across borders.
Learning foreign European languages is crucial for British students, not only for enhancing their job prospects fostering multicultural awareness; approximately 150,000 British nationals live in Francophone countries, and despite Brexit, strong exchanges between France, Belgium, and the UK continue in areas like tourism, work, and retirement.
British citizens live in a Francophone country
French enables students to better understand Europe, helping to promote more inclusive global relations understanding and appreciating its diversity.
Get some inspiration from the experience of this Award-winning MFL teacher with Year 8 students:
What Training Do You Need to Start as a French Teacher?
To become a French teacher, it’s recommended that you study French through GCSE and A Level.
After your A Levels, you can then move on to a French degree, study French on your own, alongside other foreign languages, or with other disciplines such as business or tourism. Then it’s recommended that you get a postgraduate degree in teaching (usually a PGCE); we will explore all these options in depth later in this article.
You can always change careers if you want and retrain as a teacher. There’s also distance learning.
During your studies, you can learn how to teach French as a foreign language and adapt your lessons to the students.
If you’re already abroad and want to learn how to teach French as a foreign language, you can always opt to do the DAEFLE, a qualification recognised by the Alliance Française.
Finally, if you want to become a French teacher in a primary school or a secondary school, you’ll need to check the requirement for your particular country.
Take French lessons London to improve your language skills.
How to become a French teacher in the UK
As a French tutor, you’ll be teaching those who don’t speak French as their first language, and there are various paths to prepare for this very intense, interesting and rewarding task.
Even if you’re a native French Speaker or from an anglophone country and have experience or relevant teaching training, take into account our advice to successfully find a job as a French Tutor in the UK.
To teach in most UK institutions, you need to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). How can you get it?:
Once you have obtained QTS, you can apply for teaching jobs in primary or secondary schools. You may choose to teach French as a specialist subject or as part of a broader Modern Foreign Languages curriculum.
If you're a qualified teacher from another country (including France), you can teach in the UK for up to four years without QTS. However, you'll need to obtain QTS to continue teaching permanently. If you're interested in private tutoring or independent schools, QTS may not be required, though it’s beneficial.
Where to Study a French Degree in the UK
French studies involve a whole spectrum of linguistic and cultural aspects, one of the most appealing being the fact of having complete immersion by spending time abroad - mandatory in many cases - to enhance language proficiency.
The degree generally takes 3-4 years to complete, depending on the institution; in the UK you’ll find more than 30 universities with this programme and these are some of the most common topics you’ll find in their syllabus:
- Courses focusing on French language, literature, history, politics, and culture
- Grammar and linguistic skills
- Contextual understanding of Francophone countries
- Professional translation, cinema studies, and topics on identity and globalisation.
Where to study a BA in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in the UK
One of the most promising routes to a successful career as a French teacher in the UK is through obtaining a BA in Modern Foreign Languages.
This comprehensive degree integrates intensive grammar and conversation practice and includes a year abroad to immerse yourself in the language; it will open endless possibilities as most universities in the UK require the study of two languages, broadening the scope of skills in teaching and cultural understanding.
A Modern Foreign Languages degree equips future teachers with an incredible skill set, including a unique approach to their students' cultures. Professionals also learn about politics, culture, history, and literature while acquiring precise writing, speaking, and listening skills to deeply understand the cultures associated with the student's mother tongue.
Take a look at the universities in the UK where you can study a BA in Modern Foreign Languages. These programs usually span 3 to 4 years, with most including a mandatory or optional year abroad to boost language proficiency and cultural understanding.
| University | What you'd be studying | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| University of Sheffield | Offers flexibility with up to three languages chosen from 10 options, with a focus on cultural, literary, and post-colonial studies. The course includes a year abroad, language immersion, and opportunities for interdisciplinary modules such as visual cultures and translation. | 4 years |
| Swansea University | A program with a strong focus on cultural traditions and linguistic studies, with options for one or two languages. Includes a mandatory year abroad or a year in industry, aimed at enhancing language proficiency and cultural experience. Languages offered include French, German, and Spanish. | 3-4 years |
| University of Cambridge | Emphasizes the study of European languages, literature, and cultures, with opportunities to specialize in linguistics or combine language studies with other disciplines. Includes a year abroad for language immersion and research. | 4 years |
| University of Leeds | Combines language learning with cultural studies and global perspectives. Students can choose from a variety of languages and spend a year abroad in either work or study placements. The program offers flexibility and interdisciplinary options in social sciences or humanities. | 4 years |
| University of Oxford | This program focuses in an intensive study of modern European languages, alongside literature, history, and philosophy. The program involves significant written and spoken proficiency assessments and includes a year abroad for immersion. | 4 years |
| University of Bath | You’ll be studying to get language proficiency combined with intercultural awareness and communication skills. Offers a wide range of languages, including French, Spanish, and German. Includes a mandatory year abroad for immersion. | 4 years (includes a year abroad) |
| University of Manchester | Provides a comprehensive study of multiple languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more. It emphasizes language proficiency alongside cultural, historical, and political studies of relevant regions. Includes a year abroad for language immersion. | 4 years (includes a year abroad) |
| University of Liverpool | This degree integrates language skills with cultural, historical, and political context. Offers flexible entry points for beginners or advanced learners and includes a third-year abroad for work, study, or NGO placements. | 4 years (includes a year abroad) |
Teaching FLE
As a teacher of French, you’ll be teaching those who don’t speak French as their first language.
Put simply, French native speakers in French-speaking countries don’t learn French as a foreign language. French lessons in these countries aren’t the same as they would be for those learning French as a foreign language. They learn French from a young age, for one.
Learning French as a foreign language occurs after the student has already learnt a language. In Mali, for example, French is a second language and it’s used by part of the population.
French as a foreign language is more akin to your typical foreign language classes at school. Students can learn it like they would learn Spanish, German, Italian, etc. French is taught in a different way to the native language.
When you’re teaching French as a foreign language, you can teach it anywhere in the world where people want to learn the language. There are certain constraints to teaching students in a language they don’t speak natively and you’ll need to adapt your teaching approaches.
A French teacher needs to adapt to each lesson and each student as they can even find themselves in classes where the students are of different ages.
What Does a French Teacher Do?
If you want to teach French as a foreign language abroad, you may need to work in the private sector. A degree in French doesn’t necessarily mean you can teach French in primary or secondary schools. This is because you don’t have any teaching qualifications.
You can teach French as a foreign language outside of schools in language academies or private lessons. The main goal of a French teacher is to teach those who don’t speak French how to speak it.
The Role of a French Teacher
A French teacher has different goals, here is where to start:
Create a course:
The teacher has to create courses for various ages.
Create common objectives
The student will feel even more engaged if you set the goals of the class together
Teach the grammatical rules
French grammatical rules are better learnt through written and speaking exercises
Cultural immersion
Share the French culture with the learners
Constant practice
Encourage the use of the language outside of class
What Qualities Do You Need to Teach French as a Foreign Language?
Two of the most important qualities for any teacher are pedagogy and patience.
You need to love teaching more than anything else you do. Learning a new language takes time and empathy is essential.
When it comes to learning a foreign language, students can get frustrated and may struggle to understand certain concepts. The teacher is there to encourage and reassure the student, showing them how to continue and not lose confidence.
A French teacher needs to listen to their students and understand their difficulties. Flexibility is key when it comes to ensuring that no student falls behind. Of course, a French teacher needs to master the French language. They’re not expected to know everything about the language but they should be constantly learning about the language so that they can answer questions about it.
Finally, the French teacher needs to know what learning a foreign language is like and what the students are going through.
Note: You can start taking French lessons online today.
The Different Types of French Teacher
There are many different ways to teach French as a foreign language:
- You can teach French at universities to foreign students
- Teach immigrants moving to a French-speaking country
- Offer lessons to associations or private companies
- Teachers can also be employed abroad in cultural centres or language centres.
As a French teacher, you may be in a precarious position. The best way to make sure you have job security is ensuring you have the appropriate qualifications. You could teach abroad in a public primary school, secondary school, college, or university.
Your pay will depend on where you teach and the levels you teach. It should be noted that some places have limited contract times. Make sure you check the paperwork required by the country, too.
Who Are the Students of French?
Of course, since you’ll be teaching French as a foreign language, you won’t be teaching French people. If you’re teaching in France, you could be teaching asylum seekers, immigrants, Erasmus students, etc. You could also be teaching students from 1 to 99 years old.
Learn more about why the world needs more French tutors:
Of course, teenagers and children learn more easily than adults. Adults tend to be quite set in their ways and resistant to learning a foreign language if they’re being forced to do it.
Now you know more about teaching French as a foreign language, go for it!
If you need more help with your French, you should consider getting help from one of the private tutors on Superprof. You can find tutors teaching a variety of subjects and skills. For more options, check out french classes near me.
There are three main types of tutorials available and each has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your learning objectives and budget: face-to-face private tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.
Face-to-face tutorials involve one student and one tutor. This allows students to benefit from tutorials that are tailored to them as a student and what they want to learn. Of course, this type of bespoke service comes at a cost.
However, these are also the most cost-effective tutorials since your tutor will be focused on you every minute of your tutorial.
Online tutorials also have the advantage of being one student and one tutor. That said, your tutor won't be there in the room with you as they'll be teaching you over the internet with the use of a webcam and software such as Skype.
Without travel costs and time, online tutors can charge less per hour as they have fewer outgoings.
Group tutorials tend to be the cheapest per hour as the cost of the tutor's time is shared amongst all the students in the class.
However with group tutoring, you won't get all the one-on-one time you can expect from the other two types of tutorials.
With many tutors on Superprof offering free tutoring for the first hour, you can always see whether you get along and also work out the finer details of how you'd like to learn.
You could even become a French private tutor yourself.
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