What do you need to be a French teacher?

By LanguaTalk Last updated: 14 Oct 2021

The requirements for becoming a French teacher vary significantly depending on the exact position you are looking for.

Looking to teach in a school or a university? For this you’ll typically require a Bachelors degree in French Language or Education. Certain countries may also require a Masters degree.

Keen to teach adults, for example during evening classes? Here the requirements will depend on the individual organisation you are applying to. Smaller, less competitive organisations will tend to have lower demands compared to prestigious organisations like the Alliance Francaise. You may require a full degree, or you may be able to get by with having a qualification from a shorter, more intensive teaching course.

Or perhaps you wish to work as a freelance French tutor. In which case, you simply need to be able to persuade students to give you a chance. The competition among freelance French teachers varies a lot depending on location and whether the lessons are online or face-to-face. You’ll need to be able to demonstrate all of the key skills, but you may be able to get away with not having a degree. A good halfway house can be to take a shorter course in teaching French as a Foreign Language.

Wherever you wish to teach, you will generally need to be able to demonstrate the same skills:

Almost always, you will need to be fluent in French. If you aren’t a native speaker, you might find yourself at a disadvantage. But this isn’t always the case. Some teachers are able to turn it into a strength by demonstrating that learning French has given them a greater insight into how to teach the language.

You should also be able to demonstrate the following:

Fluency in the language of your students (often English).
Interpersonal and communication skills.
Organisational skills.

If you are looking to become a 1-on-1 French teacher online, check out our website for more info.

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