France is a popular destination for those wishing to live and work abroad. With exquisite wines and vineyards, over 400 official cheeses, beautiful architecture and stunning nature, France has everything.

From the peaks of the Alps and Mont Blanc, to the Spanish border of the Pyrenees, down to the Mediterranean and the delight of St Tropez, over to the west coast of Brittany and to the vineyards of Bordeaux, there is something to suit everyone’s taste. Exquisite skiing, hiking, biking and swimming, make this an ideal location for those who love the great outdoors. If all of this is not enough, France has Paris, the capital of romance. Paris boasts such sites as the Eiffel Tower, Bastille, Notre Dame, Champs Elysee, as well as many cultural figures, who are known throughout the world, Balzac, Sartre, Camus, Simone de Beauvoir are to name just a few.

French culture has a delightful balance between work and free time. The leisurely hours are as precious as those spent at work. This healthy love for life among the French means that there is time to travel, to while away time at a cafe drinking espresso, or to spend long hours conversing over a delicious meal.  The people are intellectually engaged and philosophical, regardless of the job that they do. You will have deep and meaningful discussions. Foreigners who try to converse in English, without even trying to use French, will be met with a stony silence.  Even if, your French is bad, the French will become willing to help you in English, if you make the first move in French.

Along with lots of other inventions that have come from France, one of the more well known are the hot air balloon, pasteurizer, stethoscope, and the parachute. All of these inventions have changed the world in their own different ways. In more recent times, the cell or mobile phone was first invented by Philippe Kahn in 1997.

The French are extremely fond of their roundabouts, in fact half of the world’s total are actually in France. There are 30,000 roundabout in total, which is a lot! It was once against the law for pants to be worn by women in Paris. In the context of modern day France this shows how unequal the country once was. Further to that women were allowed to carry pants in Paris, just so long as you didn’t ride a bike or horse. The law is no longer enforced.

One of France’s former presidents is definitely the luckiest person in history. The iconic President Charles de Gaulle is famous for being the person who has survived the most assassination attempts of all time. De Gaulle managed to survive 32 attempts to kill him, this has earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Teaching Opportunities

It has taken the French government and the people time to warm up to the idea of English as the language of global communication. There are sometimes new laws against the use of English words. Due to a change in the law where businesses are now required to provide business English classes, the EFL business English sector has many opportunities, as does the general English market. The main centres to find jobs in France are Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier and Paris. Smaller cities will also have opportunities, if you look for them. The cost of living in Paris is high, so this must be considered when applying for a job here. 

The French expect high quality and will not settle for less. This means that you will need to have a 120-hour TEFL certificate alongside your degree. French employers do not seem to post so frequently online. The best course of action is to research various language schools in your home country and show up with your CV in the country. The peak time to find work in France is in September and January. It is possible to find fixed contracts for 9 -12 months with paid vacation. Those on 9-month contracts can supplement their income through summer camp teaching programmes.