by Sophie Hoy *
Many expatriates teach their native language in their country of residence. It is essential to have diplomas to teach in schools or institutions of any kind. Still, it is also possible to do some tutoring, and this does not require any certificate, even if it is recommended. Many learners wish to speak with a native speaker about any subject, thus learning the language and the culture, without going through theoretical courses or working on the basics in an academic way.
But is it viable to teach one's native language while living in a foreign country? The following inspiring testimonials illustrate life as a teacher abroad.
Expats who love teaching and never get tired of it
Laura is Irish. She has lived in France for 4 years, where she taught English to professionals in organizations and gave private lessons. During these 4 years, she worked face-to-face, an option that was much more profitable than the online lessons. Therefore she had a good living as an expatriate teacher. Arriving in Paris with very little knowledge of French, she adapted herself and finally acquired an intermediate level. Since 2013, Laura has been living in Scotland, and although she has moved to an English-speaking country this time, she continues her teaching mission and works 100% as a distance learning teacher to foreigners abroad.
Ninotchka has an atypical life path. We could say that she has been an expatriate for her whole life. Born in Spain, she grew up in the United States and then spent most of her life in England, where she became a citizen. Living in France with her expat husband since 2018, she remembers their arrival in France without much knowledge of the language. They took 6 weeks of classes to perfect their French skills, but the lockdown and the pandemic deprived them of many interactions that would probably have been beneficial. Thanks to her husband, Ninotchka quickly adapted to life in the south of France and did not get homesick, which she feared when she moved there. As far as teaching is concerned, she is particularly grateful to her English friend James (see below), who introduced her to his employer so that she could become a teacher like him. Thanks to his help, she now teaches English and Spanish to adults, as well as to children, in private lessons and through that specialized company. She even provides distance learning. Ninotchka explains that one can live well as an expat teacher in France. Nevertheless, she admits that distance learning has played an essential role in the development of her own business and warns that face-to-face classes alone may not be sufficient depending on the region where you live.
Francine is a French teacher. She started as a freelancer 8 years ago when she arrived in Mauritius, before working for a local training company. She now delivers mainly in-company training, both face-to-face and online, because of Covid. In Mauritius, most of the learners have acquired the basics of French during their schooling. English is the administrative language, but French is still the country's spoken language, in addition to Mauritian Kreol. Francine believes that there is a real need for French lessons. Thanks to her actual job, but also thanks to private lessons, which complete her income, she manages to live well on the island. She enjoys every moment because she is passionate about teaching. Her personal pride is to have English-speaking learners who started with zero knowledge and who can hold a conversation after only 30 hours of working with her.
Teaching children is also a good option
Marion has been a British expatriate in Mauritius since 2014. She taught adults in a specialized institute when she arrived in the country. For the past few years, she has been working exclusively with children in a French school where she teaches English but also history and geography in English for international classes. Her husband is Mauritian, so it was easy to settle there. Concerning expat life in Mauritius, Marion explains that it is not always that easy. "Cars are very expensive as well as the schooling in private schools for international children. Property rentals can also be expensive depending on what you are looking for", but still, she assures that it is possible to live well. "It remains a challenge if you don't have any support locally". She recommends preparing any expatriation well in advance.
James is from the United Kingdom. He has been living and teaching English in France since 2013 to adults and younger learners preparing for their Baccalaureate. He admits that he “thought” he could speak French when he arrived in France but soon realized that he had to take classes. And this is exactly what made him want to become a teacher and have a turnover in his career. So he decided to cut back on his activities with England, completed a training course to obtain his TEFL, and immediately started working as an English teacher. "It was easy," he says! Today, James has a flourishing business in France, but he joins other testimonies: thanks to distance learning, he manages to cover all the regions of the national territory. Moreover, his employer, a language training company, finds him the clients! What more could you ask for?
Well, since he is happy with his own situation and his job, he shared his experience and recommended his friend Ninotchka to do the same... and she is delighted, as we have seen.
Teaching can be more complicated in some places than others.
Ronald has an atypical profile as well. He was born in Brazil and then grew up in Brazil and Germany. Following his return to Sao Paulo in 2010, he became a German and English teacher. Between 2013 and 2016, he taught in companies to adults and private clients based in Sao Paulo. Since 2016 he has expanded his activities through online training companies. However, his learners are no longer only in Brazil. Ronald explains that it is possible to have a good living if you provide courses to local private institutes or schools, but working with foreign companies guarantees a much higher income. They pay better as rates are in EUR or USD. Therefore, he finds it more secure to work with both local and international companies.
Rose is from the UK and has lived in Bulgaria for 12 years. She teaches only to private companies in distance learning. Eight years ago, she taught at a University of Economics, but she reminds us of a local reality about her discipline. In Bulgaria, foreign languages are not considered core subjects like math. Thus, language teachers earn only around 400 euros per month while other teachers get much more. It was not sustainable to continue working for this kind of rate. So now, she teaches distance learning courses to adults through international companies. This allows her to live decently on a Western European salary while living in one of the poorest countries in the EU.
Expats who have teaching in their blood even after returning home
Hélène is French. She lived in Canada for 10 years, where she taught her mother tongue in a Canadian non-profit organization whose objective was to promote the French language abroad. She mainly taught children during her stay. It was quite simple to settle in Canada. She initially moved for an internship as a cultural and resource manager; then, she was hired by the organization, and her position evolved. Looking back to her arrival, she thinks she had an intermediate level of English, but after 10 years, she became perfectly bilingual and even obtained Canadian nationality. She explains that it is easy to find a job as a language teacher. Native teachers are in high demand because it is a bilingual country, and the only wholly French-speaking province is Quebec. This is the reason why the other provinces have real needs for teachers. In the public sector, a diploma is generally required (at least in British Columbia). But in the private sector and in organizations, working is even possible without a diploma, and there are many French schools throughout the whole country. Regarding the cost of living in Canada: “This is a complicated issue” she says. “Life can be very expensive, depending on the province where you live”. Hélène explains that it is still possible to live well as an expat teacher in any of them and even in Vancouver, where everything is very expensive.
Today, Hélène is no longer in Canada, but she continues to teach French and has added teaching English to her path. That is a great career development for her, and she always has the same pleasure in sharing her knowledge with others.
Berna is American and has lived in France for 20 years. She did not teach her native language at that time, but she witnessed the potential and need for native teachers. She did not speak French when she arrived and learned it later. She was in touch with expatriate teachers who seemed to be able to make a living from it. She found great interest in the distance learning approach. So since her return in 2005, she has devoted herself to teaching her native language to adults for a specialized company offering distance learning courses to French executives.
Whether teaching is difficult or not in the countries where our expats live, they found a way to live a pleasant life. They sometimes combine international education with local courses to make life better. Teachers of all ages, and even retired ones, have one thing in common: they love what they do. Sharing their knowledge is a fire that burns within their heart, and the flame does not go out so easily. Sometimes, all it takes is a spark to launch into the tutoring adventure.
Article translated from Enseigner à l'étranger : est-ce une option viable pour s'expatrier ?
