French Teacher

A French Teacher is adept at the French language and skilled in the techniques of teaching. As a French Teacher, you understand French grammar, and are able to explain the rules, colloquial usages, and accurate pronunciation of French to your students. Some of your classes may involve teaching students how to write, then reading and correcting their efforts at writing — all this in French.

The level of your skill and familiarity with the language will depend on the ages of your students. To teach 12th-grade students, for example, you must be fluent in French and knowledgeable about French literature, conversation, and written composition, as well as the broad outlines of French culture. As a French Teacher, you’re also expected to understand how to teach, how to create a curriculum, and, in some cases, how to handle students who have special needs. Requirements are proportionally lower for teaching lower grades, such as elementary school students and even kindergartners.

Your days are spent listening to badly spoken French, reading badly written French, and patiently conversing with students who barely understand you and can speak even less. In some settings, however, you may have students who read, or even discuss, French plays, poetry, literature, or newspapers.

Few of your students take your classes for the love of the language. Instead, they’re motivated by a requirement to study some foreign language. If you’re lucky, you encounter one or two students each year with a real knack and a strong passion for French. Teaching them will make you feel that your job is worthwhile.