Another way to become an English teacher publié le 09/03/2025

BACKGROUND :

 After high school I started to work as a waiter for different caterers around Poitiers, and after a few years (and the mandatory 10 months national army service) I decided to go and live in London (1996).
I was pretty good at school in English but once in the English country, I realized that I had many difficulties to get across with my sayings (is there something wrong with the English teaching way in France ?) pretty soon I found a work as a waiter, a bar tender and I got quickly integrated into London life.

 A few years later, my English speaking and understanding was obviously becoming much better…
I could even join a new position (team leader) in a catering company in charge of major events (at Buckingham Palace & all royal buildings, motor shows, air shows as well).
Some years later, as I was really well established in London, I had the feeling that I had learnt enough about the catering field. Then, I felt the need for a new challenge...

 I had heard about a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) school at North London university where none English native could enroll (once passed a TOEFL exam with its minimum of 92 score)
So, I decided to stop working and start my new student life (I was 28 years old at the time).This was a real eye opener for me.
I really had the feeling that I had found my way. Courses were so interesting !
The last hour of each day was devoted to real teaching to foreign students coming from all over the world. It took place under the surveillance of a teacher trainer, followed by a feedback.

 Once the exam passed I went back to France to start my new life as an English teacher trainer where I took a 3-year experience to join a "Formateur Professionnel d’Adultes" training (minimum required to enroll this 9 months full time training).Once this FPA diploma passed (in 2006), I started to work in different training centers (Maison de la Formation, IDAIC) where I taught English to BTS, CQP students...

 Finally, in 2017 I decided to run my own business as a self-employed man (called English Attitude).
At first, I mainly taught one to one tuition via CPF (as I had a DATADOCK certification) and because the DATADOCK certification is over now, for a few years I’ve been working as a sub-contractor for the Poitou-Charentes GRETA and also recently for a private apprentice school called “Matile”.
There, students are trained for different jobs (beauticians, hair dressers) with different levels (CAP, BP, Bac Pro and BTS).

MY WAY OF TEACHING :

 As my professional background is a bit chaotic and because I spent quite a long time in England, my vision of this language and my teaching approach is not really academic.

 I’ve created a little method following 7 points, (see attached document) , from my own experience as a French person living in England and all the language difficulties I’ve been confronted with.

 Thus, I feel I’m more like an English coach than a proper academic English teacher (I train students to think differently than the way I was taught English at school).
Most of my courses are based on games, maximizing speaking, eliciting and I may explain some rules in French if the students’ English levels are too low to understand and then obviously, I ask them to practise (those courses are always linked to an educational progression or program)

 So far, I’ve always had excellent feedbacks. Students are always confused or surprised at first but very quickly they adopt this way of learning.
The most important for me is to interact with students. I mean that I also learn a lot from all learners.

 Now I’m facing a new challenge because I teach students who are apprentices and most of the time they are not really interested in English. They don’t realize how important this language could help them in their future but I am rather a resilient person, so I go through...