Oui, Oui! Teaching English to French Students Online

Whether you're a professional English teacher or a native speaker looking to share your language skills with others, teaching English online to French students is a great way to reach a wider audience and make a positive impact.

Whether you’re a professional English teacher or a native speaker looking to share your language skills with others, teaching English online to French students is a great way to reach a wider audience and make a positive impact.

A cat teaching on a laptop and waving a French flag

In this blog post, I’ll explore some tips and strategies for teaching English to French students online.

I’ll cover everything from choosing the right teaching platform and ESL companies to teach French students. Then, I’ll explore some tips and strategies for teaching English to French students online. Finally, I’ll discuss some common challenges French students might encounter while learning English and offer customized techniques to help you, their teacher, help your students to overcome them. So, I hope you read on for some of my insights and advice.

ESL companies that hire you to teach English to French students

several ESL (English as a Second Language) companies cater to French students. Here are a few examples:

#1 Cambly

If you want to teach English to French students, then Cambly could be a good bet if you set it to the time zone that attracts French students. Make sure that you put your time to 4 PM and later French time because the school day in France typically ends at 4 PM (about an hour later than in America). Some students study half days on Saturday, but they do not have school on Wednesdays or Sundays. So, open your Cambly hours for Wednesdays, Sundays, and after 5 PM other weekdays, and tailor your profile to showcase your interest in France.

Though Cambly lets you teach students from all over the world, you can tailor your time zone and profile to attract predominantly French students if they are your ideal student audience.

Pros of Teaching for Cambly

Teach for Cambly and open your Cambly hours for Wednesdays and Sundays, and after 5PM other weekdays to teach French students.

The best part about Cambly is how easy it is. It is easy to get hired and be a Cambly teacher. To apply to Cambly, you apply online and upload a video of yourself with an introduction. That’s it!

  • no degree or teaching certificate is necessary
  • must be a native English speaker
  • earn $10.20 USD/hour
  • no minimum hours, no commitment.

#2. Open English

This online English school offers personalized lessons with native English teachers to French students. They offer flexible schedules and a range of courses for different levels, including business English and exam preparation.

#3. EF Education First

EF Education First is a well-known language education company that offers online English courses to students worldwide, including French learners. They have various course options, including private lessons and group classes.

#4. VIPKid Global

VIPKid was an online platform that connects English teachers with students in China, but since the recent regulation changes, they have gone global and have a growing number of French students. They offer one-on-one lessons with native English-speaking teachers, and they designed their curriculum to be engaging and interactive.

#5. Lingoda

Lingoda is an online language school that offers courses in English, German, Spanish, and French. They have a range of course options, including group classes and private lessons, and their teachers are all native speakers.

English Live: English Live is an online English school that offers personalized lessons to French students. They have a team of qualified teachers who use a communicative approach to help students improve their language skills.

These are just a few examples of ESL companies that cater to French students. There are many other options available, so it’s worth doing some research to find the best fit for your needs and preferences.

From Bonjour to Hello: Tips for teaching French students English

French speakers may encounter several challenges when learning English due to the differences in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation between the two languages. Some of the most common challenges include:

Pronunciation

French speakers may have difficulty distinguishing between similar English sounds. For example, they will have a hard time with /i/ and /ɪ/, or pronouncing the English “th” sound.

Verb tenses

English has a much wider range of verb tenses than French, and the use of auxiliary verbs such as “do” and “have” can be confusing for French learners.

Phrasal verbs

English uses a lot of phrasal verbs (e.g. “take off,” “put up with”). French speakers find this challenging. They are used to more formal, structured language patterns. I suggest using a textbook for teaching phrasal verbs, such as English Phrasal Verbs in Use. This book series is fantastic. I used it while teaching at New England School of English, where I had many European students at intermediate-advanced levels and beyond.

Vocabulary

While English and French share many words, there are also many false cognates (words that look similar but have different meanings) which can lead to misunderstandings.

Spelling and punctuation: English spelling and punctuation rules can be complex and inconsistent. French learners will struggle with this.

This isn’t just true for French students, by the way. Spelling is a real pain in general. Consider the way we all took weekly spelling tests growing up, but Europeans did not because it wasn’t necessary. When I lived in Romania and was learning Romanian, Romanians kept acting confused when I would automatically ask them to spell something they were dictating to me. Since they just spell out the words as they sound, they couldn’t figure out why I asked that. As an American, I just assumed there might be some wonky spelling of each word I learned, but nope! So, remember how confusing English spelling is and be kind to your students who need to learn entirely new spelling patterns.

Understanding these challenges can help English teachers tailor their lessons to the specific needs of French learners and provide targeted support to help them overcome these obstacles.

If this interested you, you might be interested in these similar posts I wrote.

Teach Your Way to the Top: ESL companies by pay

Teaching British English vs. American English (Remember, your French students might be interested in learning British English because the Brits are right there 🙂 and you are across the ocean. Be sure to familiarize them with British and American English so they feel confident speaking to anyone they meet through their travels.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

– John Dewey

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Ingrid Maria Pimsner, MA, BA, TEFL
Ingrid Maria Pimsner, MA, BA, TEFL

Ingrid Maria Pimsner has been teaching for over a decade in various universities, nonprofits, and private academies. She has taught English as a Second Language for Lutheran Children & Family Service, Nationalities Service Center, Lernstudio Barbarossa Berlin-Tegel, and more. In addition to her Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification, she holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA from Maryland Institute College of Art.