The Ultimate Secrets to Finding and Keeping Online French Teaching Jobs That Pay
Who doesn’t love a little flexibility at work?
Wouldn’t it be great to build a French teaching career on your schedule and your terms?
It doesn’t have to be a dream.
Flexible, fulfilling online French teaching jobs are out there—you just have to know how to find them.
Not too sure how to go about it?
Fear not! We’ve rounded up an extensive list of sites to find and keep online French teaching jobs that pay the bills, replete with actionable tips for getting and staying hired.
Here’s everything you need to know.
The Ultimate Secrets to Finding and Keeping Online French Teaching Jobs That Pay
Before we explore the many digital resources that French educators can use to find teaching jobs, let’s look at some of the important qualities you’ll need to build a successful online career.
Top Qualities of Successful Online French Teachers
- They know how to make lessons fun. Distance learning can be challenging, but if you’re able to make lessons engaging, your students won’t even mind. As a matter of fact, a great online French teacher understands that distance learning can actually help make lessons more exciting and interesting.
That’s because you’re almost expected to incorporate technology resources into your lessons that students will love, such as videos, audio or online quizzes. Don’t hesitate to use them and also to assign them to your students as homework; they’ll love your interactive, 21st century approach.
- They’re organized. Teaching French effectively is a matter of balancing fun and structure. Students can easily feel lost if they don’t understand the purpose of the lesson or what specific point you’re targeting. To remedy that, be sure to share a brief lesson plan outline with your students ahead of time. Mention the lesson’s goals prominently along with any vocabulary, sentence structure and grammar points they’ll be learning in a clear manner.
Text boxes, graphs and simple charts using keywords and colors are particularly effective for bringing organization to your online French lessons.
- They’re patient. Because you’re not by your students’ (physical) side, they may struggle a bit more with online lessons. Despite the high audio quality of online communication tools including Skype and Google Hangouts, online classes may require some more listening effort, which may leave students frustrated or discouraged.
To avoid this, it’s important to help them build confidence and encourage them. Be sure to have a positive attitude if they ask you a question multiple times. Repeat it until they get it and don’t hesitate to use messaging to type in full sentences or spell out difficult words if you feel that it can help them.
- They’re passionate about French language and culture. Your love for French is contagious, and that’s awesome. You don’t have to be sitting in front of your students for them to feel your enthusiasm and to be hungry to learn more. If you’re able to disseminate lots of colorful anecdotes and stories that can make lessons more memorable, you’ll see that students will be excited to start each new lesson.
Where to Find Online French Teaching Jobs
There are tons of resources that you can take advantage of as you search for online French teaching jobs. Below, let’s explore the two major categories of job sites that you can use.
1. Online Tutoring Platforms
We all know Varsity Tutors, Verbling and Verbalplanet. However, many lesser-known platforms also offer exciting opportunities that French teachers and tutors can take advantage of. Here are some of them:
Tutor.com
This site offers one-on-one French learning solutions for students and professionals. Submit your application for an online teaching position and start offering your services right away. The application process is quite detailed. Tutors must pass a screening process with subject exams, mock tutoring sessions, mentor review and a third-party background check.
You’ll also be asked to confirm your fluency level and any other languages you speak if you wish to reach students who aren’t native English speakers. Also, because this site works 24/7, you’ll be asked to type in your general availability. You don’t have to be available every day or every hour listed, but make sure you’re able to conduct a session if you commit to a time period.
One last thing: Their classroom only runs in with a Windows operating system. If you’re a Mac user, a good solution is to use software such as Parallels or Boot Camp.
Wyzant
This site puts your profile in front of a wide range of French students looking for classes both online and in your area. The onboarding process is simple and rather fast: Answer a few questions about yourself, your French experience and pass a very standard, timed questionnaire to verify your skills. You’ll be approved very quickly and will have access to the Wyzant job board, where you can view dozens of online jobs on any given day.
The key to excelling on this site is to complete as many French questionnaires as possible, such as French, AP French, homeschooling, etc. That’s because they won’t allow you to send the students your cover letter if you haven’t completed certain tests. You’ll also want to create a compelling profile and monitor online jobs daily. Wyzant will notify you of any in-person French teaching jobs in your area and will encourage you to apply, but they won’t do so with online jobs.
Lastly, you’re free to set a standard and custom hourly rate, but keep in mind that Wyzant’s cut is on the high side—they let you keep from 60 to 80 percent of your earnings depending on your tutoring history, so quote your services accordingly.
Myngle
This site offers online French lessons for business professionals. If you love teaching adults and wish to carve a niche in business French, this is the way to go. To start, you’ll need to create a profile, list your availability and offer custom lesson plans. Depending on students’ needs, they may also provide you with their own lesson plans.
Beyond the motivating rates that they offer, a great reason to use the site is that you have access to advanced analytics and reporting tools to understand your students’ pain points and make lessons more efficient.
Myngle tends to favor native French speakers with a strong command of technical jargon, but may accept certified teachers with a master’s degree or more. Teachers who apply must provide a valid Skype ID along with a PayPal or Skrill account. You won’t be hired as an employee, but will have a freelance contractor status. Each month, you’ll receive a tuition fee paid by the student minus an 18 percent commission.
Thumbtack
You can also expand your search to broader platforms that are used by all types of freelancers and contractors, not just tutors. Thumbtack (and Upwork, discussed below) are two such options. And the great thing about Thumbtack is that rather than being commission-based, teachers here bid for students using Thumbtack credits. That means that no, you don’t have to pay the site a commission for any lesson.
Each bid is worth various numbers of credits, so you should only bid on the jobs that interest you the most if you have limited funds. Keep in mind that students can receive at least five bids from French teachers, but aren’t obligated to hire any. To win bids, a good strategy is to create an attractive profile replete with a friendly profile picture, a detailed bio listing your skills and credentials, a description of what makes your method unique and your contact information.
If you have a website, feel free to list it there as well. You should also consider creating cover letter templates that you can send instantly and customize based on the ad you’re replying to. This will help you save time and will enable you to provide quick responses to prospective students.
Upwork
In a few short years, this site has established itself as a leading platform for freelancers. And if you’re an online French teacher looking for flexibility, signing up for an account may be worth your while.
Here, you’ll have access to students from all over the world looking specifically for remote French teachers. Certain job postings have a set budget, sometimes negotiable, while others let you bid. Keep in mind that Upwork charges a fee on all transactions, so bid accordingly!
The key to really making it on this site is to have a stellar profile and to work your way up the rank. The longer your work history, the more reviews you’ll have and the higher your rates can be. It’s also important to start off by completing tests successfully. The more tests you take, the more credits you have to bid on jobs.
2. Online Job Boards
FlexJobs
If you don’t know where to start with your online job searches, FlexJobs is a good place. This site specializes in telecommuting job offers across the country, and they have a large supply of interesting positions for online French teachers. Their teams of researchers scour hundreds of online job resources every day to help you find vetted, quality positions.
You can research jobs by company, salary and more. Anyone can access an abridged version of a given posting to get a sense of the job, but only paid members are able to view the entire listing, including the recruiter’s contact information. This may be a good investment if you’re actively looking for reliable freelance remote teaching positions.
In addition, they offer a variety of topics and information about job seeking on their blog. It may be worth taking a look if feel that your resume and cover letters aren’t delivering the results that you desire.
You probably already have a LinkedIn account but never really use LinkedIn. If that’s the case, you’re missing out! There are numerous high-quality online French teaching jobs on LinkedIn, and the cherry on top is that you’re also able to contact the recruiter directly on LinkedIn. To find them, type in your search in the search bar and select “Jobs” on the result page.
You can then simply click on the job posting to view the profile of the job’s poster and send them an invitation to connect. If you choose to do so, be sure that your profile is up to date with attention-grabbing information about yourself. It’s also a good idea to personalize your invitation and to remain friendly during all communications.
However, this is no replacement for your actual candidacy and no guarantee that you’ll actually get the job. It can be a good strategy to vet companies you’re interested in and learn more about their work cultures. If you do decide to apply, again, LinkedIn makes it easy to upload information from your profile, such as job positions, responsibilities, certifications and more. This can help you save considerable time if you expect to have to fill out multiple candidacies online.
Indeed
If you’ve spent any time looking for traditional French teaching jobs, you may be well acquainted with Indeed, a leading marketplace for job seekers. But did you know that Indeed also offers a wealth of online French teaching jobs?
The key is to simply start using the keywords “online French teacher” in your searches and apply for the jobs you like. To save yourself time, you may want to upload your resume into their database and submit it to every job that peaks your interest. This will also allow potential recruiters to access your information and contact you when a need arises. Another smart tip is to set up email alerts to be notified when new online French teaching jobs become available.
SimplyHired
This is another popular job post aggregator that features millions of ads from trusted job boards, including hundreds of ads aimed at those wishing to teach French online. It’s an efficient way to find interesting online French teaching positions in one place, without scouring the web.
The real value of this site, however, is that it lets you find salary information for the job in question and at the company where you’re applying. To retrieve salary data, simply type in the position and view the results for this and similar jobs. This can help you quickly seize or eliminate certain listings depending on where they fall.
How to Keep Your Online French Teaching Jobs
Online education requires many of the same skills as classroom teaching or in-person tutoring. But it’s also important to be aware of the specific skills and preparation techniques you’ll need to succeed in an online setting. Below, let’s look at three key elements of stellar online French teaching.
1. Come Prepared for Class
It may sound obvious, but teaching French online is similar to teaching French in person. You need to have a vision of what you want to do for this class! There’s nothing more awkward than a long silence during sessions.
To avoid this, it’s important to:
- Create an outline for your lesson detailing activities and their expected durations
- Write down simple instructions and questions you want to ask your students
- Prepare a vocabulary and grammar cheat sheet
- Gather pictures if you’re using visuals to teach grammar or for your activities
- Anticipate potential questions about grammar rules and their exceptions
- Look up mnemonics in case your students ask you for a way to remember these rules
- Prepare wrap-up questions for a strong, memorable finish
- Have homework ready, replete with a list of resources to help them answer potential questions
Don’t be afraid to take notes during lessons. This will help you to remember certain points and discuss them with your students. Use colored pens or highlighters to make certain portions pop and to be sure that you won’t forget them in class. Online teaching requires preparation—don’t neglect it!
2. Create Custom Lesson Plans
The key to teaching memorable online French lessons is to have unique, effective and fun lesson plans. As a rule of thumb, a great lesson plan targets a range of language skills, balances vocabulary and grammar and is based on your students’ personal interests.
To create custom lesson plans that your students will love, a good initial strategy is to use onboarding questionnaires when you receive a new student. Send the questionnaire ahead of time, and ask your student to submit it to you at least two days before your first lesson. This will give you sufficient time to craft an exciting lesson plan.
Some of the questions you may ask in this questionnaire should cover your students’ previous experience learning French, what methods they’ve already used, what worked and what didn’t, how they best study and learn, their goals and their hobbies, preferences and passions.
The goal here is to truly know your students and make your time together more productive. Foreign Languages for Everyone offers a comprehensive questionnaire that you can use for inspiration. Be sure to modify it to adapt it for your online teaching setting.
3. Have Secret Weapons in Your Arsenal
It’s not enough to know and love the language. What seperates the best online French teachers from the rest is that they use fun, targeted resources that make their classes more efficient and memorable.
Some good news is that you’re not alone in this. The internet is a goldmine for top-quality content to help you deliver outstanding information and gather actionable insights. Here’s how you can get started:
- Read French educators’ blogs regularly. It’s a great way find new teaching ideas and strategies for the online environment. They’re written by professional French teachers like you who encounter similar challenges!
- See what other teachers are doing. Browse Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers for attractive visuals and resource ideas. Most of these platforms are free and only require registration.
- Bookmark online dictionaries. Resources such as WordReference or Linguee can help you quickly translate words or idiomatic expressions in case you have a memory lapse. It happens!
- Have your students sign up for a language exchange program. PenPal World or MyLanguageExchange are two great options. They’ll put them in contact with like-minded learners from the French-speaking world.
Teaching French online is incredibly gratifying. Now that you know how to find and keep the job of your dreams, be sure to have fun with it!
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