English Language Assistants

One of the most popular routes into teaching in France is as an English Language Assistant, working within the English department of a French primary or secondary school. Language Assistants take small groups of students for oral classes, allowing the kids to benefit from hearing and conversing with a native English speaker. Assistants, who aren’t required to have any previous teaching experience, normally lead twelve hours of lessons a week, and wont normally be expected to teach more than around 15 students at a time - indeed some groups might be much smaller. The salary is not immense though - around 770 euros a month, after deductions.

The application process for assistantships is handled centrally, normally by a governmental organisation in your home country. While you can usuall specify 3 different areas of France as your preferences, applicants have to be prepared to work in academies (teaching districts) across the country, wherever there may be vacancies. Needless to say, Paris is normally heavily oversubscribed, though if teaching in the City of Light remains an absolute priority it might be worth listing the academies of Versailles or Creteil too - if you’re determined to make Paris your base, schools in these suburban districts can often be easily reached by trains from the city centre. Just bear in mind that 750 euros (around GBP 600 and USD 1000) will not go far in one of the world’s most famous cities…

In the UK, the English Assistant scheme is administered by the British Council - find their website here. In America, the French Embassy in Washington handles the programme - find them here.
The majority of English language assistants are undergraduates on modern languages courses - many of whom are required to complete the eight months’ teaching as part of their degree. In reality, many people from all walks of life find themselves teaching English in this way, though 35 is normal maximum age limit for the programme. Bear in mind that application close early - to begin in October, you’ll normally be expected to submit an application form in November or December of the preceeding year.

While you don’t need to be completely fluent to take up an assistant post (indeed, most language assistants are there to improve their French) you are expected to be able to converse on a basic level in French - the equivalent of a British AS level qualification (around 6 years at high school) is specified by French authorities. Needless to say, you’ll improve very quickly while you’re there, but bear in mind that some of the most difficult tasks (finding a flat, opening a bank account, meeting new colleagues) will need to be done at the very beginning of your placement.

Professional English Language Teachers

Don’t like the sound of the Assistants scheme? If you don’t meet the criteria, definitely want to work in Paris or are simply terrified by the tiny salary, there are certainly other options - primarily teaching adult professionals in industry.

By far the most straight forward method - though one that can require a little personal investment - is to aquire a TEFL certificate. Worldwide need for English speakers ensures that the qualification for Teaching English as a Foreign Language can be a passport to solid employment in cities around the world - and many TEFL teachers take full advantage to hop betwen countries as they choose. TEFL courses can be taken part time, by correspondance or indeed intensively in Paris, if that’s what you choose - and a certificate will make it much easier to get working papers (if you’re American, Australian, Canadian or other) or find a job if, as a UK or EU citizen, you have freedom to look for work across the continent.

It’s also worth contacting Paris’ professional English schools to ask for work - most are cosistently on the look out for new talent, and in-house training schemes ensures you don’t neccessarily need existing qualifications to work for them. Major companies include Wall Street and Berlitz, and there are plenty more that you can find with a little searching online.

And finally, don’t be afraid to search for private tuition roles, if you can find them. This may well mean selling yourself wherever you can, posting - or responding to - classified ads, and taking advantage of any contact you can make that will helpy uo establish regualar work. This can be hard work - but if you’re talented and eager, you’ll find more than a handful of Parisians keen to give themeselves, or their children, the best start possible in the world’s global language.

Whichever route you choose, teaching English as a Foreign Language is unlikely to make you rich - certainly in a city as desirable as Paris - but it’s a wonderful oportunity to live in one of the world’s most famous cities…

Paris’ unusual (and legendary) subterranean network was created as far back as the 12th Century, as Paris’ medieval citizens quarried out gypsum and limestone to help build their new and expanding city. They left behind a true labyrinth of passageways and vaults, some less stable than others - in the eighteenth century the city was plagued with road collapses as the weakest gave way.

The Catacombs of Paris, under Place Denfert Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement, represent a small and publicly viewable sample of this massive subterranean network. In 1785, with Paris cemeteries full to bursting with centuries of dead, the city authorities decided to begin interring it’s citizens within the empty tunnels - and continued it’s plan for more than a hundred years. By 1885, when the practice ground to a halt, the bones of more than six million Parisians had been delivered underground - and now line the walls, ceilings and floors of the catacombs, which has been a morbid tourist attraction for more than a century, and which can still be visited for a handful of euros today.

The catacombs represent only a tiny portion of the full network, which extends more than 170 miles around the city. The underground tunnels hold a important part in Paris’ turbulent history - they were used as safe harbour by rebels and government forces alike during the various civil conflicts that have shaken up the city, from the original Revolution of 1789 right through to the Paris Commune (1871) and beyond. Indeed, during the occupation of Paris by Hitler’s forces during the second world war, both German troops and bands of French Resistance Fighters made homes under the ground, and remnants of their residence can still be discovered by the most adventurous of explorers.

In the later half of the twentieth century, the tunnels have becoming something of a magnet for Parisian sub-culture. It is illegal, and extremely dangerous, to descend unauthorised into the tunnel system, and a small contingent of Paris police patrol when required. But numerous groups and individuals still explore, and attempt to map, the curious underground world: many looking for the numerous ossuaries that have not been opened to the public; others planning eccentric parties; some undertaking much more unusal pursuits. In 2004, a make-shift bar and cinema was discovered in a cavern under the 16th arrondissement. Protected from prying eyes by simple CCTV and a rudimentary security system, it had a power supply and three phone lines, and was only discovered by chance during a police exercise.

While anxious officials may use all manner of tools to monitor the river’s ebbs and flows, Paris’ citizens and media use a more casual indication of the likely danger - a statue. The Zouave statue, in the image of a 19th Century Algerian soldier, stands under the Alma Bridge (Pont d’Alma) in the west of Paris, barely meters above the water. As the tide rises up to his body, Parisians start to worry - if it touches his toes a full-scale flood alert is inevitable.

In recent years Paris has been relatively free from flooding, and new flood control defences have gone some way to reducing the risk. But in the twentieth century three ocassions have seen water levels high enough to almost submerge the Zoave statue entirely, in 1955, 1924 and in 1910 - when the stone soldier was in it up to his neck.

Indeed, the 1910 flood is the most calamitous in Paris history - water levels of almost 10 metres saw very signifcant swathes of the city submerged for as long as a fortnight, and plagues of disease and social unrest sweep in as a result. Most recently, concerns were raised in 2002 - a summer which saw many European capitals under water - when heavy rain forced the levels to new highs. City paper Le Parisien kept a graphic of the Zoave statue on its weather pages for several weeks, and the whole of France breathed a collective sigh of relief when the waters eventually receeded. For not only does government and the Metro system need to keep on top of the water levels - the treasure-filled basements of the Louvre and The Musee d’Orsay art galleries are perched perilously close to the banks…

The Eurostar connects the two capitals in just over two and a half hours, of which around 25 minutes is spent in the darkness of the tunnel under the English Channel (or La Manche as it’s known to the French). Opened in 1994, the 50km (30m) tunnel is some feat of engineering - it’s the longest undersea route in the world.

But Eurostar’s main attraction has always been it’s convenience. It travels between the heart of Paris, (the immense Gare Du Nord in the 10th arrondissement) and St Pancras station in the centre of London, plugging directly into each city’s subway system and avoiding weary journeys to suburban airports. Indeed, London’s St Pancras station is a sight in itself - recently reopened after years of near-dereliction, it’s beautiful gothic vaulting has been updated with stark blue girders, its concourse peppered with sculpture, and it’s platform graced with the longest Chanpagne bar in the world…

And Eurostar is surprisingly affordable, especially if you book in advance - the prices rise according the the availability of the tickets. You can get return trips as cheaply as £59 (77 euro) but you really will need to buy early - booking of trains opens three months in advance of your departure date, and be prepared to pay upwards of £200 if you leave it till the last minute. Compared to the standards of most British (and even many French) trains, Eurostar is extraordinarily comfortable throughout, with plenty of luggage space, and you’d need to have a real taste for luxury to even consider splashing out the extra for the sparse further comforts of First Class.

The Channel Tunnel itself has a chequered past - first proposed as far back as 1802, when relations between the French and the British were somewhat frostier than today’s entente cordiale, the project took some six years to complete, and cost the lives of several miners. It also ran massively overbudget, even was in danger of financial collapse even before its opening in 1994 - only strong nerves (and financial assistance) from the British and French governments ensured it’s continued existence.

Hemingway had arrived in Paris with a letter of introduction adressed to the indominatable Gertrude Stein - the veteran American writer who served as something of a mentor to the young generation of expat intellectuals who were at that time arriving from Britain and the US in droves. Before long the Hemingways found themselves connected to a large group of anglo-american writers who divided their time between the cheap flats of the Latin Quarter and the expensive bars of Montparnasse - amongst them F Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Ezra Pound and Ford Madox Ford.

Hemingway’s Paris years produced a huge volume of short stories, many of them amongst his best. He also completed, and later published, his first novel, The Sun Also Rises - a semi-autobiographical story following a group of friends from Paris’ cafe culture to the bull fights of Pamplona, Spain. But Hemingway’s greatest testament to his time in Paris wasn’t published until 35 years after the couple left: A Moveable Feast, the writer’s final work (published posthumously in 1964) is perhaps the most famous memoir of Paris in the ’20s. Warped a little by nostalgia, and marred a little by Hemingway’s attempts to excuse his poor treatment of wife Hadley, A Moveable Feast is nonetheless a compelling and very personal account of expat life in the City of Light. “This is how it was,” he writes, “when we were very young, and very happy:”

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.

No few addresses in Paris’ Montparnasse district now ply a brisk trade off their former association with the great writer. Alongside the Hemingways’ two rented flats - the first on Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, the second further south at 113 Rue Notre-Dames-des-Champs (both still private apartments), numerous bars claim to be Hemingway’s favourite. The Closerie Des Lilas, at 171 Blvd du Montparnasse, is now a much classier joint than when Hemingway used to write there; in another life, Italian restaurant l’Auberge de Venise (10 Rue Delambre) housed the Dingo Bar, where Heminway first met F Scott Fitzgerald. Indeed, all the bars along the main Montparnasse Boulevard enjoy their association with the expat ‘Lost Generation‘ - of which the most famous (if no longer the most authentic) is American brasserie Le Select (99 Blvd du Montparnasse).

See also:

• George Orwell in Paris
• Paris’ 5th Arrondissement (Latin Quarter)
• Paris’ 14th Arrondissement (Montparnasse)

Now approaching it’s seventh year, Parisians have proven all too keen to leave behind the city’s baking August heat in return for a spot in one of the council’s many Seine-side deck chairs, turning out in their millions to enjoy the river views.  In addition to the sheer pleasure (and novelty) of the sandy space, there are numerous events and activites laid on, including bars, beach games, climbing walls, and concerts - some on floating barges. There are even temporary open air swimming pools built for the urban sun-bather’s enjoyment - tempting as it may seem, the dirty waters of the Seine are hardly fit for a refreshing dip…

The event has proven so succesful, Paris now boasts three seperate ‘beaches’ during the summer months. The original beach lies right at the heart of the city on the right bank, stretching three kilometres from the Louvre in the West to the Pont de Sully in the East - in place of the busy riverside boulevard normally snarled up with three lanes of traffic. More recently ‘beaches’ have been opened up in two of the outer districts: the first in the 13th arrondissement at the foot of the new National Library; the second in the 19th arrondissement, around the artificial lake known as Bassin de la Villette.

The ‘beaches’ open on the 20th of July each year, and continue for four weeks - you can find more detailed information by visiting the Paris city website.

Today Rue du Pot De Fer is a narrow residential street, lined with restaurants, just off Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement. These days it’s a very pleasant address, but it’s still recognisable in Orwell’s description, in Down and Out in Paris and London of a rough and tumbledown slum. Known in the book as the Rue du Coq d’Or:

It was a very narrow street - a ravine of tall leprous houses, lurching towards one another in queer attitudes, as though they had all been frozen in the act of collapse. All the houses were hotels and packed to the tiles with lodgers, mostly Poles, Arabs and Italians. At the foot of the hotels were tiny bistros, where you could be drunk for the equivalent of a shilling. On Saturday nights about a third of the male population was drunk… It was a fairly rackety place. And yet amid the noise and the dirt lived the usual respectable French shopkeepers, bakers and laundresses and the like, keeping themselves to themselves and quietly piling up small fortunes. It was quite a representative Paris slum.

Orwell spent some eighteen months in the city, and in that time completed two early novels, though after rejections from publishers these were subsequently destroyed. While he could certainly call on some financial help from home, Orwell taught English to support his writing, and lived a modest but relatively comfortable life in Paris - until the autumn of 1929, when the theft of his money, and most of his possessions, left the young writer perilously close to poverty.

Rather than return home to the relative wealth of his parents house in England, Orwell threw himself into the world of Paris’ poor - taking a job as a plongeur (dish washer) in the Rue de Rivoli’s Hotel Lotti. Quite why the young Eton-educated writer took so willingly to the life of grime remains unclear (and it may be that he realised immediately the literary value of his experiences), but his true account of life on the breadline came to form the first part of Down and Out in Paris and London, his first published book.

While his short time in the city laid the foundations for Orwell’s immensely successful career, his french adventures were also at least part way responsible for his famous name. Shocked by tales of his loose life in Paris - and even more concerned by their imminent publication - the author’s parents were pleased to hear that Down and Out was to be published under a pen name. Eric Blair became George Orwell - and stayed that way for good.

Bastille Day celebrations begin on the evening of the 13th of July. On that night parties take place throughout the city’s twenty arrondissement (and the bars are full to bursting) but Paris’ officially organised event takes place, unsurprisingly, at Place de la Bastille in the 11th arrondissement. Here, the Bal du Quatorze Juillet sees Parisians dance the night away to live music laid on in the square - certainly worth experiencing, though it can be a busy, cramped affair. Better, perhaps, to find one of the more laid back events in the city’s central districts; by tradition, the city’s firemen open the doors of fire stations throughout Paris for smaller, more laid back local parties.

During Bastille day itself, on the 14 July, all eyes are on the famous Champs Elysees boulevard, in the 8th arrondissement, for the annual military parade (defile militaire). In the presence of the French President, and featuring marching units from all parts of the French forces, including tanks, heavy artillery and even fly-overs from various military aircraft, it’s an exciting, if somewhat dated patriotic event. Traditionally the parades start around 10am: needless to say, if you want to actually see anything you’ll need to really want to see it - unless you’re prepared to take your place by the road very early indeed you’ll find by far the best views are on TV.

The traditional end to Bastille Day in Paris are the grand fireworks displays, and by far the best is that set on and around the Eiffel Tower. Forget the cliches - Eiffel Tower fireworks are almost always magnificent, and well worth the hassle required to get close enough to witness them. The best spot to watch, of course, is from high up the terrace of the Palais De Chaillot, across the river in the 16th arondissement, but you’ll need nerves of steel (or very tall friends) to bag a suitable spot to stand anywhere near here. You can see the fireworks from anywhere you can see the tower, so in fact a little imagination goes a long way in finding a decent (available) viewing point.

There’s no true English translation for Nuit Blanche: literally ‘White Night’, it’s the French phrase for staying up until the early hours - and the official Nuit Blanche festival sees the streets of Paris throng with life from 7pm until 7 in the morning.

While the exact programme of events changes every year, many major museums and civic buildings and remain open to the public (and illuminated) throughout the night, and many locations normally off limits to the public open their doors. Over the past few years private mansions, warehouses, artists studios, even railway depots have hosted concerts, performances, and often very bizarre contemporary art installations.

Certainly it’s the art that now proves the focus for the whole event, with local artists, and indeed local communities, often competing to display the most vibrant and eclectic installations on (and off) their streets. Past years have seen soundscapes at Montmartre and performance art on the Eiffel Tower. In 2002, hacker collective the Chaos Computer Club backlit more than 500 windows of the Bibliotheque Nationale tower to create the world’s largest video screen – and broadcast games of tetris across the city.

In short, when it works, it works really well. Find the right district and you’ll find projections, video installations, sculpture and even inpromptu musical performances all within close proximity. But over the last few years Nuit Blanche has proved a hit-and-miss affair: enormous queues at many of the event locations have frustrated more than a few festival-goers, and the limited metro and bus service is always packed to capacity.

Paris’ first Nuit Blanche, in 2002, was overshadowed by the stabbing of the City’s Mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, by mentally-ill assailant Azedine Berkane. While his injuries weren’t life threatening, Mayor Delanoe was hospitalised for two weeks after the attack, which took place in front of hundreds of festival-goers in the Paris City Hall. The last few years’ events have proved somewhat less dramatic, and indeed the Nuit Blanche concept has now spread to several other cities around the world, including Toronto, Rome and Madrid.

The date of Paris’ Nuit Blanche 2008 is Saturday 4th October.

Nuite Blanche Official Site
Photos from last year (2007)

The carte comes in various flavours and for various durations, depending on the purpose  and length of your stay, and the process of application also varies depending on who you are, where you’re from and what you intend to be doing. The following information provides an overview of the application process for expats resident in Paris: if your Fench address is elsewhere (even in the Paris suburbs) you’ll need to follow local procedures to secure your carte.

EU Citizens

Brits technically don’t need a carte de sejour - since 2003 you’ve been permitted to present your passport in whichever situations a carte might previously have been required. In reality, many EU residents choose to request a carte all the same - having a residency card to hand can still smoothe the way in many administrative situations, and can serve as a useful second identification document.

The application process for EU citizens resident in Paris has been streamlined in recent years - you can now make a postal application by requesting the necessary forms from the address, phone number or email below:

Préfecture de Police - Police Générale .
7ème bureau - Cellule postale 9, Boulevard du Palais - 75195 Paris CEDEX 04
prefpol.dpg-7eb-cellule-postale@interieur.gouv.fr
08 91 01 22 22

In return you should receive the forms, a list of required identification documents (which you’ll need to return by post) and an appointment at the Prefecture De Police, most likely several weeks ahead, where you’ll be able to pick up your carte de sejour.

Americans. Canadians, Australians

For non-EU nationals (including Americans, Canadians and Australians) this carte is still very much a legal obligation - indeed, if you fail to apply within eight days of arriving in France you may find your visa becomes invalid. Different rules apply to students, language assistants and other participants in government sponsored schemes, but in general to start the application process Paris residents are required to present themselve  at one of the two following addresses, within working hours:

• 114/116 avenue du Maine Paris 14ème, métro Gaîté if you live in the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th arrondissements;

• 19/21 rue Truffaut Paris 17ème, métro Place Clichy if you live in one of the other 14 Paris arrondissements.

Quite what the process is, and quite what documents are required, depends on the purpose and length of your stay - at minimum you’re likely to need your passport, visa, a birth certificate and proof of address; you may also be asked for a work contract, proof of income, proof of health insurance, marriage certificate and more.

Be prepared for the application process to take some time - possibly a couple of months, and involve multiple visits to the immigration offices, and probably some very long lines. Don’t panic though - if your visa application has already been granted the carte de sejour is something of a formality - just a long, drawn out formality that might well test your patience…

Find out More

The best source for information is the Paris Prefecture’s website, but you’ll need to read French (or find someone who can). Alternatively, find the site of your country’s embassy in Paris, which usually hold useful information. If you’re a student, language assistant or on any other governmnet sponsored scheme it’s likely that exceptional rules will apply - contact your program administrator for more information in these cases.