As a rule, native English speakers tend to be lazy about learning other languages. Why should they when non-English-speaking countries make learning English a mandatory part of their school curriculum? Going beyond school, anywhere in the world you might travel, you're sure to meet English speakers. From hotel and restaurant staff to shopkeepers and any other person that works to make the travel industry so lucrative, everyone can communicate in English.
Native English speakers have quite the advantage in that respect. But are we doing ourselves any favours by not learning any other languages? Not only is our land one of many tongues but we deny ourselves the riches and benefits that come with learning other ways to say things. Thus, it stands to reason that tutoring in French - helping people learn this Romance language, presents distinct advantages. Let's take a look at some of them.
French is Necessary
Across Australia and throughout Oceania, French is the second most-taught language in schools, surpassing even Mandarin. Indeed, Australian government agencies planning for the future list French among the top 10 languages Australians should study, and for good reason. French is the official language in 29 countries, including Switzerland, a global finance and banking hub, and many developing economies in Africa. French is also spoken in pivotal political spheres such as NATO, the World Trade Organisation and the International Olympic Committee.
According to a study conducted by the French investment bank Natixis, French is set to overtake English as the language of commerce by 2050. Their study further concludes that French, already widely spoken across nations, will be the most-spoken language in the world. A report in Bloomberg Rankings supports that assertion, as does an editorial in The Economist. In fact, business correspondent Robert Lane Greene lays out a compelling argument for why French - not Mandarin, will be the language of business in the near future.
It's all fine and well to pooh-pooh French President Macron's political pronunciations and economic exclamations but, clearly, it's a good idea to learn the language he expresses himself in. Likewise, we poke fun at our Canuck friends but they are already one-up on us as they likely speak French. Considering how vital this Romance language is, we have to catch up to them, fast. When you become a French tutor, you'll be able to make that jump happen.
The Demand for French Tutors
Admittedly, according to ABC.net, more students take French language instruction in Tasmania and Victoria than anywhere else in the country. That has a lot to do with historical migration patterns. For instance, more people study Italian and Indonesian in Western Australia than in Queensland. That doesn't mean that there are no French learners anywhere else in Australia, though.
Thanks to our Department of Education, French language offerings are set to grow in every state and province. It then follows that there must be French teachers and tutors who can help students master French pronunciation, French grammar rules and French vocabulary. If you speak French at the native or bilingual level, you are uniquely poised to benefit from these education initiatives.
The demand for French tutors doesn't stop at our borders, either. Technology has made it so easy to reach around the world to share your passion for the French language with learners in other nations who may not have as forward-thinking administrators as we do. Or, perhaps, don't have the funding and resources to accommodate any French language instructors. As a French tutor online, you can find students far more easily than if you were limited to pupils in your town or city.
Tutoring in French Opens Doors
In the previous segment, we mentioned that the Department of Education is actively pursuing ways to provide Australian students access to foreign language instruction. Considering how vital French is projected to become, they must be keen to find French teachers. Particularly if you've been tutoring in French for a while, you may be able to bypass many of the hiring requirements for teachers. You've likely already completed your Working With Children Check, have established your credibility as a French instructor and have experience leading instruction.
Your advantage doesn't stop there. If you tutor in French precisely because you'd rather not lead a classroom, those same qualifications open doors for you to teach French for Business, French for Medicine, French for Science and so on. Beware that to teach those courses, you will have to have advanced French language credentials such as the Diplôme D'études en Langues Française and the Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française, otherwise known as DELF-DALF.
As an independent tutor, you have the advantage of organising your French lessons any way you'd like. The same is true even if you teach any of the more advanced learning initiatives like Business French or French for Science. You may even choose to design your curriculum and course materials to suit your pedagogy, despite there being lots of French teaching materials available. How much technology you incorporate into your lessons is also up to you.
The Advantages of Tutoring in French
So great are the advantages of tutoring in French that we could hardly keep from spilling a major selling point before getting to the segment where they're explicitly laid out. Now that the French language is coming to prominence worldwide, the urgent need for French instructors and the emphasis placed on French learning already position French tutors advantageously. Now, let's talk about the personal advantages French tutors gain by helping others learn how to speak French.
Few people consider language learning an undertaking that will occupy the rest of their life, provided they pursue it with the same ardour that they took the learning up with. As a result of that pursuit, learners gain other advantages that have nothing to do with any practical language applications. Instead, they benefit the student personally which, in turn, benefits other aspects of their life.
Gain a Deeper Understanding of the French Language
How French became personal to you depends on your experiences, preferences and other factors. For instance, you might have been drawn in by the tragedy of Édith Piaf or the charm of Amélie. Rather than content yourself with translations, you set out to discover what, exactly, was being said. That's as good a reason as any to embark on a lifelong learning journey, isn't it?
Regardless of what led you to study the French language, you learned it subjectively. In other words, you studied this language through the filters of your perceptions, biases and experiences. Teaching French to others gives you the chance to see the language objectively; as a means of communication external to yourself. Stripping your own reasons and ideas about the French language away, you gain a deeper understanding of its grammatical constructs, syntax and structure. You also gain a deeper appreciation for its purity and elegance.
Improve Your Communication Skills
"Because I said so!" never taught anybody anything, at least not in a positive sense. And yet, many teachers seem to operate on that basis. For instance, how would you explain the BAGS rule - the rule that addresses any adjective related to beauty, age, goodness and size? Rather than saying "That's just the way it is!", explaining that placing an adjective incorrectly could change its meaning makes you a better teacher.
Communication is equal parts delivery and reception. In French language tutoring, those represent listening and speaking. As your pupils compel you to change the ways you deliver information, they also 'open' your ears. Does the student want to know about BAGS out of intellectual curiosity or just idle speculation? How you hear them - more specifically, the intent behind their questions will dictate how your lessons shape up.
Communication belongs to the set of transferable skills that are used across the professional world. It is on par with other cultivated skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. These days, you can hardly find a job advert that doesn't mention transferable skills. So even if, someday, you get tired of tutoring in French, your communication skills will be an asset in just about any other career field you might choose.
Develop Leadership Skills
Leadership skills are another asset you cultivate as you tutor in French. Good communication skills are a part of that tool kit, particularly active listening. But so are patience, empathy, trust-building and a positive attitude. On top of those qualities, you have to be reliable, manage your time well and honour your commitments. Tutoring helps you cultivate and exercise these and other positive personal traits that true leaders find indispensable.
Now, you may never want to give up tutoring in French. And you don't have to think about stopping, particularly if you've priced your French lessons so well that you're able to earn a decent living. In fact, if all the predictions are correct, your good personal qualities, coupled with your knowledge of the French language practically ensure you a bright and busy future.
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