Name:   Jacqueline Garçon

Nationality: American & French

How long have you been teaching? +40 years

What are you teaching? EFL/ESL

Right now, I am teaching EFL and French. I spent a number of years teaching ESL in the USA, including Harvard University and Harvard Summer School, plus Boston University. For the last 24 years, I have also taught a TEFL Certificate in conjunction with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

What certifications do you have?

Two M.A. from the US, one in French (UC, Santa Barbara) and one in TESOL (Boston University), plus a TEFL Certificate and a Licence d’Anglais

How did you get into teaching English?

I always wanted to be a language teacher. Why? In high school I even belonged to FTA, Future Teachers of America

Where are you currently working? country, school, companies, etc.

For a socio-cultural association I created here in France with some of my students five years ago, “Languages & Lifelong Learning”

What kind of contract are you working under?

At the moment the contract is “determiné”

How long have you been working there?

Five years now….

Where else have you worked?

The list is very long from a private secondary school to business schools to the university in France, plus the Chamber of Commerce, etc.

Where do you prefer teaching English?

Definitely, for the socio-cultural association I have worked so hard to keep going and flourishing. The kind of organization I believe in…but not easy!

What do you love about teaching English?

The challenge intellectually and socially of creating an interactive and dynamic classroom where the learners are enjoying learning and moving forward positively, building on what they do know and can do. I also love the social contact with the learners from all sorts of backgrounds, socially, culturally, intellectually. I learn so much from teaching and being in contact with all these different people. I love sharing my experience, exchanging ideas and thoughts with teachers in training, watching them reflect and develop to be their “own” kind of teacher.

What are the advantages to teaching for you?

I keep learning all of the time from new developments in pedagogy to linguistics to learning from my students/ teachers. It is a continual challenge in so many ways.

What are the disadvantages to teaching for you?

Definitely, the salary, plus the lack of respected and recognized stability/security of employment. Teaching/ learning has become a vocation for me, not just a job.

Do you do another job?

No

I would like to thank Jackie, my former TEFL teacher, immensely for agreeing to be featured here on my blog.  She was and is still a great inspiration to me.  She is running a fantastic association which is keeping teachers up to date with their pedagogy and teaching people French and English, along side culture.  I urge those of you who are in Paris or near by that are interested in taking language lessons or in learning to be an even better teacher of languages to go over and check out her website for Languages & Lifelong Learning http://languageslifelonglearning.webnode.com/products/bloggs-joe/.  There you’ll find the courses being offered and all the information needed to enrol.