Teacher Life

I have survived my first lessons in France as a teacher and lived to tell the tale.

No, the classes have not been as dramatic as that (yet!), but I seemingly metamorphosed into a show and tell item at some point amidst the endless introduction classes I led this week.

I was introduced to no fewer than 12 different classes, of ranging abilities and ages, from 11 to 15 year olds. Nonetheless, the level of English in all groups appears to be strong on the whole and each and every class gave me a good grilling on the questions front.

Interrogations ranged from standard questions about where I am from, my hobbies and interests, my favourite cities, how I enjoyed Marseille etc, to the more bizarre (“Do I like platypus?” asked one student), to stereotypes regarding how often I saw the Queen, or drank tea, or if I had ever visited Hogwarts (which seems to be a young French child’s mock-up of a traditional English school).

Adolescents in Marseille, just as elsewhere, like to push the boundaries too: I had several people ask for my mobile phone number, and a couple of students ask if I had a girlfriend, or whether I preferred French women to English women.

Fortunately, it seems that the male student population are currently in awe of the fact I am a real born and bred Mancunian, as football is not so much a sport, as a cult in Marseille. If you are a teenager and you aren’t wearing a football tracksuit to declare support for your team (usually Olympique Marseille), you do receive an odd glance or two from classmates. This rule goes beyond the playground however and large swathes of grown men sport these tracksuits in the street on a daily basis. As such, questions of Manchester United versus Manchester City were fielded for a short time.

All of this has prepared me for what to expect in my regular lessons, particularly how to manage large numbers of teenagers all shouting for information, or complaining they don’t understand my accent. It also reflects on the amount of oral work to come as many of the teachers have emphasised a need to boost student confidence when speaking English. Managing these different expectations and controlling restless teenagers at 8am (yes classes at 8am), will certainly be the most challenging aspect of the job, but it will facilitate my desire to adapt my communication techniques and ensure that I am more adept at leading a group with poise and self-assurance.

Teenagers can sense fear after all.