Can I feasibly work to bilingualism in France?

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dcook87
dcook87

Hello,
I'm a 24 year old university graduate from Ontario, Canada with a British/EU passport. I am therefore entitled to work in France and the EU more generally. I've been to France a couple of times before and have always enjoyed practising my broken French with the locals and I aspire to work in the country long enough to become fully bilingual. As a Canadian I am deeply ashamed of being essentially unilingual. Career prospects in Canada and much of the world are, I understand, more hopeful with two spoken languages.
So the question I have been asking myself for months now is how can I work in France? Or for that matter, how can I work in Belgium or Switzerland? After graduating from university last year I couldn't even get a job in England or English Canada. How can I possibly find work in the Francosphere? The only job I can think of is English teacher, but I really don't want to do that. Especially considering the month long course that is required first.
If someone out there is kind and informed, please do inspire me with any options I may have. I'd even be willing to do volunteer opportunities if they would house me and feed me.

Thanks in advance

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gawkabout
gawkabout

There's an old joke around Europe;

What do you call a person who speaks several languages?
Polyligual.

What o you call one who speaks two lingos? Bilingual.

What about only one language? American.
We yanks can maybe speak what's called Kitchen Spanish for maids.

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montrealer
montrealer

Get the magazine that is called FUSAC, it is a classified paper for english speakers in Paris. Quite a few jobs in there; not many glamorous but it would pay the bills if you live cheaply.

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dcook87
dcook87

Thank you very much for letting me know of FUSAC. That is really a huge help. I feel like boarding the next flight out of here now. There are some interesting jobs like working in tourist shops and doing English-only telemarketing. I'd be very happy doing either of those until I've achieved the holy grail of bilingualism.

Thanks again. If anyone else has any further tips I would really love to hear them.

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gawkabout
gawkabout

Stay away from telemarketing schemes!

Lots of them are meant to scam retired expats out of life savings.

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dcook87
dcook87

I have to say, if it pays a living wage I'm not much bothered by that. I would prefer working in a tourist shop or an English speaking restaurant or something though until I'm comfortable with my spoken French.

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travelinstyle46
travelinstyle46

"Lots of them are meant to scam retired expats out of life savings."

To which you reply, "I have to say, if it pays a living wage I'm not much bothered by that."

Please show this to your parents. If you were my son/daughter I'd take a stick to you, maybe even a baseball bat.

I sincerely hope your plans come to nothing. You deserve nothing with an attitude like that.

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dcook87
dcook87

You sound like a person with a job. When you've been unemployed for a long time you can't allow yourself such high moral standards I'm afraid. In any case, self-interest makes the world go round and I'm interested in self improvement. To do that, I need a living wage in France. I'm sorry if this offends your self-righteous little bubble.

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travelinstyle46
travelinstyle46

"such high moral standards"

I wouldn't call it high moral standards dcook, just morals. It seems you don't have any.

There are plenty of jobs you could get in Ontario even if your degree is in basket weaving. Trying to justify immoral jobs on the basis of self-interest is disgusting. Go apply to MickeyD's or Timmy's at least it's honest work.

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dcook87
dcook87

It is honest work, no doubt about that. The point of this thread though is how to find work in France. I'd be thrilled to work in a McDonald's in France but I don't speak fluent French so I need to choose between the few English-only jobs listed on FUSAC website. The telemarketing job that is supposedly meant to scam pensioners is one of very few that are available to a person in my position and I will not rule it out. If you've got advice on my other options in France I would really be thrilled to hear it. If not, I'm sure there are many better places on the internet and even in real life to take your moral crusade.

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