L’enseignement à Paris serait votre emploi de rêve ?

What job did you dream? A job where you are so passionate that you can not prevent you from being totally submerged. A job that will not give you the impression of working because you love so much.

I met Jean-Thierry Le Bougnec to Paris and I immediately felt that I had found someone with such a passion.

Jean-Thierry, in the teaching of French, the most important thing is to ensure the enjoyment, satisfaction of the whole class and share a good time together.

Jean-Thierry is one of the most experienced teachers of French Alliance of Paris-Ile-de-France (AFPIF). I wanted to know more …

What do you like most about your job?

What I really like is that in twenty years I have done completely different things. I never spent more than three to four years to do the same thing, and that is really what I like.

This is also why I stayed so long. I came here as a French teacher in CSD; I taught evening classes with a very particular audience at the time, refugees, people who worked.

Then I gave “little more normal” during a morning, afternoon … I majored in the direction , that is to say I did pass tests to determine the level of people .

Then I became a tutor, I welcomed in my class who were watching me, do work methodology and practice in the classroom.

For four years, I coordinate an initial teacher training French. This includes internships and missions abroad.

What I like about this job is that I learn a lot , sometimes even more than the students, even after twenty years of teaching. It is very rich culturally and humanly.

In AFPIF you can follow not only the course of French as a Foreign Language (FLE), but also training for teachers FLE, a fact we do not know in Australia.

Could you tell me about these courses for foreign teachers?

Yes, there is indeed continuing education and initial training.

Continuing education, teachers are already working and who simply want to know where they are, more training or advance in their profession. There are courses focused on new technologies, new methodological approaches. Some teachers already have a lot of experience, and seek methodological bases; while other teachers rather seeking practice.

Initial training, it is for people who want to become a French teacher – they are taught the basics and practice.

There is also a training remote , in partnership with the CNED , which can last one to two years. The duration is variable and training is done remotely for working people.

In AFPIF, there are French but also foreigners. We meet or people who are already teachers or young people who leave college, or people in retraining. Among these, one receives even people who have 50-59 years.

With other teachers you have written textbooks for teaching French.

Could you tell me about these books, for example, what was your main motivation for writing? What feedback have you received – either teachers or students?

My first motivation: Because I’m a trainer I have to try to enrich my knowledge constantly. The writing method allows me to take and put on paper the state of knowledge at any given time.

These are books for students, grammar for teenagers, a method of phonetics for students , a method of advanced adult level. I also wrote a collection for teenagers aged 11 to 14 years.

The feedback I got were generally positive. The method for teenager had a lot of success, it was appreciated, the method advanced level too. In these books, we tried to give a light tone, so that interested.

When I write methods, I try to have a backdrop pleasure , mine, and especially the pleasure of those in front.

When I go into a class I am.

This is important.

But to remain efficient we must not forget the theoretical aspect. Natural trade spend quality time together is what counts.

What are the two most difficult to master for students of French concepts? Why are they so difficult, and what is the best way to address them?

The most important for me is the music of the language and rhythm.

For English I always take Canada as an example. When we speak French we must say: CA NA DA, and also I HA BI TE PARIS. Everything is equal except the last syllable is longer. For me the most important is the rhythm and accentuation .

Jean-Thierry’s favorite places in Paris

To eat

Lunch when I’m working: a sandwich Luxembourg Gardens .

The weekend is a picnic at the Cité Universitaire is quiet.

To drink

I love the friendly bistros, unpretentious, I do not like places too trendy. A neighborhood bistro. Something simple.

Palette  : rue de la Seine next to the Fine Arts. It has a very nice terrace and very good white wines.

For fun

Rodin Museum

THE MUCEM – Civilisations Museum in Marseilles.

To make a tour

Gardens Jaurès

Green Belt Route … A tour barge, the Canal St Martin .

Thank you very much Jean-Thierry, for talking with me – it was a pleasure to meet you and learn more about your passion for teaching.