Tutors’ Perspectives of English Private Tuition in France: Challenges and Implications

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
International Perspectives on English Private Tutoring

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on English Language Teaching ((INPELT))

  • 156 Accesses

Abstract

In France, English has become the most studied international language at school and is regarded as an asset for workers. In order to stand out in the competitive labour market, children and adults search for additional sources for learning and mastering English. Due to that fact, many private tutoring (PT) companies have developed all around the country. This chapter explores the spread of PT in France from the perspective of English private tutors. Firstly, the chapter briefly presents the concerns surrounding PT and its development in France, with specific attention to English language teaching. After that, based on data collected from a series of semi-structured individual interviews with six English language tutors, the chapter outlines the qualifications, experience, and professional lives of these tutors. The interviews shed light on a profession that little is known and on the challenges these professionals face daily, including their dual identity as tutors and teachers. Describing these challenges can be seen as the first step to improving this professional sector. The implications are twofold: on the teachers’ side, this chapter sheds light on this particular career path; on the enterprise side, the results can help managers understand English language tutors’ needs and career expectations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 117.69
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 149.79
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
EUR 149.79
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    Xerfi is an independent economic institute, which offers analysis and reports on many sectors, among them, PT.

References

  • Bourdieu, P. (1991). Langage et pouvoir symbolique. Seuil.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bray, M. (2022). Teachers as tutors, and tutors as teachers: Blurring professional boundaries in changing eras. Teachers and Teaching, 28(1), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.2019700

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castellotti, V. (2011). Natif, non natif ou plurilingue : dénativiser l’enseignement des langues ? In F. Dervin & V. Badrinathan (Eds.), L’enseignant non natif : identités et légitimités dans l’enseignement-apprentissage des langues étrangères (pp. 29–50). Éditions Modulaires Européennes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2007). Constructing Grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galinié, A., & Heim, A. (2016). Inégalités scolaires: Quels rôles jouent les cours privés? [Educational inequalities: What roles do private lessons play?]. UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of Grounded theory. Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasman, D., & Besson, L. (2004). Le travail des élèves pour l’école en dehors de l’école, Rapport établi à la demande du Haut Conseil de l’évaluation de l’école, 15. La Documentation française.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halimi, S. (2012). Apprendre les langues, Apprendre le monde. Ministère de l'éducation nationale, de la jeunesse et de la vie associative.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetzel, P. (2007). Temps des familles, temps des enfants : autour de la scolarité. Conférence de la famille 2007. Rapport de propositions remis à Philippe Bas, Ministre de la Santé et des Solidarités.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (2006). Native-speakerism. ELT, 60(4), 385–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobakhidze, M. N. (2014). Corruption risks of PT: Case of Georgia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 34(4), 455–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobakhidze, M. N. (2018). Teachers as tutors: Shadow education market dynamics in Georgia. The University of Hong Kong, CERC and Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kumaravadivelu, B. (2016). The decolonial option in English teaching: Can the subaltern act? TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), 66–85. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levis, J. M., Sonsaat, S., Link, S., & Barriuso, T. A. (2016). Native and nonnative Teachers of L2 pronunciation: Effects on learner performance. TESOL Quarterly, early view. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.272

  • Loi Borloo. (2005). LOI n° 2005–841 du 26 juillet 2005 relative au développement des services à la personne et portant diverses mesures en faveur de la cohésion sociale. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000632799/

  • Monier, N. (2022, January, 17). L’Officiel de la Franchise. http://officieldelafranchise.fr/analyses/secteur/soutien-et-cours-particuliers-quelles-lecons-tirer-de-la-pandemie-17012022

  • Moussu, L., & Llurda, E. (2008). Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: History and research. Language Teaching, 41(3), 315–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paikeday, T. M. (1985). The native speaker is dead. Paikeday Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popa, S., & Acedo, C. (2006). Redefining professionalism: Romanian secondary education teachers and the PT system. International Journal of Educational Development, 26, 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2005.07.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rámila Díaz, N. (2015). Students’ Preferences regarding Native and Non-Native Teachers of English at a University in the French Brittany. Procedia 32nd International Conference of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA) (pp. 93–97). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.036

    Google Scholar 

  • Rámila Díaz, N. (2016). L’analyse des malentendus dans une entreprise linguistique multiculturelle: de l’instabilité émotionnelle au turnover. In S. Gerolimich & S. Vecchiato (Eds.), Le plurilinguisme et le monde du travail. Entre besoin, défis et stratégies (pp. 111–127). Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rámila Díaz, N. (2020). European and national trends impacting on EFL development in public education and private tuition sectors in France. Estudios Interlingüísticos, 8, 209–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenwald, F. (2006). Les aides aux devoirs en dehors de la classe. Ministère de l’éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, Note d’information, n° 06–04, février.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatar, S. (2019). Employment of English language teachers in an EFL context: Perspectives from school administrators. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 21(2), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v21n2.72648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xerfi. (2017). Le marché du soutien scolaire à l’horizon 2020. Menace d’ubérisation, enrichissement de l’offre, recours croissant au numérique : quelles perspectives pour le marché et ses différents acteurs? Xerfi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xerfi. (2021). Quelles stratégies pour les acteurs du soutien scolaire face au durcissement des conditions de marché? Xerfi.

    Google Scholar 

  • **ong, T., Li, Q., & Hu, G. (2022). Teaching English in the shadow: Identity construction of private English language tutors in China. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 43(1), 73–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yung, K., & Yuan, R. (2018). The most popular star-tutor of English: Discursive construction of tutor identities in shadow education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 41(1), 153–168.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Rámila Díaz, N. (2023). Tutors’ Perspectives of English Private Tuition in France: Challenges and Implications. In: Yung, K.W.H., Hajar, A. (eds) International Perspectives on English Private Tutoring. International Perspectives on English Language Teaching. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26817-5_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26817-5_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-26816-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-26817-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Navigation