[r+lchick]

Marigold, does your stepmother have any children.  I don't buy I would not like my money grabbing slug of a sister getting her hands on any of it. (Love her really).  However, that would be one proposal.  We will look have to look into this but there has got to be a way around it, otherwise all french parents would be stuffed.  Thanks for all your help again.  PS.  We watched "The Day of the Jackal" in French last night.  Trouble is, we fell asleep.  Ros

[marigold]

Yep Step mother has a daughter and i fully expect her to make sure she gets everything. Still my brother and sister and I all agreed that the parents happiness now is more important than our pockets later on. Its probably not an ideal situation but the point I was trying to make was that with knowledgable help there might be various options. Will be interesting to hear what more you discover

[Hilarysmum]

but the point I was trying to make was that with knowledgable help there might be various options.

Marigold has made my point exactly, only more succinctly.

[r+lchick]

We are definitely making all the right moves to make it to France.  However, we have come to the conclusion that if BF can't get a job teaching english, we may have to rethink the whole thing.  He has been in the situation before where he has hated his job and does not want to take a step backwards. So next year he is doing the TESOL (Teaching english as a second language) and will try and persuade the college where he works now to do the course.  We have a lot of foreigners around the college.  If not he is going to get some part time work to gain the experience.  Anyone interested, it is a year course affiliated to St Trinity College in London.  There are weekend courses but we have steered clear of them and the qualification may not equate over in France (plus you can't learn it in a weekend).  If we don't move to France, we will certainly move to somewhere else.  To all our French friends out there, we haven't given up the dream but are being realistic.  We have a fair few years before we can claim our pension, so have to be happy in our jobs.  We have our French tapes out and spend an hour a night practicing.  BF's reading of french is better than his speaking.  But he is a bright boy.  We will just have to see.  Any further advice and suggestions as to what is a definite bring to France, would be appreciated.  (Polytunnel? or you don't need them).  Thanks.  Ros 

[Hilarysmum]

Northern France polytunnel definitely.  My OH was a technical author in his other life.  Came out here to an agency job.  Almost as we got on the boat the agency collapsed.  He works as a gardener for the local authority.  No money, still happy.  Wouldnt change.

[marigold]

What does he teach now? I did a TEFL qualification years ago and it took me around Asia for a few years. When I came back I taught students privately in Dundee to finance going to Uni. Self employment as an english coach might be a possibility? Quite a lot of people wanting to study English in Europe need to practice speaking for business purposes because they learn grammar etc at school and never get a chance to communicate and develop and accent that anyone can understand.

[r+lchick]

He majored in maths and minored in physis. He teaches everything from basic needs maths to A Level Maths at a disabled college.  He also does private tuition for every age from 6 years to GCSE in every subject and also does A Level Maths private tuition.  In an ideal world, the ideal job would be teaching english and maths at the local primary school.  If he could teach at a special needs school, even better. (The classes are smaller and the language simpler.)  He wants to do a job that he likes.  If he does a job he hates , it would be a step backwards.  He is joining up to do the TESOL course accredited by Trinity College.  We did think of seeing if a local big company would want english lessons for their employees.  Unfortunately, we have to be patient.  We have seen a few houses on the internet that we like and I have had to hold him back to buying a house now and renting out with the view of taking possession in 5 years time.  But first, we have to have a look around.  Thanks for your help.  Hope the above answers your question.  If you have any further suggestions, we would appreciate it.  Roslyn    

[Hilarysmum]

Naturally it will change in 5 years, however there are jobs teaching English, whereby no french is spoken.  Its all run by an association here, its a course, every professor in every school teaching exactly the same way, using songs, music, stories etc.

I know very little about it, it might be worth considering nearer the time.  My friend got the job through the Employment office here.