Darren Ramsarran est arrivé en septembre à St-Etienne et va intervenir dans différentes écoles du sud de la Loire et notamment au sein de l’école Cézanne où il va épauler les enseignants dans l’enseignement de l’anglais. Il a accepté de répondre à quelques questions…

Can you introduce yourself briefly?

My name is Darren Ramsarran and I am a 35-year-old teacher from Toronto, Canada. I speak English, Spanish, and French. I am currently learning Portuguese and I would like to learn Dutch in the future. I enjoy travelling, soccer (football), and spending time with friends and family. 

Why did you choose France?

I chose France because I wanted explore more of this beautiful country and to improve my level of French.

Have you ever been to France before?

This is my second time in France. I travelled around France (and Southern Europe) when I was younger. I met a lot of great people, saw beautiful places, and had many incredible experiences.

In which schools are you working this year?

This year, I am working at: Ecole élémentaire Saint-Exupéry (Rive-de-Gier), Ecole primaire Cézanne (Saint-Chamond), R.P.I Lupé-Malleval (Lupé et Malleval)

What activities do you do in schools with the children? 

I try to do a variety of activities that will encourage the students to speak. 

With the PS/MS/GS, I do simple songs with gestures. With the CP-CM1, I encourage them to speak in English by using simple books, videos, and discussions. 

 What surprised you in French schools? 

Not much has surprised me about French schools because it is very similar to the schools in Canada. No school on Wednesdays and the amount of school holidays has been the most surprising.  

What do you find difficult in your work as an assistant?

With the current schedule as an assistant, I feel like I do not have enough time with the students and teachers each week. On average, I only spend about 30-40 minutes which each class. It can also be difficult to remember names and build solid relationships with students and teachers when I move around a lot.  

What do you like in this job? 

I genuinely love teaching, so this job is very rewarding for me. Getting to spend time with the students and the other teachers is the best part of this job. I also get to share a lot about my life and my country. 


What are your plans for the coming years?

 While I am in France, I plan to travel and explore more of the country and Europe. In the future, I would like to work at international schools around the world.

What is your favourite French word or sentence? 

My favourite French word is « profiter ». In English, we usually use the word profit to mean financial gain. However, often in French, profiter means to enjoy the experience, which I think is really beautiful. 

What is for you the most difficult French word to say?

 The most difficult French word for me is l’écureuil. Too many French sounds in one word for my English brain.

Thank you very much Darren

Toronto – Lac Ontario