I have registered with Pole-Emploi when i first arrived here but because i have 0 french i mean i know words but i cannot really do conversational french so they referred me to take a french language course at my local INFA funded by them. I went and made an enquiry and initially they told me no spaces at all indefinitely as they have long waiting list. I got talking to a friend about it and somehow she knew someone that knows the director so i went with this person for a meeting with the director. To my surprise, straight away she gave a schedule to start so at least for future reference its good when you know people. Unfortunately i wasn’t able to start because i could not get my daughter into creche at the time and it is only just now that she can start. So i went back to INFA when the school opened for September to ask if when i can start and apologise for my delay. Another big shocker, the government stop funding the programme only just in June so now i’m back to square 1. I could still go but i have to pay €9 per hour and i’m required 26.5 hours per week. I would really like to get on with this but i can’t afford it at the same time.They suggest i go make another appointment with Pole-Emploi and beg them to help me pay for it. I wonder if anyone could give any advice in how to go about this. It’s really starting to frustrate its like one after the other, just nothing seems to work accordingly even when i have been really patient and let things take its course. I know someone got funding thru OFII but he’s non-european and its a requirement for applying to be a resident here.
I’m not sure that being patient and letting things take their course is the best approach here. If you want to learn French to improve your chances of getting a job, surely it’s up to you to find a way to achieve that. Why do you feel should be up to the government/taxpayer/Pole Emploi is? They do help when they can, but the money has to be found from somewhere, and they have other priorities too.
To improve your French you don’t have to take that particular course and you don’t have to do 26.5 hours per week, do you. Aren’t there any conversation groups near you? Couldn’t you take an online course, or find a tutor for a couple of sessions a week and study in your own time between lessons?
Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh but I’m just suggesting a different way of looking at things, and perhaps a more proactive approach and taking ownership of your future in France, rather than expecting the state to provide.
Trust me i have tried to learn in other means with available resources online and apps since it works better for me as i have my daughter full time. Especially when we first arrived without working yet but i just cannot do it that way personally i think i would learn betters reading, writing and understanding french in a proper class plus i would benefit from the certificate if i wanted to apply for residency here. I did not mean that im not taking control of life and just waiting what i meant was basically things and processes here takes time from what i should have been doing right away but i cannot i am limited and i was rest assured of this things like starting the course because it was available and i have been referred to at the time. I cannot leave my daughter anywhere else but the creche and that took months of wait also. The 26.5 hours is the hours given to me by the director which i have to do for 3 months as a commitment to finishing the course. I wish i do not have to rely on the funding because i understand that the money comes from someone else but at the moment i have no means of income and even if i would love to work i cannot without having to speak french. I did not demand or ask for it before but its a required thing for pole emploi for non-french job seekers as part of employment process the certification is sometimes required that is probably why they were offering it so people can get out of the system and get on with it. Even going self employed i thought of the approach i will have but im not going to be able to discuss, explain or offer anything to anyone… At the moment i am surviving with google translate which is not always right and my broken frenglish. Thats thru some families and friends who are patient enough to try understand me but sometimes with other people outside they just dont have time and patience for it.