Job Discussion Forums

baikal2.5 · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Texas

I am an American who would like to teach in Russia or a Russian-speaking country, but I do not have a TEFL certification. I do have a degree, and I speak Russian.

1. Is it possible to teach English in Russia without a TEFL cert.? If so, where should I look?

2. If I do opt to get a TEFL certification, do you think I will be able to find a job pretty soon afterwards?

3. Is the job market better in Moscow or St. Petersburg (or someplace else entirely)?

Thanks!

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

(just some opinions.. take it with a pinch of salt)

Moscow must be the best place, if you mean by best 'easiest to find a job'. Unlike China, it's not at all easy for the average native speaker to find a job without a proper qualification here. There are a few cowboy operations who will take people like that on, but expect to end up funding the jaunt partly yourself in that case - i.e. they pay badly and are unreliable.

However, your position is entirely different as you speak Russian. If, in addition to that, you have contacts, then you can probably find a way to set yourself up as a teacher (part time, full time or privates) virtually anywhere. Only in Moscow and maybe St Pete's can you make good money though.

PS. I just noticed something .. you said 'I speak Russian', but what does that mean? Are you a native speaker in some sense, or..?

zaneth · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject:

I'd pretty much second what waxwing said. You could work anywhere, but could make money in Moscow. What kind of a degree do you have? Do you have a regular school teaching certificate? For a lot of places this might count for more than the TEFL. Do you have business or scientific experience? A specialty? Let us know more about your background.

baikal2.5 · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Texas

My background: I have a B.A. with a double-major in anthropology and Russian. I don't have teaching qualifications, and my only teaching experience is as a volunteer GED and literacy teacher.

I'd like to revise my question: If I wanted to get a TEFL cert. and hope to teach in Russia sometime this academic year, what should I do?

-Are contracts usually available in October, or only for the spring semester?
-Should I put much faith in the "employment support" of TEFL-granting schools in Russia, like Via Lingua? I'd need to find a job pretty soon after I finished a course.

Thanks,
AG

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

I don't know about Via Lingua, but if you're going to get a CELTA or TESOL in Moscow or St Pete's, you shouldn't have any problem finding a position - depending how fussy you are, of course - with or without 'support'.

Edit: it should be CELTA or Trinity TESOL, nothing else. People often talk about 'TEFL cert.' but only these two certificates are valued here.

Your Russian probably isn't going to make much difference, now you've clarified. It will just oil the wheels a bit. Of course it's a plus.

Timing: any time except now Smile

is OK for looking for a job. Early September is best (for actually starting - but if you were arranging a job outside the country, you'd start looking 2 months before, because visas .. не очень легко, let's say), but it's still 'peak' season I suppose all the way through October, because not all planned positions are filled immediately. That's what I hear anyway. I was looking late last October and found something without too much trouble (I wasn't better qualified than you - worse, arguably); but I wasn't very fussy.

zaneth · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:00 am Post subject:

I think you'll be fine. Have you ever been here before?

baikal2.5 · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Texas

Yeah, I studied abroad in St. Petersburg.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I thoiught St Petersburg was in Russia. Now you tell me it is "abroad". I am confused.

Communist Smurf · Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 330 Location: San Francisco

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

But America is abroad ! How can this be ?

Communist Smurf · Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 330 Location: San Francisco

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I am using irony to point out the absurdity of dividing the world into two places "abroad and home". This is particularly absurd on a multinational site like this one. What percentage of posters here are from the US ? And yet many express themselves as if the audience here were all from God's Own Country.

I suppose anyone who chooses a name like "communist smurf" is probably not very bright. And I should remember that most Yanks are pretty low down the IQ ratings.

Communist Smurf · Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 330 Location: San Francisco

I realized from the start you were attempting to be clever with what you call "irony." But in the context of "study abroad," you are certainly ignorant to the way most universities operate. If you aren't a citizen of the country you are studying in, you are referred to as a "study abroad student" or "international student." No need to thank me for correct your ignorance. I proudly educate stupid people daily, because it's about people helping people and I want you to know I'm going to be sensative to the fact that you're dumber than me.

But who knows, you just might be right about me. Perhaps you can correctly judge my intelligence based on the name I picked. After all, I won a $20,000 scholarship for "studying abroad" from the National Security Education Program. We students from UC Berkeley can be mighty dumb sometimes.

Have a nice day.

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

Well, this was arsingly stupid:

Communist Smurf · Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 330 Location: San Francisco

You just couldn't PM me with that, could you? *sigh* I was still in the process of proof-reading. Embarassed