Job Discussion Forums

[chuckMC]

I am surprised that only Dragonpiwo agrees with me. The state of ESL in Poland is dire. It's okay to do it for fun and diversion for a short while. But long term its a poor choice. Poland is a poor EU country. Many of us who were born in the rich West take life there for granted. We have enjoyed the best of everything at the most attractive prices. The purchasing power of western countries is the envy of the world. Living in Poland has made me realize how important money is. The low value of the Polish Zloty and the high prices of consumer goods have taught me that life in the rich world is sooo much better!

[PC Parrot]

I haven't worked in Poland, but I have been a TEFLer for the last 19 years, and I picked up an MSc TESOL 13 years ago, so I can say that, in my opinion, the only reason TEFLers take TEFL seriously is so that they can take themselves seriously.

Needless to say, I do neither.

[sparks]

Poland is fine, you can make more money other places but if living in those places isn't your cup of tea you can certainly make a living here and have a car and a kid. Like in America, if you spend your days wasting time, working for low wages etc. you will be significantly poorer than if you try to learn from mistakes and improve year by year.

I think the best advice on this forum comes from the German guy in Krakow.

[Master Shake]

Once again, a thread about the merits of teaching in Poland has gone off the deep end. Why am I not surprised? And how long before it gets shut down?

To the tefl Poland doom-and-gloom crowd, I've got 1 question: Where exactly is a thriving, progressive, well-paying place to teach English these days? You constantly rip into Poland, so where are the alternatives? And for the sake of argument, let's leave the middle east out of this, cuz we all know that's not a lot of people's cup of tea for many reasons I won't go into on the Polish forum.

ChuckMC, let's also assume some people enjoy living abroad and don't want to be with 'their people' back in the USA just yet. Where did you get the idea that the sun rises and sets on only the USA?

[dragonpiwo]

Each of your paragraphs is more retarded than the last.

All the op has done is give an opinion. I agree with much of what he has said. And for the sake of argument, the UAE is amazing.

[delphian-domine]

[mitsui]

Japan and China pay better.
I even met a woman in Lodz who worked in Korea, and she hated it.

I don't blame her, but like a lot of people, she wanted a better salary than she could get.
If Poland is so great, then why are so many of them working in Britain?

[chuckMC]

Delphian-domine. Poland is a poor choice long term precisely because its a poor EU country. Even if you are successful and make say...10,000 zl a month. That's only 2,700USD or 2,500 Euros. "Well paid" jobs in Poland are poorly paid by global standards.

Leaving the rich world and entering the poor world would be putting someone's and their future family financially behind. Their kids will not have the great gift of being born in a rich country which offers them the best standard of living. Their parents will not be able to ask them for financial assistance because their earnings are too low back in the West.

Working your butt off in a poor country is not a good choice when you have had the GREAT fortune of being born and raised in the rich West. Believe it or not, the standard of living for a very well off Pole is the same as an average Westerner. Poles have to work so much more to live like the typical Westerner. This is what every polish person from small towns, medium cities, and big cities, tell me.

Yes, in the big cities, there is energy and opportunities. But achieving success in a poor country like Poland isn't as great as doing so in a rich country. The big money you make here in Poland is little money elsewhere.

mitsui, is right to ask "If Poland is so great, then why are so many of them working in Britain?" And those who are working in Britain are not just the poor and uneducated, they are also the well-educated and ambitious. I sometimes ask my teen students if they intend to stay in Poland. Most of them reply by saying that they are seriously thinking of going abroad after their studies.

This is the reality in Poland. For anyone who is intending to leave the rich world to come Poland for the long term, they are making a serious mistake. As for me, I plan on staying for another year..Poland is a nice country if money is not important.

[dragonpiwo]

There's nothing wrong with anything you have said. I've been suggesting that it's much easier elsewhere for years but some people just won't have it.

The same person who's telling you to move to a big city is the same person who was telling everyone to move to small towns a while ago.

Enjoy your time, have a plan and move on to pastures green.

[chuckMC]

Thank you, Dragonpiwo, for the parting shots for this discussion. I wish you and delph, and the others, a happy and fulfilling future. As long as someone is happy and is willing to face the consequences of their decisions then I have nothing against them. I wish them luck. But i still can't understand why some people want to leave the rich world for the poor world for the long term. 1 or 2 years, OK. For retirement, OK; but forever... The working class person in the rich West enjoys a better life materially than an upper middle class person in Poland. I am so tired of seeing crazy high prices and knowing that my money of little value. Also, I can't imagine raising my kids in such a poor country that offer so few opportunities for them. Anyways, thanks for commenting on my posts and good luck!

[dragonpiwo]

And after last night's election result, it will get worse and harder for foreigners.

[chuckMC]

And what makes you say that?

[Master Shake]

If earning as much money as possible is your goal, then Poland isn't for you. But who in their right mind goes into TEFL for the money in the first place? And where can someone new to TEFL earn a bundle these days?

Japan and Korea don't pay out like they did 10 years ago. China pays better, but the catch is you have to live in China.

Living in Warsaw gives you a quality of life that's hard to come by in many parts of America. Lower crime, no need to run a car, better (and safer) schools, cheaper restaurants, affordable housing near or in the city, not a 45+ minute commute away off in soulless suburbia.

But by all means, if you'd rather have more cash, then Poland isn't for you. Might as well move back to America. So the question then becomes: What well-paying job can you get in the States with TEFL certs (assuming you've got them) and teaching experience?

Unfortunately, you can't teach in the US without a masters. And even then the pay isn't that great. So this idea, ChuckMC, of running back to the well-paying USA is really a fool's errand .

[mitsui]

Not true.
Go to Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Georgia or North Carolina.
Teach K-12. A MA or MS can give you highly qualified status and higher pay.
You must be certified, which I am in the process of doing.

[PC Parrot]