Job Discussion Forums

[JZer]

I think that if you look at this job board and see how irregular people post that it might give us a small glimpse that the ESL job market in Germany is not too good. Of course it is possible the ESLers in Germany have better things to do than play on the internet all day. I just checked the board and saw that there has only been one post in the last 10 days. This is not a question but if anyone has any comments let me know.

[crashartist1]

Maybe they do have better things to do then chat on the internet about their bosses and the like, but also I think if you read it against other posts, the main difference is that in Europe you have to be a legal worker, not like in Turkey where I am. I think most problems that are generated in the country where I live is that everyone (okay not everyone but I am being general the real number is like 99.9%) is illegal so rules don't count for squat! Whereas in Germany, France, Italy and so on the have very strict rules and regulations for both the hiring practices and conditions because teachers aren't as easy to come by and you can't treat them worse then you would your dog, like here in Turkey! Anyway, that is my 2 cents on the subject.

[poro]

[butterbrot]

There are people who are employed in the Germany English teaching market who do post and have posted here. But there really isn't all that much to say that hasn't already been said very well by others in the many other threads and posts in this forum.

The market isn't good and, in fact, in some areas it's downright dismal and, Germany is very strict about which nationalities can teach English here.
If you ignore the more juvenile posts and sift through these threads, most questions that could be asked have been asked and answered.

The only remaining question appears to be people checking in to see if the job market has improved. It hasn't. Germany's severe recession and high unemployment make the job prospects grim for everyone. Until those two things improve, I don't see any improvement in the EFL market here either.

[JZer]

I am sure there are more teachers in Korea or Taiwan but those people post a lot. I do not know if that means that there is not much to do in those countries!!! But Taiwan I think has about 26 million people and Germany has 82 million or so. Anyways, I was trying to make some conversation. Maybe we can see where this thread leads.

Well now I am in the U.S. and can hold my comments about Germans. So no more arguments from me but I will probably head back to Germany in a few years.

[crashartist1]

It is a fallacy that only European Union members can work in Germany, or that the language schools won�t hire you if you�re not a holder of an E.U. passport because they don�t want to do the paperwork. The biggest obstacle is supply and demand. The market is flooded with English teachers, mainly U.K. TEFLer�s. With so many U.K. TEFLer�s running around needing more work, and the job being so stark, there just isn�t the need to reach out and hire everyone. Also, non-E.U. passport holders get their own freelance paperwork working VISA that they can apply for at the Germany Embassy in any country they are in regardless of where they are from and it is not any more of a problem for the language schools to hire say Americans or Canadians then it is to hire a Briton or Scot. What it all boils down too are education, experience and cultural relation. Since the U.K. is closer and cheaper to fly to, there is also a much more international atmosphere around Great Britain as a whole compared to most of North America plus the culture shock, living environment and social ideology is a much better fit for U.K.ers in Europe and the schools know this. Many schools have felt the repercussions of hiring foreigners from so far overseas only to have them get really home sick or unhappy and leave. Yes this is all a great generalization, but when you have a market that is fragile you don�t want to kick it around. The administration of the schools are looking for the safe teacher that they feel won�t cause damage, not so much a teacher that is going to raise the bar, but keep the status quo by keeping the paying clients happy and coming. Now, on the other hand, if you are North AmeriCanadian and have the right qualifications in terms of a M.A. in TESOL or anything of the sort compared to a E.U. passport holder with a B.A. in Tittlewinks and a nifty little certificate that says you paid 600 sterling to sit through a course for a month without getting too bored you will get a job in a second, professional qualifications are the key to all markets. The M.A. shows that (in theory and hasn�t stopped me though) you aren�t going to be drunk for a year while living off of Mum�s and Dad�s money they gave you for finally finishing your University degree after 9 years (no worries, lots of people take 9 years to finish college, their called doctors).
The unemployment level in Germany estimated at closer to 22 million (highest since postwar WW2) rather then the 18 million counted because they don�t count the workers in retraining programs. So the money for company perks like English schools and individuals spending habits are also conservative because prices are rising in relation to the deflating dollar. Since most monetary policies are based on the US greenback the purchasing power has decreased and people are feeling the pinch of imported goods. Role this all up in one big blanket basically learning a foreign language is a luxury and it is no longer affordable. Hence the decrease in demand for English teachers and the fragile market of the ESL world in Germany.

Well, that�s what I think and I have been told not to think because it sets off the smoke alarms, so I better stop now before my computer suffers water damage.

[Madmaxola]

Germany is on it's deathbed, soon it will be dead.

[JZer]

crashartist1, thanks for the info. I hope that they will not think that I am just there to get drunk and will go running back home. I have twice studied in Germany for long periods of time. I hope that would show that I can handle living in Germany. Anyways, I am going to head off to Brazil and then Asia but I want to return to Germany to do an M.A. in German History. Hopefully I can pick up some freelance teaching to pay some of the bills when I return to Germany.

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

are there opps for Cdns?

[scot47]

5.25 million registered unemployed in the Federal Republic.

[poro]

crashartist, that was a good post.

[crashartist1]

Thanks for the compliment Poro.

So if I understand you correct, the number of the actually unemployed workers in Germany is actually hirer then the number represented in the statistics and the retraining programs combined? If that is right that is a lot of unemployed people.

Perhaps �perks� wasn�t the right word to describe the extra training some employees receive from their companies. Maybe �Developmental training� or something would be better. I guess anytime you have to do homework or take tests I wouldn�t really call it a �perk� either.

I agree with you that there can be something done differently about the way language schools and private companies interact. Individual teachers can do something about this by marketing their services, but a real program and curriculum need to be realized by the entrepreneur before they would be willing to buy into anything. Companies want results, they rely on recognition and reputation just about as much as anything else, that is why corporations sign contracts with language schools and not individuals. So why would a company spend money on an individual, and the problems that come with them, when they aren�t sure of the outcome of the results? Companies can offer different levels, different programs and are more flexible with time schedules, in theory. The company doesn�t get sick, or have a bad day or need a vacation. Also a problem to consider is that what happens when the company decided it doesn�t need you for a week or a month? You should protect yourself by designing a contract to take to them for a certain time frame and Euro amount. This can be tricky as lawyers look at any and all contracts that companies sign onto. If you could have 1 or 2 companies sign a contract your working life would get really stressful in a short time. Now teaching in-house to a company is a great way to do things, saves you from providing a place and is much more accessible to the company. They wouldn�t have to pay as much and they can monitor their employees better. So it could be an ideal situation for both you and the company, I guess its all about finding the company, a suitable company that needs L2, and figuring out the proper way to actualize your program so they can understand it and they can see it as a benefit tool to them over a proper school. So you can see both benefits and undesirable consequences at a relation to both views.

So first develop a curriculum, learn how to market it, decide what material you will use, advertise it, make sure you have the credentials to back up your ability to teach it, work your butt of to sell it, then work for yourself and have the rest of us envy you.

[poro]

[poro]

[crashartist1]

That's easy, the market wants Language for specific purposes. If we are discussing companies, they more then likely need English with a special focus on technical words, emailing, memos and presentations.

I did similar work in Istanbul for Law Firms. The junior lawyers, knew English very well, as they all spoke three languages, but they needed help the writing development of their English, so their needs were for emailing and law terminology.

Like I said, develop a curriculum and learn how to market it.