Job Discussion Forums

[Skylarz]

I realize that most people seem to run into Prague when looking to teach in the Czech Republic. But what I'm wondering is if anyone has information on what it's like teaching outside of the big city?

I have heard that for some cities the pay is equal to that of Prague, but the cost of living is lower, so It makes for a bit of a better balance and way to save a bit of money.

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks!

[john_n_carolina]

here's one thread, from May 2007. not a whole lot of info, though.
you might try and catch Spiral78, he lives there off and on. otherwise, maybe contact TEFLPrague. i'm sure if you start out by asking about their course and then later ask about cities outside of Prague, she could tell you.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=51659

[john_n_carolina]

...sorry, TEFLprague has an underscore "_" or dash "-" in it.

TEFL_prague <---- is the contact name, she/he might help

do a search

[john_n_carolina]

also, www.expats.cz seems like a pretty decent site.

you can search apartments by city, etc

(note: i'm not in any way associated with these sites)

[spiral78]

There are good-sized communities of expat English teachers in all the cities outside of Prague (Plzen, Ceske Budejovice, Brno). Smaller cities usually have places for a few, but expect less opportunities for socializing and orientation. Czechs are not generally outgoing types and it typically takes a bit of time to make friends among them.
A few hardy souls truly enjoy teaching in remote areas where expats are rare, but it can be pretty isolated, socially.

Yes, cost of living can be lower outside Prague. You would likely want to be sure to be on a main train line for travel opps.

I would recommend either of the three cities above for an out-of-Prague Czech experience.

[Sigma]

I am teaching in a small city of about 40,000 (225km from Prague), and I quite like it. However, I was familiar with the area before coming teach, which helped. I believe there are one or two other ex-pats living here, and one of them being a basketball player.

Costs are lower, but for some having a small social network might be difficult (especially if you speak little or no Czech).

[john_n_carolina]

are you teaching at an institute only, or doing a mix of institute / privates??

average rents around your city?? 1 bed , 2 bed, etc

[ITTP]

Hi there!

Wages in the larger cities tend to be in line with Prague and can sometimes even be higher.
For private students though Prague easily wins as the best city to teach in terms of hourly rates.

I would agree with Spiral that Czechs are definitely introverted but if you do decide to teach outside of Prague then you will find your popularity levels increasing dramatically - especially if you are teaching out in the sticks.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend Plzen but I would definitely recommend Ceske Budejovice and Brno as great alternatives to the Prague scene.

BUT, there IS a reason why Prague is so popular and you should be, as Spiral noted, close to a main line route so you can easily make it into Prague when you are in need of your city fix.
Brno for example is the second biggest city in the country but is fondly referred to as being the 'big village' and if you are from a busy city then you might want to do a bit of research first before agreeing to a teaching contract outside of Prague.

I have very good friends in a small town in Moravia and there is a Canadian teacher there who, being the only expat, enjoys near super star status
Teaching out in the sticks can be rewarding but outside of the main cities the wages do drop and prices can still be comparable to Prague (not the Prague the tourists know but the Prague the locals know).

Hope it helps!

[Sigma]

[john_n_carolina]

thanks, that's useful -

thought about keeping a blog?

[spiral78]

I think situations like Sigma's are fairly rare - if I recall, he was recruited from abroad and sponsored by a language school in a relatively remote location. In such situations, housing is often arranged and paid by the school. It's not that common to see this; such positions don't abound, though they're out there.

[johnnyappleseed]

Hi, I've lived outside of Prague for several years now, in a smallish town of 30 000 three hundred and fifty kms out. I agree with most of what's been said on this thread--I don't have much to add except to stress that, while rent is significantly cheaper where I'm at than it is in Prague, the cost of living otherwise is about the same. I think I make a salary that's on a par with Prague teachers, but that's after years of working for the same institute. I love it out here.

Pros to living outside of Prague:

1.less chance of falling into the trap of hanging out with only expats.
2. cheaper rent
3. friendlier people
4. more easily accessible outdoorsy type activities
5. more likelihood of learning the language
6. you're more of a novelty and people are genuinely interested in you

Cons:
1.potentially almost unbearable loneliness in the wintertime
2.significantly less culture in most towns than in Prague
3.less variety in night-life, less variety in general
4.less "expat" support for immigration issues--can be a problem without a spouse.