Job Discussion Forums

[sharter]

WTF? Some sensitive types here. I bash TEFL Poland not the gorgeous girls or the night life. Very happy with my lot and have never kidded myself that I'm someone just because I speak and teach English in another country. That whole re-inventing yourself TEFL thing just isn't me. Anyhow...it's turned into yet another personal attack from the usual suspects and I can't be bothered.

Here are the facts; private language schools are krap, particularly so in Poland; salaries are cruddy; it's expensive and service is dreadful; that's my opinion in a nutshell. TEFL is worse in the UK. Yes, I get paid by oil money and it's great. Of course I'd rather live in Poland...but a TEFL wage isn't living. You can find booze and chicks anywhere.....and oversensitive Americans.

[dynow]

delphian-domine wrote:

[Jack Walker]

The lives of ESL instructors are actually quite similar all across the globe.

Salaries vary of course but many of the other issues are pertinent to all of us.

One big difference however is that the typical ESLer in Poland has to live off of Biedronka Chicken Loaf.

That chicken loaf got me through the hard times!

[dynow]

jack walker wrote:

[sharter]

Biedronka and Jabka are simply shite places to buy anything but cigarettes. Eating out isn't much better....I was stunned at the mediocrity of the many restaurants I went to over my 13-week sojourn during the summer. Polish home cooking is great though......not reason enough to make me stay.

I've always maintained that 99% of men go to Poland for the women......can't think of another unique selling point.

I don't see how people that have never been to the Middle East can slate it either. A stint in Saudi in no way reflects a few years in Dubai or Doha. The money is good, you have a beach life and there are plenty of families here and opps for wives.

I suppose ignorance is bliss.

[gwiazda]

oh yay, the Middle East... again!

Please bear in mind that those of us living in poor old Poland, with its quaint little European ideas of freedom of speech and equality of the sexes, aren't really interested in life the Middle East. And if we did want to know about it we'd go to the Middle East forum instead.

Is it too much to ask for people who are NOT living and working in Poland to stop moaning about living and working in Poland?

[sharter]

Erm...my son is in Poland, I was there all summer, nearly half of last year and have spent tonnes of time there since I left in 99, not including my last 6 month stint there in 2005/2006. I can also get by in Polish. Why should I post on another forum? My points about EFL Poland are valid.

Regarding the Middle East; it's only misinformed people who make sweeping comments about freedom etc. You can drink, meet girls and do pretty much anything else, just don't insult the religion, the rulers or the women. Don't cofuse Saudi with the rest of the GCC...you're clearly ignorant.

As I know both Poland and the Middle East well I can compare and contrast the two. Language schools in Poland are a disgrace and the trade is akin to sweatshop exploitation. The vast number of expats I know in Poland got out of teaching , or got lucrative side gigs; there must be a reason for that.

I like Poland for personal reasons largely connected with my son but there are much better places to do TEFL in where you can earn more than a hand-to-mouth existence with cool students, beaches and no cash stress.

[Richfilth]

I won't argue with your wild sweeping statements about EFL in Poland sharter, but do you have to make them in every single thread? This one is specifically about Speak Up, not Polish EFL in general.

[gwiazda]

Ok, I apologise for being "ignorant and misinformed" - I've never been to the Middle East and therefore can't comment on it, you're quite right.

However, I think my point about discussing Middle Eastern stuff somewhere else is still valid.

I've been reading this forum since I came to Polska all those many years ago and like most people I've really appreciated the helpful advice of those more experienced than myself. But its becoming more than a little frustrating that every topic just degenerates into a general moaning session.

[iknowwhatiamtalkingabout]

I've been living and teaching in Poland for years. It's great. I work for a language school and the money is fine.

Lots of negative people on this forum. Quite sad really.

Poland's a good place to live.

I think I've only ever shopped in Biedronka twice.

[maniak]

Want to update that after some job hunting a few weeks ago I saw that the standard rate for a qualified teacher is currently 50zl per 45min, sometimes a lot more if you negotiate more However, a few schools were offering abysmal salaries to native speakers and Polish teachers (which imho should get the same rate), 45zl/60 min and 30zl!!!!/60min respectively.

Nonetheless, after a few interviews, I have to say most of the larger schools totally turned me off. Basically I got the feeling that they just needed some animated object to occupy a room for 90 mins, the rest they didnt care about. No mention of or just a quick glance over materials, methods, experience, any kind of training (ha!), access to a metodyk. Like the whole "educational" aspect was completely missing. What was even weirder, no one mentioned taking sicks day, vacation policy, just a whole list of what you can and cannot do, what paperwork needs to be done, etc.

Also some of the "fellow" native speakers I was introduced to at some of these schools were... a bit... odd. Like missing basic social interaction skills or something or some personality defect. I also observed one of the classes a Irish guy was teaching, it was pretty much this whirlwind of some grammar points (articles, various tenses..) but with very little structure, with conversation peppered in by giving a list of random questions to students and just having them ask each other. Very little correction was provided. I then got to hear from the DOS what a great lesson that was. Uhhh... maybe with a hangover.

The whole experience just made my skin crawl. I'm done with schools for now, Speak Up wants me to teach a few hours a week so I said ok cause its a few extra zlotys, but Ive got my privates, some work with an english course sponsored by the EU and my translation stuff, hope it'll be enough.

[maniak]

also changed the title cause i think i was being too harsh on SU. Guess thats what time does, softens you up. Met some fantastic people over there including one girlfriend, had a lot of fun, and it was fun having contact with so many different students, learned a lot from them. Ill keep the original posts, but I guess my opinion about them has changed a bit.

[delphian-domine]

[dynow]

delphian-domine wrote:

[Jack Walker]