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real2104
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Posts: 120
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 Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 11:52 pm Post subject: What do I need to teach in Germany? |
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Hello there,
I'm a 26 year old Australian...I've taught English in China before (6 months) and now I'd like to teach in Germany as I love the country, the culture and the people !
Now, I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and a TESOL certificate (100 hours - in class).
Will this be enough to secure employment?
I'm considering doing an MA in TESOL. Is this is a good idea or would you recommend other course/s?
Thanks,
Nick. |
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JN
Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 214
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| Well, I don't know much about your certificate, but it might be difficult for you to get work since you are non-EU. Bring start-up money definitely. I'd recommend an MATESOL. It would up your chances of working and living here. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Why would an employer jump through all those bureaucratic hoops to hire you, a non-EU national, when they can hire a native speaker from an EU country ? (UK or Ireland) |
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JN
Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 214
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, Scot, you're probably not asking me, but I don't know why an employer would hire me, a non-EU national over someone from the EU, but they just did. Of course, my being already here in Germany, fluent in German and having an MATESOL may have something to do with it. It is possible, but maybe not probable. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Fluency in German is a big plus. How many hopefuls clutching a new CELTA can boast that !???? |
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real2104
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Posts: 120
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Update:
My parents are British. I was born in Australia and I'm considering a CELTA.
Therefore, I qualify for EU citizenship.
How do you think my chances are of getting a job in Germany? |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:03 am Post subject: |
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Get the EU passport and the CELTA, and you should be good to go.
Probably a good idea to get the CELTA in the region - in Germany or the Czech Rep or somewhere at least close by; your practice teaching students will be more comparable to those you'll be working with and a good training center can refer you to reputable schools.
The main hiring season is September and most job contracts are Sept/Oct through June. Very little work around in July and August.
Remember that the job market in Germany is tight -in no way comparable to China. English is taught in German schools by well-qualified German teachers, so there is little demand there for native speakers of English. There are some university positions, but most will require the related MA. Most CELTA level teachers work with businesspeople in their offices, though there is a small but growing young learners market as well.
Pay to cost-of-living also won't be similar to that in China - the Germans don't need native speakers so badly and pay them relatively less. You also can't expect the instant respect given to native English speakers in Asia - we are considered fairly lower-level workers and you need to show people that you are professional to be treated that way. |
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hail cat
Joined: 11 Feb 2015
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| If you have corporate training experience, there is some chance of doing that in Germany. Still, it won't be easy. |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:14 am Post subject: |
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| There's no such thing as an EU passport only passports of EU states. Get that first then start applying. For Germany your grammar will need to be expert or you won't last. |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:18 am Post subject: |
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| Mind you as you're under 30 you qualify for a 12 months working holiday visa in most European countries including Germany. |
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hail cat
Joined: 11 Feb 2015
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| If you have corporate training experience, there is some chance of doing that in Germany. Still, it won't be easy. |
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Phillip Schofield
Joined: 02 Feb 2015
Posts: 116
Location: The Land of Pelmeni and Honey
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| real2104 wrote: |
Update:
My parents are British. I was born in Australia and I'm considering a CELTA.
Therefore, I qualify for EU citizenship.
How do you think my chances are of getting a job in Germany? |
Working as a teacher? With no experience other than what you gained during your CELTA and time in China?
Join the queue behind the other 10,000 people in the exact same situation as you. You may get work, but keep in mind that you will be required to pay compulsory health insurance (300euros per month when I lived there).
Normally your company will pay it (or some) for you. But since there are pretty much zero companies who will employ you on a full time basis (most teaching in Germany is freelance) you will have to pay for yourself.
I could never find enough consistent work to cover the insurance costs and have enough to eat. I tried finding help at the arbeitsamt and rathaus, but neither places would help me or even give me advice on what I could do. I suspect that since I was freelance and earning under a certain amount, I wouldn't need to pay the full insurance costs. But I could never get to the bottom of the situation. Plus, the fact that I was technically breaking the law by not paying the insurance and was liable for huge fine, it was difficult for me to approach the subject in a direct way. So eventually I just left Germany.
You need to keep in mind that in Germany you are up against thousands of people with CELTAs and possibly three times as many without. With the EU freedom of movement, you'll be against any Brit who is attracted by the romantic idea of Germany, but who probably has few skills to offer besides being able to speak English. They hire themselves out as ESL teachers and with all that competition, prices get driven down.
I was in Berlin (which is the worst place in the world to be an ESL teacher) and the few English speaking expats I knew were all unqualified ESL teachers and were teaching for 8 or 9 euros per hour. I was lucky enough to get some work in an International School, but nothing full time.
I wish you luck, but I would certainly never go back to Germany to work in ESL. The odds are stacked massively against you. Unless you have a German girlfriend or some massive obsession with currywurst, I see no reason why you'd want to subject yourself to such a hard life. I worked with some guys who had set up their own ESL activity business. They would do arts activity sessions at primary schools and kindergartens. It had taken them 5 years of hard work to get to the stage where they could actually set up such a business.
If you really want to live in Germany and teach, get yourself QTS trained and then you can work in an international school. Otherwise, expect a very hard life. I was there for just over a year and I would say that 70% of my life revolved around trying to find work and the other 30% working.
At that time, I had a CELTA and 4 years teaching experience. It certainly wasn't enough to get responses from the big teaching companies (they have very slow turnover)
I don't want to be a doomsayer and there are many people who are doing very well in Germany, but you need to be aware that it's far more difficult to get work there than other countries.
Oh, and if your German is below B1 level, your life will be even more difficult. I am A2 level and this basically barred me from any non-ESL jobs. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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Join the thousands of Turksih "Gastarbeiter" in Kreuzberg struggling to survive on low wages. They have it easier than you because for them there is a support network already in place through kin, compatriots and Mosque.
What support network do you have ? |
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Phillip Schofield
Joined: 02 Feb 2015
Posts: 116
Location: The Land of Pelmeni and Honey
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:43 am Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
Join the thousands of Turksih "Gastarbeiter" in Kreuzberg struggling to survive on low wages. They have it easier than you because for them there is a support network already in place through kin, compatriots and Mosque.
What support network do you have ? |
One positive is that in Wedding (where I was) the staff at the Arbeitsamt and Rathaus are slightly less rude towards European expats than they are towards the Turks. I mean, they weren't of any help at all, but at least I got the feeling that they were tolerant towards my existence, rather than the looks of utter disdain and disgust I saw them give the Turks when they walked to the counter. |
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happyinshangqiu
Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 279
Location: Has specialist qualifications AND local contacts.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| What about other parts of Germany, Phil? What about Eastern Germany? Leipzig? Dresden? Must be some joy there? |
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