Job Discussion Forums

[lyndelj]

I will be moving to Ravensburg, Germany to join my partner in January, and I would like to teach ESL privately, as I did for 2 years in Vietnam. For those of you out there who have done this in Germany:

How/ where did you find your students?
How much did you charge per hour?
Did you do it legally (pay taxes) or "under the table?"
How useful would an online TEFL certification be for this purpose? I am considering the online option only because I simply need more teaching skills, do not have 2000 USD to invest in a CELTA or a university endorsed TESL, and am not targeting schools/ companies as employment option, at least in the immediate future.

Thanks for any advice.

[butterbrot]

In general a newspaper advertisement will probably work best if you don't know anyone in Ravensburg. Your partner might also be pressed into service by giving your service some word-of-mouth amongst friends or colleagues.

As to what to charge, it basically is dictated by the market and what people are willing to pay. I'd say begin asking something between 15-20� per hour and test the waters. You may have to adjust downward but you can feel your way on this. Just don't put your rates in the advertisement; wait to discuss the rate when you find out what type of instruction the person is looking for.

Regarding to pay or not to pay tax, etc. My advice is to pay it but others who post here will have a different take on that. My fear would be that if I didn't pay it and the wrong people or person knew I was working under the table they might just report me and I'd have to cough up a lump sum right away, along with a fine or something. Your partner (if German) will have a better feeling for your particular situation.

An online TEFL course won't really provide what you say you need in the way of more teaching skills. There are a number of good options like joining a local ELTA (which often sponsor training type seminars) or subscribing to good teaching magazines or buying some books on methodology, etc. I'm unsure of what you mean by 'teaching skills' so I can't provide a more specific advice direction. If you want a bit more specific help regarding what you see you need help with, you're welcome to discuss here or pm me.