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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:00 am Post subject: Teaching in Lithuania |
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Hello. I come from Lithuania, its capital city Vilnius. I am a freelance teacher of English after this September I quit from IH Vilnius. I am here to assit you with any information you may want to know about Lithuania as a country and as a teaching place. |
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john_n_carolina
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:23 am Post subject: |
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for free??
1) how much can you make at IH Vilnius, Lithuania?
2) what other schools do you suggest? Universities?
3) how is the visa situation for Canadian / US TEFL'ers
did you buy real estate there??
thanks ! |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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johninmaine wrote: |
for free??
1) how much can you make at IH Vilnius, Lithuania?
2) what other schools do you suggest? Universities?
3) how is the visa situation for Canadian / US TEFL'ers
did you buy real estate there??
thanks ! |
Free what? A freelancer is a private tutor.
1) It depends on how many hours you work. A full timer can get about 1800-2200lt (from my experience), 1 USD is 2,5lt.
2) They say, American English school pays better and working atmosphere is better too. Also, there is FUU Baltic, EF, ILS, Kalba, and some more smaller ones. Languages is a business.
3) US needs a working permit and visa. That's what native speakers from US had to go through. As for Canada, I don't know. This is
http://www.canada.lt/
the website for Canadian Consulate. You can check with them. |
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john_n_carolina
Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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thanks for the info, that's great.
...i asked, "for free?" meant, do you give information out about Lithuania "for free?" i figured you would try and make a business out of it. not too many people offer services for free.
how are the basketball courts there?? full?? |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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Consider it a charity
Basketball is said to be the state religion but I'm not very fond of it as of many sports.
As for the real estate, prices are rocket high. We expect them to decrease ina few years time but so far rent and heating in winter does eat a lot. |
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Deano1979
Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 34
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:13 am Post subject: |
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I have a few questions
1) Considering the average wage, could you live a decent life on it?
2) Did IH provide you with free accomodation?
3) What did you think of the people
4) Have you taught anywhere else, and if so, how would you compare it? |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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Deano1979 wrote: |
I have a few questions
1) Considering the average wage, could you live a decent life on it?
2) Did IH provide you with free accomodation?
3) What did you think of the people
4) Have you taught anywhere else, and if so, how would you compare it? |
Hello.
1. IH wage was an average wage, really. Depending on the number of classes, a full time teacher earns 1800-2100litas (one lesson is 40 litas, just multiply according your timetable). An official average salary is 1450litas in the country per se.
2. As far as I am informed, it did for foreing teachers. Teachers paid if they exceeded the allowed limit of smth, but as I live in my own place, cannot tell for sure.
3. Teachers were great. Students were from normal to imbecilles. Administration was often incompetent, rude, overworked and underpaid. One of the reasosn I quit, actually. Expect to be doing a share of management duties yourself.
4. At a state school. After it, IH was paradise. At other language courses. If not salary, there was much better.
I hope I answered your questions. |
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George Best
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 51
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: Any questions about Lithuania, please ask |
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Deano 1979,
Have you been offered a position with IH?Daiva the director is a bit of a dictator so be wary of accepting. |
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George Best
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 51
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:51 pm Post subject: The salary itself will not allow a decent standard of living |
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Sorry but the reality is that you will have to live very frugally to get by on the salary offered by IH or any other school for that matter.It will get to the stage that you will question yourself that it's actually costing you money to simply live there.You will have to supplement your salary with savings or you'll have to do private lessons. As for private lessons, you really need contacts in Vilnius to recommend you. |
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George Best
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 51
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Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:21 pm Post subject: The average way in Vilnius is about 1800 Litas per month |
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I just complimented Kootvela for offering good advice on Lithuania. One thing however, the average salary in Vilnius is higher than the national average and so you have to live very frugally in Vilnius on your salary |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:50 am Post subject: |
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Frugally, indeed. Food prices have been rising steadily, gas prices as well, they will increase electricity price soon. Clothes have always been expensive but there are some good cheap places as well, depending how much you are into brands. But saving from one's salary or doing a bit of travelling always leaves a hole in one's budget. |
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George Best
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 51
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Kootvela,
Do the universities hire foreign English techers at all in Vilnius? How and when do you apply? Where are these jobs advertised?
Are the salaries offered by the universtities much higher than the private language schools?
Thanks |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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George Best wrote: |
Kootvela,
Do the universities hire foreign English techers at all in Vilnius? How and when do you apply? Where are these jobs advertised?
Are the salaries offered by the universtities much higher than the private language schools?
Thanks |
I suppose they do hire as based on exchange programmes, that is easier. If you want to apply as a private person, you can send them email asking if they are interested, it is not forbidden to hire foreigners but they must have relevant qualifications, of course. The main universitites I know are:
www.vu.lt Vilnius university
www.vpu.lt Vilnius pedagogical university
for some more you can browse the Internet. Then just email the personnel department or there may be open vacancies adverts on the websites as well.
Salaries by all means are not higher than at language courses. Plus, you must do lots of academic work with students, faculty meetings, various conferences, etc for the same salary while at language courses you do your lesson and close the door until next time.
My two cents.
Better, join me as a freelancer |
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George Best
Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 51
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:13 pm Post subject: Cost of living rising rapidly? |
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I heard recently that the cost of food and groceries has increased a lot since last year. For example if you shop in Maxima or Rimi, 20 Litas used to buy your basic stuff but now you need a 50 litas note. I know utilites are rising in cost but what about food Kootvela?? |
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Kootvela
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Food prices are outrageous. For example, a few months ago the cheapest milk 1 liter was 2,09 lt, now it's 2,99lt. The cheapest white bread was 1,09lt and now it's 1,29. And it's not the end.
I saw an old woman asking a shop assitant whether the prices were put up today or yesterday...perhaps, were they put up today, she would not have enough money to buy bread.
That's so sad. |
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