Job Discussion Forums

Skipp · Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 16 Location: NULL

I'm looking to teach abroad next year and am looking at either Spain, or Germany.

I'm 28 years old and female, have a BA in Human Rights and Politics, four years civil service experience and will have a CELTA by then. I haven't got any formal teaching experience, but have volunteered with kids.

Is September the best time to apply? Is Germany competitive?

I'm off to Berlin for a trip in May and heard it's amazing.

As an EU citizen, do I need a work permit?

scot47 · Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 12:13 pm Post subject:

Amazing place but full of the ghosts of the past. I was there more than 40 years ago in Berlin-West as a teacher. I found it quite difficult to get to know Berliners on anything more than a superficial level. I did come across Andreas Baader though.

Skipp · Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 16 Location: NULL

Just got back from Berlin and really liked it! May visit Cologne soon...

Was it a lonely city then? I live in London, so kinda know what you mean by closeness beyond being superficial.

scot47 · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:58 pm Post subject:

Read the 1946 novel by Fallada "Jeder stirbt fuer sich allein". Recently and surprisingly a best-seller in a new (and bad) English translation. UK title was Alone in Berlin. May be different in USofA

thesuitthatdidnt · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 25

Work in Berlin is extremely low pay.
And ALL freelance...you will travel on tubes half the day..to teach
enuff to pay rent.

The rest of Germany is hit and miss in terms of contracts. They are conservative and have a very formal hiring process. Takes time to get a good solid job.

scot47 · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:35 pm Post subject:

The Germans have enough competent English teachers of German nationality. Why should they hire outsiders with dubious credentials ?

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 8447 Location: On a Short Leash

Private language schools in Germany often hire CELTA-qualified teachers.

Many of the students weren't German-born and didn't go through the (pretty excellent in most cases) domestic school system.

Some native Germans did English at school but later on want to strengthen their skills, particularly in-field. To some degree, it's unlike in the Netherlands, where English-language media si more prevalent - Germans don't necessarily hear or use English on a daily basis, so it's easier to get rusty.

As for hiring 'outsiders,' there's still that bias towards native speakers to some degree, in some contexts (high-level academic/professional).

teacher X · Joined: 13 Feb 2013 Posts: 14