Job Discussion Forums

[Raduga01]

Hello, does anyone know what EF (English First) in Novosibirsk is like, and what it is like to teach there? If it is not very good, are there other schools in Novosibirsk which you recommend? Thank you!

I have a CELTA and speak Russian fluently.

[maruss]

E.F. do not generally have a good reputation as employers but as most of their schools are run as franchises, conditions can vary enormously from place to place.But your CELTA and knowledge of Russian are a definite advantage and you can probably find other offers in Novosibirsk which will be better.You could try asking Cole Davis who belongs to this site as he is in the area and is probably more up to date on the situation there than anyone else I know of.

[Raduga01]

Hi Maruss,

Thanks for your reply. Please could you send me Cole Davis' email address, as I am not allowed to send personal messages through this forum until I have posted at least 5 times?

If anyone else can help me with this question it would be much appreciated. EF Novosibirsk have been very helpful and friendly and answered all my questions so far, so I have been inclined to trust them, but since reading other messages on this forum about EF I have been worried. The hours they are offering me seem reasonable - they say I would be working from 4-9pm Mon-Fri most of the time.

[Raduga01]

Also, another question - in the worst case scenario, if I came to Russia and the school was awful and I wanted to leave the job and get a job at a different school, I assume I'd need to get a new visa. Would I have to return to the UK (I am from England) or could I change my visa within Russia, or go to Kazakhstan or somewhere nearer? Thanks.

[coledavis]

[maruss]

I also think this guy might have problems if he wants to change jobs,especially if EF get his work permit for him.It's a long way back to England-and a lot of money!!

[coledavis]

It's not ideal, but it's better than being desperately unhappy or than doing something illegal. My advice would be to get a return ticket that ends at the end of the probation period. That way, some damage limitation is under way.

[russophile]

Hello;

I will be at a point where I can live mostly off investments (will have about $1000/mo) and am curious as to whether I will be able to get a job in Novosibirsk if I only want to work halftime?

BTW, I have a doctorate in clinical psychology, I am willing to take a celta course but have limited teaching experience.

ANY other info on Novosibirsk is more than welcome, I
can't PM knowledgeable people because I don't have 5 posts yet, don't think I'm cut out for Moscow, like the medium size cities in the US like Minneapolis and Sacramento, and have dealt with -40F before. Like it! It's spacey!

Of course as a 40's single guy, I am duty bound to claim the beautiful Siberians are no factor in my decision making. I assert total political correctness.

Thanks!

[Raduga01]

Russophile,

EF do accept teachers part time - but only refund your air fare, visa fee and health insurance if you work full time.

I'm not sure whether or not they accept people without the CELTA - a year's experience could be a substitute - but I do know that at EF Novosibirsk they have relatively few native speaker teachers, so it could well be worth a try. You can apply through EF's website.

People currently in Novosibirsk will have a better idea of other local employers than me. I've heard purely through word of mouth that Intertext and Respect are also good language schools.

[monkey127z]

i'm familiar with ef in novosibirsk - apart from an awesome director, i don't have many positive things to say about it.

[coledavis]

If you want a list of language schools (not exhaustive) in Novosibirsk and surrounding areas (e.g. Akademgorodok, Berdsk), pm me with your email address. These are not recommendations and they may or may not be better than EF.