Job Discussion Forums

[mattman]

I have tought in Seoul, Korea for a year and I want a change of pace. I realize that I would be taking a huge pay cut if I teach in Estonia. Can sombody comment on the standard of living, how the general population perceives foreigners, and can you add any general comments on the way of life in Estonia.

Thanks for your time

[bnix]

Yes,you would be taking a huge cut in pay,if you are even able to find a teaching job there.They are in the process of going EU, if they have not already.And there are just not a whole lot of TESOL jobs there anyway.I taught for a year in Lithuania,and took frequent trips to Estonia.Estonia has made the most economic progress of the three Baltics after they chucked the Russkies out.
Very nice people.Very interesting country.Lots to see.Lots to do.Not much doing on the TESOL scene though.You will be extremely lucky if you can find a job there,at any pay rate.
The capital,Tallinn.,is very nice,and not too far from Helsinki.Good luck.

[mattman]

Yes I haven't seen to many Estonia job postings. What would be the best way to get a job in Estonia? I don't feel comfortable just yet to go to country without a job already in hand.

[bnix]

Well,there is probably no easy way. I know I tried it.I am fully qualified and all of that,and I could not find anything.I am not saying it is impossible,just extremely difficult.I had no trouble at all finding people willing to hire me in Latvia and Lithuania, the other Baltics.

I got the impression they sort of look down their noses at foreign TESOL teachers in Estonia.They definitely look down on the other two Baltics, Latvia and Lithuania. I knew one Estonian that frequently referred to the Lithuanians as"poor relations".There is definitely some elitism at work here. Estonia considers itself as closer to Scandinavia,both geographically and ideologically than to eastern Europe.Lithuania of course,had ties with Poland for many years(a long time ago) and at one time Poland and Lithuania were actually united. Estonian is Finno-Ugric, unlike the other two Balticlanguages,which are Indo-European,and are very close to each other(I have read that Lithuanian and latvian are considered by some linguists in the world to be the two most closely related languages,without actually being dialects of one language

Anyway,not to bore you.I think you are going to have an uphill figh tfinding a job in Estonia.I am not saying it is impossible.I think I might still have the info for the Estonian Ministry of Education at home.I will check tonight after work,and post it tomorrow if I still have it.If you are not EU,you will also have an uphill battle on that issue.Even if you are EU,there are just not many jobs for TESOL people in Estonia.I will try to get you that address.

However,you might also want to start looking at other options,too.Just a suggestion.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Dear mattman:

bnix is right, of course. Estonia is not exactly a hotbed of EFL activity.

But ... where there is a will, there is a way. Here are 6 links that might be useful to get you started:

http://www.online.ee/~iese/index.htm

http://www.online.ee/~ilsinfo/

http://www.ihtallinn.ee/eng/index.html

http://www.ihworld.com/recruitment/country_list.asp

http://www.britishcouncil.ee/english/

http://www.ee/www/Education/welcome.html



Good luck
kEnt

[bnix]

Kent gave you some good links to get you started. You might also try writing or faxing these people(I don't have an email address for them):

Ministry of Education
Department of International Relations
Tonismagi 9/11
EE0100
Tallinn,Estonia

Fax 372 628 2239

Good luck.