Job Discussion Forums

[31]

A 100% with howlers like this:

''Is the Caledonian School of any recognition?''

[balatro]

[Stephen Jones]

[Stephen Jones]

[31]

[balatro]

Is that a yes or no?

[EnglishBrian]

You're talking about the Caledonian school in Czech yes? I've only heard second hand about them, but as no one else has posted anything here it is: I've heard it's a reasonably professional outfit, in terms of resources, legally employing people etc. It also seems to have been established a while now so shouldn't disappear overnight. I get the impression that they pay pretty poorly compared to other places, hence their constant recruitment of new staff. I'm absolutely open to correction on any of this though - I'm a long way from Prague and this info could be out of date. Have you posted on the Czech forum?

They seem to offer the complete programme for newbies - visa, course, certificate and the old 'guaranteed job'. I can see this being attractive but bare in mind that a CELTA certificate is going to be more 'recognised' than the TEFL International cert. they offer. Also, there's plenty of scope for getting work in that part of the world, probably with better pay and conditions than they offer so a 'guaranteed job' is really not worth much. Get a CELTA and you could walk into a reasonable job anywhere from Estonia down to Romania.

There are plenty of places offering CELTA courses in that area so I'd advise checking those out to compare (branches of International House, British Councils and some private language schools). Any CELTA course should be good as they are all moderated externally and give you a sound intro. - shouldn't make any difference where you do it. If you do the course in that region, by the end of it you'll probably have got lots of pointers on where the good jobs are and could easily have one lined up before the 4 weeks are over if you wanted.

[balatro]

[31]

But won`t being American and having no degree seriously prejudice his chances of getting work in most of Europe? Fair enough Turkey is no problem for either of these.

[balatro]

[EnglishBrian]

It's true that as an American it will be more difficult to get work in the EU but it'd should still be possible in the Eastern countries because there's a real shortage of qualified (I mean CELTed) teachers. Appears the Brits and the Irish are more interested in sunny weather (seems to be an obsession with Spain) and the pay in Eastern Europe is hardly attractive. North Americans still seem to find some attraction in the 'culture' of Eastern Europe, tho' I make no comment about that.

Don't let anyone brow beat you into calling places like Czech, Poland etc. 'Central Europe'. These countries will take decades to gain the mentality that entitles them to start using that name.

[balatro]

[EnglishBrian]

I suppose making generalisations like "Brits like this and Americans like that" will always put me on dodgy ground.

I should say that when I wrote 'culture' I was meaning popular culture. The atmosphere, the people, the attitudes - even the transport and accommodation. Just the whole way of life you get being in a place. These countries were never glamorous to TEFL people but I think they did used to hold more intrigue than they perhaps do now. British people are less likely to go to these new EU countries looking for that, while Americans do still seem to have a sense of it.

Like I say, huge generalisation but just a trend I've noticed from people you meet passing through or who take or apply for jobs here.

[31]

[balatro]