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Looking for advice

 
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Tina23



Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 37
Location: Dusseldorf

PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:00 pm    Post subject: Looking for advice Reply with quote

Hi,

after reading a number of posts in this forum, it seems obvious that getting work as a TEFL teacher in Germany is very difficult.
However, my circumstances are somewhat different, so I wanted to ask your opinion.

I'm a native German speaker, have spent half my life in Germany, and half my life elsewhere. Have been in the UK for 7 years now (A-Levels through to uni) and am currently doing my Trinity CertTESOL, finishing in June. In your opinion, what are the chances of me finding work in Germany? Would you say it would make it a bit easier, or is the jobmarket just bad at the moment because of economic factors outside of my control?

I'd be very interested to hear your opinions!

Thanks very much

Tina :O)
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poro



Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 274

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tina,

you ought to do well with qualifications like that, even with a depressed market

Get into the online databases, and start sending CVs out - and good luck to you!
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Tina23



Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 37
Location: Dusseldorf

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:52 am    Post subject: Looking for advice Reply with quote

Hi Poro,

thanks for your reply!

Germany is one of the places I'm looking into going to. Time to start looking in earnest soon, I think!

Take care!

Tina Smile
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regie



Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:28 pm    Post subject: Work in Germany.. Reply with quote

Hi Tina,
I think that a lot of the articles and info on Germany at the moment is far too grim. With your qualifications and background you should have no problems finding a school or schools that will take you on, although this will most likely be on a freelance basis. From my point of view, finding teachers who are motivated, reliable, reasonably professional (not showing up to teach bankers wearing a dirty T-shirt) and actually have a fair idea of what they are doing is quite difficult... So if you are these things, you should be fine...
If you looking in the K�ln area, there are several schools that are presently looking for trainers....just have a look on the internet..
Good luck!!
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butterbrot



Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:07 pm    Post subject: ?? Reply with quote

Quote:
From my point of view, finding teachers who are motivated, reliable, reasonably professional (not showing up to teach bankers wearing a dirty T-shirt) and actually have a fair idea of what they are doing is quite difficult...


I don't know where you usually teach but I've been teaching in Germany for many years and I've never seen what you describe, anywhere!

This country is chock full of very professional, experienced, bilingual, reliable, well-educated, competent and flexible ESL teachers who work very hard and have their students' language needs firmly in mind. K�ln, in particular, has a high concentration of the very type of professional teachers I've just described.

There may be schools which have trouble attracting professional teachers but that would be because:

1) their pay rates are abysmally low and offer no benefits or,
2) they demand adherence to the so-called "freelance contract" which is an oxymoron or,
3) they have unprofessional and barely experienced DOS's who don't know the present perfect from a paragraph and who just don't have a clue or,
4) they don't provide any teaching support and materials which are available are out of date by 20+ years and bore the students to tears

The franchise schools and many local, small schools are particularly prone to having high turnover because they don't offer anything which would entice a more high-quality teacher who lives here permanently to come, work and stay. They seek the people willing to work for the lowest rates. Those are the inexperienced, unreliable, 'leaving soon' teachers.

K�ln has a fair number of those very schools I've just described. "Just have a look on the Internet" and give them a call. If you go for an interview you'll find out for yourself that those schools pay below living wages, offer no benefits and, generally, have nothing else to offer the experienced, professional, reliable teacher. If schools expect quality, it's a commodity which entails a higher cost.

I have, however, never seen anyone turn up to teach any class here in a 'dirty t-shirt'.
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astr0_b0y



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 7:50 pm    Post subject: Which schools are good? Reply with quote

Butterbrot.
which schools would you say are the better ones to work for and which ones should we stay well clear of?

I am currently looking for work in Mainz, where do you suggest?

Matt in Mainz
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butterbrot



Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:28 am    Post subject: Re: Which schools are good? Reply with quote

astr0_b0y wrote:
Butterbrot.
which schools would you say are the better ones to work for and which ones should we stay well clear of?

I am currently looking for work in Mainz, where do you suggest?

Matt in Mainz


It wouldn't be in my own best interest to post which schools I consider good ones because those are the very ones at which I make my living. Confused

Additionally, I've noticed that anyone who attempts to post anything on bad or questionable schools will have those posts deleted.

It has been carefully explained by a moderator in another thread that this eslcafe is a revenue earning business/site, much of it from advertising by schools, and that they (eslcafe) are not willing to jeopardise these relationships by allowing people to post negative comments/reviews/experiences on schools. That's my understanding anyway.

If you're looking for that type of input I don't know where you'll find it except by word-of-mouth when you're here.
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astr0_b0y



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:10 pm    Post subject: OK... Thank you Reply with quote

Ok... That is a fair response and I completely understand. Thank you for the response anyway.

Matt
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butterbrot



Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:53 pm    Post subject: Re: OK... Thank you Reply with quote

astr0_b0y wrote:
Ok... That is a fair response and I completely understand. Thank you for the response anyway.

Matt


Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful! Sad

If you are now living in Mainz have you had any opportunity to talk with other teachers who could give you more information on schools in your area which are good or let you know about which ones to avoid?
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astr0_b0y



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:51 pm    Post subject: No not really. Reply with quote

I've been completly unsuccessful in my attempts to find work here in Germany, and as such have not met many other ESL Teachers. Either I am not trying hard enough, looking in the wrong places or simply not qualified enough to teach here.

I have had a number of interviews for language schools but I am almost immediately turned down becasue I speak no German, or make it through a number of interviews and then get turned down (presumably because of a better applicant).

I have another 7 weeks here in mainz to find a job, but i'm not sure how that`ll go. Lets hope my interview is this Friday is more successful.

Sorry.. I needed to get that out. But to answer your question properly No I havn't found anyone to help, because i have been more preoccupied with getting a job anywhere, I can't afford to be at all choosy if my plan to live in Germany is to be successful.

Matthew Mitchell

p.s. thanx again for your concern,
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butterbrot



Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Matt,

I can't believe that you've had that much trouble finding at least one or two schools to take you on. I don't mean to say that you aren't believable but, rather, that it certainly isn't the usual case.

If you wouldn't mind writing a bit about your quals and work experience perhaps I can give some pointers to help you land something. Not speaking German is a problem but it shouldn't disqualify you from every type of teaching here.

If you'd rather not post that info here please message me privately. I can't say I will be able to help but I might be able to. It would be of interest to know where you've already applied as well.
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Showem



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 31

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:29 am    Post subject: Re: Which schools are good? Reply with quote

butterbrot wrote:
It wouldn't be in my own best interest to post which schools I consider good ones because those are the very ones at which I make my living. Confused

Now that is silly. You aren't the sole employee of any one school and if you aren't absolutely hopeless, your classes aren't going to be taken away from you. Good schools are always looking for teachers, there's absolutely no sense in not mentioning them.
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butterbrot



Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 53

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Which schools are good? Reply with quote

Showem wrote:
butterbrot wrote:
It wouldn't be in my own best interest to post which schools I consider good ones because those are the very ones at which I make my living. Confused

Now that is silly. You aren't the sole employee of any one school and if you aren't absolutely hopeless, your classes aren't going to be taken away from you. Good schools are always looking for teachers, there's absolutely no sense in not mentioning them.


No it isn't. I don't work in Mainz (where Matt is living) for one thing and, for another, the companies I'm working for at the moment don't have all that much work. We're all scrambling here to keep the classes we've got and to find more.

Maybe where you are the work is plentiful and you can afford to help the thousands of others who read these posts to find work in Germany. It isn't the case here. Would you be willing to post the companies for which you work so that others on this highly public bulletin board can inundate them with CVs? Confused

You are right that my classes aren't going to be taken away from me but as all of the teachers I know need more courses none of us are likely to list the places we're working.

PS: I did write "schools" when I meant "companies" since I don't work for schools anymore.
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poro



Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 274

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know if Matt has contacted Butterbrot or not (I hope he has), but wanted to say I think Butterbrot is right - there really ought to be something for Matt in that region, even if it takes a while to develop.

And when he goes for an interview, Matt should say he's learning German, and not that he can't speak it, imho.

Good luck anyway!
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Showem



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 31

PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay Butterbrot, if you are working for companies direct, and not language schools, then I can slightly understand you not wanting to say. Still, it's a bit feeble. But as it is, I work for BMW and HVB here in Munich, there's plenty of work there, feel free to send your CV along to them. The smaller companies are small indeed, and I doubt it's even worth it, since I'm their only trainer and looking at my last class satisfaction reviews, I don't have much to worry about.

Until you have experience and can speak the language, going via language schools are your best bet.
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