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Miss beth
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 9
Location: China
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 Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:21 am Post subject: Katowice |
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Hello,
I might soon end up in Katowice with my partner due to his job and we were wondering what kind of life to expect?
I have taught EFL for 5 years after taking a CELTA degree and have also done a bit of FSL teaching (I speak fluent French after having lived there for ages)
So, I was wondering what my chances would be work wise.
Then, there's lifestyle.
Is it expensive to live there?
Is there much to do, if I don't find work straight away?
Is it difficult to communicate with the locals? I live in Macau at the moment and it's literally hair-pulling frustrating trying to get a tiny thing done. Communication zero!
If I want to continue my studies, DELTA or Masters, any bright ideas for a globetrotting teacher like myself, making it worthwhile for my career?
Well, that's about it for the moment and I'd appreciate whatever info you people can give me.
Cheers |
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cezarek
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:48 am Post subject: Re: Katowice |
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| Miss beth wrote: |
Hello,
I might soon end up in Katowice with my partner due to his job and we were wondering what kind of life to expect?
I have taught EFL for 5 years after taking a CELTA degree and have also done a bit of FSL teaching (I speak fluent French after having lived there for ages)
So, I was wondering what my chances would be work wise.
Then, there's lifestyle.
Is it expensive to live there?
Is there much to do, if I don't find work straight away?
Is it difficult to communicate with the locals? I live in Macau at the moment and it's literally hair-pulling frustrating trying to get a tiny thing done. Communication zero!
If I want to continue my studies, DELTA or Masters, any bright ideas for a globetrotting teacher like myself, making it worthwhile for my career?
Well, that's about it for the moment and I'd appreciate whatever info you people can give me.
Cheers |
It's certainly not expensive, nor is it particularly nice - Macau it isn't. There's certainly plenty of work there, and it's a vibrant city. I'm not sure if there's anywhere to do a DELTA there - Warsaw is a better bet for that. There was a thread on this board about the merits of Katowice a little while ago.
Good luck. |
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paulmanser
Joined: 28 Nov 2005
Posts: 403
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:43 am Post subject: |
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Katowice
Coventry city on ice lol
I'd check out Torun, Krakow, Gdansk. These places are great. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Let me put it this way.
The Poles call Katowice the armpit of Poland.
Need I say more?
I think you'd be better off learning Chinese.
I've always wondered, since everyone in Poland makes fun of Katowice. Who do the people of Katowice make fun of?
Good times. |
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wawel
Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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I guess you could say it is what someone makes of it but I lived in Gliwice which is about 20 minutes away and I only went to Katowice when I had to. It's pretty miserable there to me. I only went to catch trains or to go to concerts there.
I thought Gliwice was nice. Maybe you guys could move there and tell the significant other they can take the train to Katowice if they really love you 
I guess people from Katowice could laugh at people from Chorzow, Bytom or Lodz? |
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paulmanser
Joined: 28 Nov 2005
Posts: 403
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| I heard from a pole that LODZ has the most dodgy areas?, apart from Warsaw. |
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Khrystene
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 271
Location: WAW, PL/SYD, AU
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| gregoryfromcali wrote: |
I've always wondered, since everyone in Poland makes fun of Katowice. Who do the people of Katowice make fun of? |
Lodz.
Poor Katowice. Poor Lodz. |
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joshsweigart
Joined: 27 Feb 2005
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: Katowice |
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Having lived in Katowice, Lodz and even Krakow for a month, I'd place Lodz at the top of the best places to live in Poland list. There are no nice castles or the like, but you can't beat it for character (of which it has way more than Krakow or Wroclaw or Gdansk). With Lodz, you either love it or hate it. Fortunately for me, most people hate it.
I think that people in Katowice make fun of people in Sosnowiec--It really is an awful place. There's even a story that when God was making the inhabitants of Katowice he took all of the bad ones, threw them over his back and where they landed they built Sosnowiec. I think it has to do with the Russian/German history of the area more than anything though. |
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Khrystene
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 271
Location: WAW, PL/SYD, AU
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: Katowice |
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| joshsweigart wrote: |
Having lived in Katowice, Lodz and even Krakow for a month, I'd place Lodz at the top of the best places to live in Poland list. There are no nice castles or the like, but you can't beat it for character (of which it has way more than Krakow or Wroclaw or Gdansk). With Lodz, you either love it or hate it. Fortunately for me, most people hate it.
I think that people in Katowice make fun of people in Sosnowiec--It really is an awful place. There's even a story that when God was making the inhabitants of Katowice he took all of the bad ones, threw them over his back and where they landed they built Sosnowiec. I think it has to do with the Russian/German history of the area more than anything though. |
I'd have to agree. I have family and very close friends in Lodz, and although I chose to live in Torun, I still think that the life in Lodz isn't as bad as the naysayers would have us believe. GO LODZ! GO KATOWICE!
The place is as good or bad as you make it really. |
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Brooks
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara
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| Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:03 am Post subject: |
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I thought Radom was the worst place.
At least students said so.
Lodz has poverty and Soviet architecture, but good people and students. |
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slodziak
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:34 am Post subject: |
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Miss Beth,
I'm sure the above posts have made you feel very excited about coming to Katowice. Let me see if I can make you feel any better...
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we were wondering what kind of life to expect?
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If you've travelled a lot (as you seem to have), Katowice won't throw any major surprises at you. There are at least three major hypermarkets within a 8 to 10 minute bus ride from the city centre. There are convenience stores peppered around the city, there are a couple of gyms, three multiplex cinemas and a couple of more arty cinemas. There are numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. There are a couple of parks (one absolutely huge) and you have excellent connections to other parts of Poland and Europe by rail and bus. There is an international airport about 35 minutes away (another in Krakow about 40 minutes away).
There is little doubt that the town needs a bit of a clean and on bad days the pollution from the surrounding industry stinks. It is getting better (apparently). I live well here, most EFL teachers do. Some people live here for just a few months and are happy to leave (but I think you get that everywhere) and some people stay for years.
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Is it expensive to live there?
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I have no statistics to back this up but at a guess I would say the average wage here is around 1800 PLN a month, maybe a bit less. I am sure you will earn considerably more than that - you will therefore find it quite cheap to live here.
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| Is there much to do, if I don't find work straight away? |
See above. With regard to work when are you planning to come? With your qualifications and experience work shouldn't be difficult to find. If you are coming in September my company (SGI Polska www.sgipolska.pl) may well have something for you if you match the kind of spec we are looking for.
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| Is it difficult to communicate with the locals? |
Having Polish in Katowice definitely helps. Having said that a couple of my colleagues came here with none and they seem to have been doing fine. English is spoken but not everywhere and not where you might expect.
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If I want to continue my studies, DELTA or Masters, any bright ideas for a globetrotting teacher like myself, making it worthwhile for my career?
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I think the more experience you have of teaching different cultures the better. Poland is a great place to improve yourself as a teacher. The students are generally motivated and they have quite high expectations. There is an International House in Katowice but I don't know if it offers a DELTA. My school can arrange for you to do a Diploma - you will have to go to London for three weeks of practical but the rest of the work can be done by correspondence.
I hope this answers some of your questions. If you would like to know anything more just ask.
Stephen |
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Grrrmachine
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 265
Location: Warsaw, Poland
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Im spenging tonight in Katowice train station (after a dodgy deal with a dodgier car fell through) and I have to admit it doesn't have the sleazy underground charms that Warsaw can offer. And Krakow train station involves too much walking
(always judge cities on train stations) |
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Khrystene
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 271
Location: WAW, PL/SYD, AU
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Grrrmachine wrote: |
Im spenging tonight in Katowice train station (after a dodgy deal with a dodgier car fell through) and I have to admit it doesn't have the sleazy underground charms that Warsaw can offer. And Krakow train station involves too much walking
(always judge cities on train stations) |
Aw hell! That stinks! Sorry I don't know anyone there who could hook you up with a place for the night.... :/ |
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cezarek
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| Khrystene wrote: |
| Grrrmachine wrote: |
Im spenging tonight in Katowice train station (after a dodgy deal with a dodgier car fell through) and I have to admit it doesn't have the sleazy underground charms that Warsaw can offer. And Krakow train station involves too much walking
(always judge cities on train stations) |
Aw hell! That stinks! Sorry I don't know anyone there who could hook you up with a place for the night.... :/ |
That hotel at the back of Katowice station is 90zl a night. The rooms look like murder scenes though. At least it's a bit warmer than outside. |
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Miss beth
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 9
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:05 am Post subject: Thanks everyone |
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Hi there to all you people who posted replies,
We just got word that we'll more than definitely be coming to Katowice in the very near future.
Can anyone tell me which village, city to live in to be as close as possible to Katowice airport?
To tell you the truth, we don't really like living in big places and would prefer somewhere quiet.
Thank you
Beth
(Miss Beth is what my students call me here. I have tried to get them to call me simply Beth, but to no avail) |
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