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vallillo1983 · Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 194

Hey guys!! sorry to mail this question but as i've been looked some relies date back to 2004 and I need up-2-date info!! I am interested in teahing in Prague and I'm just wondering if I'm ging to be able to live on the salary thats been quoted! I'm wanting to work for IH or caledonian school. The salaries are 9000 (net) or 12000(net) Is this enough to live in Prague etc! I know I'll have to change my lifestyle and i'm willing too! but will i atleast be able to go out once in a while and buy new jeans etc when needed!! Can a career be made in ELT in Prague!
Thanks guys! I have a degree in TESOL and a CELTA I am a UK citizen and hope to become DOS oneday! is there chance for DOS etc!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Are the schools throwing in housing? Housing is the killer. For a studio apartment in Prague 9, I was paying 8.000 monthly seven years ago. It's not better now.
On 9 - 12,000 you will pretty much absolutely have to share a flat. That's not the worst scenario, but not the best either.

The problem in Prague is that there is a strong, constant supply of literally hundreds of new teachers every couple of months because of all the training programs there. Obviously not all newly-certified teachers choose to stay in the city, but many do, at least for a while. This keeps salaries low in general.

Your quals sound better than most entry level teachers in the city, and, sure, if you hang in and make contacts and show yourself to be really good, you can quite likely work up to some DOS position. You'll never have a hefty bank account, but quality of living, if you like the Prague lifestyle, can make up for that.

vallillo1983 · Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 194

What is the prague lifestyle?? I dont mind sharing!! I just don't want to be skint and only earn enough to pay rent and feed myself! If thats the case I;'d go back to Italy!! ha-ha

vallillo1983 · Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 194

OK! So, is 11k gross (9k net) with free shared housing better than 16k gross(13500 net) with no housing and me having to find and rent myself?
Is 9k enough to have an okish life in Prague?? Also, are there cheap places to food-shop and buy clothes etc?
Are the better well paid jobs best found in Prague after having a few years experience in the city?
Has anyone made or is making their career ELT in Prague?
Cheers

Frizzie Lizzie · Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:49 pm Post subject:

Sharing a flat means 6,000 kc minimum. I think you may also have to pay a deposit and 2 months worth rent, but I am not sure.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

You usually have to pay one month in advance and one month's worth of rent as security. Possibly the equivalent of an additional month's rent to an agent, if you use one. It's usually best to take the housing arranged for by your employer, at least initially.

A career in Prague, as I wrote before, is probably feasible for someone with your qualifications, but like anywhere else it would take a couple of years of making contacts in the city. That's pretty normal anywhere - you can't expect to walk into a career-level position from the street, without some lightning strike of luck.

Pay in the Czech Rep is usually enough for you to live ok inside the country. It won't translate into much for traveling west. This is pretty true for career-level positions as well - living is pretty ok, but saving to buy property or travel extensively is difficult to impossible.

Of course there are 'cheap' places for food and basic clothing.

Sonja23 · Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

Hey Vallilo, I hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your thread! I'm thinking of teaching in Prague as well, after I take my CELTA there, but this all depends on how I like the place after my first month (don't want to be making plans too early!). I've looked at the Caledonian School's website for employment oppurtunities (out of curiousity), and it states that teachers must expect to have long pauses (in the duration of hours rather than minutes) between classes, and that most teachers supplement their pay with private lessons. Is this the situation for most in Prague? Would it be possible to sustain oneself working just with one school and to have a decent apartment? I'm not a party animal or anything, but I do have student loans to eventually pay off and would like to scrape together some savings.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

On a regular teaching salary, you can't expect to live in a 'decent' (by western standards) apartment and save money. As I've mentioned ad nauseum, there are lots of teachers in Prague and the numbers of available teachers keeps salaries relatively low.
The cost of housing is relatively high.

Most teachers start early and finish late. You can expect to spend hours daily traveling around the city to the offices of your students. Private lessons are desirable to supplement income.

Really, you can live all right (flat sharing recommended) but you can't save or finance travel outside the country.

poof · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 161

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