Job Discussion Forums

[teacherpunk]

well i agree with pretty much everything you say . all i'm saying is that philosophy gives me a better background for understanding the information that i would have to teach. if you can't understand what you're teaching then you're not going to be a very good teacher.

and from what i've seen a lot of the eastern european countries do not require a formal degree, they might prefer it, but not require it so long as i have the celta. i'm not really all that interested in living in japan, or china, or korea etc. i am however interested in living in eastern europe, i spent some time in prague and fell in love with it. i also think that i will make a great teacher, with or without my degree. i don't care about money, if i did i would keep doing what i've been doing. i dropped out of school and started my own business with some success, but i hate it. i hate having to go and put siding or exterior trim etc, on people's houses when it's -15 degrees outside in the winter. i'm much more suited to teach english. i can't do that here because i can't afford to take a year off from work to go back to school, which is why the celta is perfect, only a month off and i'm done.

as luck would have it, it seems like the places that i'm most likely to be able to find work after the celta are the places that i'd most like to want to work in. even if i have to take the worst job, in the worst school, for the lowest pay, for the first year i'll do it, because this is what i want to do. i also hear that there is some good opportunities for freelance teaching in moscow as well.

if i can get there, get a job, and acclimate myself to the culture than the next step would be to find a university that'll let me get my last few credits and the degree won't even be an issue anymore. but i have to get there and get a job first.

so with my 'almost degree', my celta, and no less than two great letters of recommendation, shouldn't i be able to find some work in moscow?

[spiral78]

You are legally qualified to work in Central/Eastern Europe. However, I wouldn't push the fact that you have three years in philosophy as opposed to P.E. This isn't really going to impress language school management very much. As I mentioned before, you just basically have to show up and look and be professional and willing to work hard to get entry level positions. A CELTA will be enough.

Further, Glenski rightly points out that an ability to read well is great, but not necessarily a directly transferable asset in teaching a language.
Wait until you've got your CELTA training - you will know more about what skills are needed for language teaching.

Do you speak a second language yourself? That would be a highly useful skill to mention when you apply for jobs. When you've been a language learner, it's much easier to relate the skills you used to learn the language to your teaching methodology.

It's clear that you are aware that any job you land will be entry level, as also mentioned before, and that you would need to upgrade your qualifications to move up the ladder at all.

However, I'm not sure about the logistics of finishing your degree at universities abroad. There would be questions about transferability of credits, language, and your eligibility to enter university systems abroad. You might actually be better off to research reputable distance degree programs. You can google the topic here to find some specific schools. If I were you, I'd do this research in advance. It may well not be cheaper to finish abroad.

Regarding cold weather, well, all the areas you are talking about are also intensely cold in the winter. You may not be hanging siding, but you've still got to deal with the weather more or less extensively as you travel around a city to your students.

And it's way colder than minus 15! I spent last winter in the Czech Republic and was in Moscow early March thru end May. It was sometimes as low as minus 38 (celsius), and rarely warmer than minus 15 for months on end.
Russians say that there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. Pack well!

[teacherpunk]

yeah, i've thought of all of that, transferability of credits and stuff. i haven't looked into any long distance learning programs, but that thought has also crossed my mind.

i don't speak much, but i can read and understand french for the most part. i know a little russian, but not enough to make it worth even mentioning. although i am starting to reinvestigate my old russian dictionaries and by the time i get there, i'll hopefully have enough skills to make learning it fluently a little bit easier.

i'm not sure the exact conversions on the temperature, but i was referring to fahrenheit. coming from maine of course i realize that once you get past -15 or -20 in either temperature conversion it's just damn cold. the two places i've spent the most time in the states are maine and montana though so cold weather doesn't matter much to me. i'll just have to strap on my skates and go to the rink in the evenings to stay warm.

would you recommend trying to find work before i go over there, or just getting the celta taking enough cash to survive a couple months and looking for work right there in the city? i know it would be easier to find work before going there because some schools offer help with accomidations and visa support, but would that be an option to someone without a degree?

[spiral78]

In fact, it's not common outside of Asia to find work in advance. In Prague, it's not an option at all. You really need to be there on the ground, CV in hand, looking and behaving professionally, to even get a hearing.

This is true in greater Europe. It's because employers in the past were often stiffed - people didn't show up, or when they did, had misrepresented themselves in some way. Further, the job market for Europe is generally much tighter than Asia and employers simply don't have such a difficult time finding teachers.

Remember, when you go with savings, you should be able to support yourself for a couple of months. Most language schools pay monthly, at the end of the month worked. Most landlords want one month's rent as a deposit, one month in advance, and you may have to pay the equivalent of another month's rent to an estate agent, if you use one.

Once you have a contract with some school, the school should provide some kinds of housing support, from assistance in finding housing to possibly offering school-subsidized housing (not usually the most attractive locations). Good schools will also help you with work permit and visa issues.

By the way, here's the temp conversion -36 degree Celsius = -32.8 degree Fahrenheit

You say that you can read and understand French, but you can't speak. This likely means that the methodology used when you studied French is by now quite outdated. Communicating (ie: speaking/listening) in the target language is usually the primary focus of language learning these days, particularly for students in places like Moscow, whose motivation is to be able to communicate with the international community - not to read in English.

[teacherpunk]

rofl, the first thing i did after i sent that last response was google temperature conversion. even after knowing the temps that doesn't bother me. i'm used to cold, volitile weather.

i'm working on my CV, should i even mention that i've finished the majority of my undergrad work, or should i just leave it out since i don't have the actual b.a. yet? it seems a disservice to what education i do have to leave it out entirely.

should i mention that i've owned and operated my own business? i realize that it's somewhat irrelevant to my teaching abilities, but it at least shows initiative and maturity and like it or not schools are businesses.

i've noticed some applications do ask if you know any other languages, should i at least mention that i can read french? i would think that would at least show a familiarity with a language other than english.

i don't know if you're familiar with the russian schools but i've looked over bkc, would that be an option for me? they seem somewhat ambiguous about whether an applicant would need more than a celta, but it seems like it might be a decent package for someone just starting out if i could get something with them.

[Glenski]

[teacherpunk]

[spiral78]

I agree overall with Glenski, as always. But strictly speaking, you don't have to finish your degree to start in Russia. If you have access, the best course is always to get it over with before you go, of course.

One point you should be aware of is that most Centr
al/Eastern Europeans who are studying languages have quite high educational credential. My Russian students ALL have the equivalent of a BA, many have 6 + years of postsecondary education.

Three years of uni is not going to be impressive to anyone in the areas where you want to go. Not students or language school managers. But again, it IS possible to start there without the final degree. You really simply have to look and act the part.

On your CV, I would simply state that you have completed three years of university work, and have operated your own business. And that you have a CELTA. This will get you entry-level positions in the areas you mention. But remember that entry-level is really that - it's the equivalent of Starbucks or MacDonalds.

You can move up the ladder, but as you are already aware, you will need more qualifications than you currently have for better positions.

[teacherpunk]

[spiral78]

Look, the bottom line is that you (teacherpunk) seem to take a realistic view of your situation, so I can only wish you the best of luck. Sure, you could be more cautious, and take time to prepare better in advance, but you DO have some chance to make it as you are. So, good luck.
And if you think of further details that you would like more feedback on, ask. We do try to help - even when our help sounds negative. A realistic outlook can be the best preventative for bad luck, and bad experiences.

[Glenski]

[tedkarma]

I have to support Glenski in everything he has said.

[teacherpunk]

[Glenski]

[teacherpunk]