Job Discussion Forums

[Bega Cheese]

Hey all

I have been reading these boards for about half a year and finally joined up to ask some questions. Its after midnight here and my brain is a bit scrambled so I will just ask a couple that come to mind but im sure I will think of more and hopefully I will get some responses...

Just as a bit of background I am an aussie 2 years into a 4 year BA of education with plans to do the cambridge certified esl course (celta?) after the uni course is complete and have a keen interest in starting off esl teaching in eastern europe, so....

First off I am under the impression that getting a working visa for individual countries not in the EU is extremely difficult but that working cash in hand is an option for esl teachers. Can someone explain further the nature of this employment for me with regards to places such as Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary? is it illegal? the dangers of this employment as well as the benefits or recounts of positive/negative experiences with this type of work.

What are the areas (Early childhood, business, etc) of esl that are in most demand for Europe? What are the areas of esl that pay the highest? What are the types of employment that are hardest to obtain or most sort after eg; corporate positions, university, private or public high schools.

What are the realities of private tuition for extra income? is this often successful? what methods of advertisement do people use? flyers on pin up boards in demographic areas such as office buildings, cafes, and universities?

Is it a challenge to gain employment in the capital cities of countries and is there a higher demand or easier amount of employment opportunities in rural areas?

[spiral78]

Just as a bit of background I am an aussie 2 years into a 4 year BA of education with plans to do the cambridge certified esl course (celta?) after the uni course is complete and have a keen interest in starting off esl teaching in eastern europe, so....

I recommend that you consider taking a certification course in the country where you decide you want to start teaching. This way, you can get your feet wet while you have a support system (good training centres will usually pick you up at the airport, help you with accomodation during the course, and provide some local orientation), give you contacts that will be useful when you are on your own, and your practice teaching students will be more typical of the real students you'll be working with.

First off I am under the impression that getting a working visa for individual countries not in the EU is extremely difficult but that working cash in hand is an option for esl teachers. Can someone explain further the nature of this employment for me with regards to places such as Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary? is it illegal? the dangers of this employment as well as the benefits or recounts of positive/negative experiences with this type of work.


The issue is that the 'older' EU countries have laws that essentially bar non-EU member citizens from legal work. Those 'cash in hand' (read: illegal) non-EU citizens are mostly in Spain and Italy.
You CAN get a legal work permit for the countries you mention. You are eligible. It IS a hassle, but once you have a contract with a language school, they should assist you with the process. Beware of accepting any job that requires you to get a private business license - a recent and apparently growing scam in the Czech Rep.
Essentially, most people begin working without the paperwork finished, but so long as applications have been made, the risk is basically nil.


What are the areas (Early childhood, business, etc) of esl that are in most demand for Europe? What are the areas of esl that pay the highest? What are the types of employment that are hardest to obtain or most sort after eg; corporate positions, university, private or public high schools.

Private language schools in the three countries you mention, as in most of Europe, primarily cater to businesspeople. A part of a teacher's day is spent traveling around the city to the offices of his/her students. In-school classes are more rare.
Corporate positions pay the best, but require serious credentials (some years of experience and more education in the field than a CELTA) and serious local connections.
The public school systems in the countries you mention pay very low wages, and often favor locals. Your language skill in the local language is also a factor in this sector.
There are always a few early childhood-type positions, in things like English-stream kindergarten/day care. Again, most successful candidates have serious relevant qualifications.



What are the realities of private tuition for extra income? is this often successful? what methods of advertisement do people use? flyers on pin up boards in demographic areas such as office buildings, cafes, and universities?

Getting private work is doable, using the methods you mention above. It's also helpful when you know some people...word of mouth is actually the most effective way to land private students. The drawback is that private students may very often be unreliable in terms of actually making it to the meeting, and you can't ask them to pay for no-shows.



Is it a challenge to gain employment in the capital cities of countries and is there a higher demand or easier amount of employment opportunities in rural areas?

Prague, in particular of the places you've mentioned, has become a training centre mecca, graduating literally hundreds of newbie teachers every couple of months. While, obviously, not all opt to stay in Prague, many do. There is still work around, but it may require some hunting around, depending on the time of year. (Most contracts are Sept - June in all three countries you've mentioned). Outside of the cities in all three countries, there are certainly opportunities. Rural areas, maybe not, but smaller cities can be very pleasant options.

[Bega Cheese]

Hi thanks for the replies

[spiral78]

Your BA in education and initial experience should help you to stand out somewhat- will you be teaching adult learners? Most language schools in Europe (forgive me if I've already said this!) cater to businesspeople. CELTA will be recognized by all employers.

I would certainly consider a BEd. and a CELTA candidate with at least minimal teaching experience a strong entry-level candidate - certainly better than someone whose first degree is in a non-related field.

Good employers should have standard procedures for helping new staff obtain legal working papers (again speaking for the 'new' EU member countries!!). You could check the individual country forums for more in-depth discussion - laws vary from country to country. But it is normal in many places for new staff to arrive without working papers in advance.
I'm not sure about Poland on this score - you might check the Poland board if this is where you want to go.

The qualification that someone in your position (with a CELTA and a 4 year degree) needs to pursue first is experience. Later on, further education is needed if you really want to move up the ladder. A DELTA (roughly equivalent to half an MA, I think) or an MA in TESL/TEFL, applied linguistics, or something closely related. But, quite honestly, I would seriously consider a candidate with a CELTA and a few years of experience is possibly more qualified than a candidate with an MA but little or no teaching experience.

[spiral78]

I should also mention knowledge of the local language as a part of 'serious qualifications.'