Job Discussion Forums

[mdk]

I'm trying to figure how I can split my time between Spain and Russia. Currently, I am back in the states working as an RN to build up my grubstake and pay off some credit cards.

It seems to me my best play may well be to tackle teaching english for special purposes around some medical school. I also once cleaned up a grant proposal so perhaps I can do a bit of editing as well.

Is anybody familiar with this line of work - around medical or nursing schools?

Thanks.

[alexcase]

You might want to post this on the English for Specific Purposes forum as well.

[spiral78]

Well, for Spain - 'around' is the right word. You can't work legally (I'm pretty sure you're a USAian, right?) and an actual facility is unlikely to be able to hire you.

The problem with splitting your time between the two (or three, counting the US) countries is that to have any decent base of private students, you need to build up some local contacts. It's unlikely that you're going to walk into any kind of reasonable student base as an unknown native speaker, regardless of your quals or experience.

I understand that you essentially have the financial backing to support yourself and that you're just looking for gravy, but I think that you might want to consider 'doing' one country or the other for a year - it really takes time to build up any kind of a client base, and if you're planning to split within 6 months more or less, I think you're going to have a hard time getting any gravy.

[mdk]

Thank you for the information.

It's looking like I won't be able to get out of the states until about the first of the year. That's OK because I want to walk the Camino de Plata before I do anything else. After I do that, I figure to see how I feel and go from there. It turns out I can earn about $13,000 a year before it will affect my SS benefits so that should be a couple of months back in the states sometime during the year. My brother and kids like that part anyway. Of course I will certainly report every penny I make overseas as a dutiful American citizen, even though there won't be any W-2 issued.

I am thinking of having a chat with the rector at a medical school. Say, Valladolid, and seeing what he thinks. The same would be possible in Moscow. I guess we shall just have to go and have a look. In the words of the admirable Mr. Micawber, "something is bound to turn up." It's not a question of "gravy" I want to do something interesting and useful. So if I spend a semester or even a quarter helping people improve their english skills. That will be fun, and if it ain't fun, why do it?

[spiral78]

Legally possible in Moscow. Spain's a different story.

[mdk]

[sheikh radlinrol]

[mdk]

I might be mixing metaphors here. On the one hand to "give somebody the razz" refers to expressing oneself with a bilabial fricative whereas to stick it up somebody's nose is to annoy them seriously.

At any rate, in Galicia, as in most of the north of Spain one often sees grafitti expressing how much the local people appreciate the tender care and guidance they receive from Madrid.

In California, which was once part of Spain* , there was once a similar feeling, but it sort of got stamped out by the "bear flag rebellion". Now the Californianos mostly despise everybody else in the other 49 states - and vice versa.

* Except for the part of the state that belonged to the tsar.

[sheikh radlinrol]

Dividing your time between Spain and Russia sounds fascinating. However, if you still need to earn money I think you will find it more than difficult.
Good Luck

[mdk]

Fortunately ( due to my many years of adversity and meditation ) I can do this stuff for fun now.

So whadayya think? Summers in Moscow and winters in Seville? I think I could handle that.

[sheikh radlinrol]