Job Discussion Forums

Curious George · Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 15

Hello everyone,

I am new to these boards and would like some information from experienced TEFL teachers on what to expect from Prague.

I am planning on attending the Oxford School Trinity TESOL course in Prague in February of 2004.

Is this a good school? I researched on various websites and have found good comments. Nothing bad. Anyone have any information about this school? How is the Oxford House student housing? I am planning on living in the student house which is 20 mins by train from the school. Is it decent?

What are the job prospects for a non-experienced TEFL teacher finding a job in March? I will have limited funds and do not want to get in a situation where I run out of money before finding some income over there.

What are the visa requirements for an American? Do the schools help you with work permit, etc? What do I need to do to legally work in Eastern Europe? I am not picky and willing to work anywhere in Poland, the Baltics, or Czech Republic. Although I would like to be somewhere that there is some form of socialiazion. IE I do not want to work in a mining town in the middle of nowhere.

Thank you.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

What does this mean ?
"Although I would like to be somewhere that there is some form of socialiazion. IE I do not want to work in a mining town in the middle of nowhere.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I guess Siberia and northern Mongolia are out then.

Andare · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 43 Location: Czech Republic

I think he means he would like to live in a city close to other cities, with things like cinemas, good restaurants, friendly inhabitants etc. Is it really *that* hard to work out? Or have you just never been to Most Wink

To actually reply to the original question, it shouldn't be that much of a problem to find work in the Czech Republic in March, though a lot of schools will already have found their new intake of teachers long before then. Send your CV out to private schools and agencies in cities like Liberec, Zlin, Brno, Wroclaw (just over the Polish border) etc, or get the bus there and knock on some doors. In the run up to their accession to the EU, there is an even higher demand for native speakers, whether experienced or not. Your school should either take you step by step through the work visa process or at least give you enough pointers to make the Kafkaesque nonsense a little more straightforward. For the Czech republic, you'll need a translation of your birth certificate and a (translated) criminal record check from the US and Czech police for starters. Take your original birth certificate with you and get the police record check done sometime next month before you leave.