Job Discussion Forums

[ecocks]

Dave has opened up a Ukraine thread to reflect the growth of Ukraine's ESL industry. It had to happen, 47 million people, larger than France and a growing ESL marketplace. Thanks Dave!

So what's YOUR take (or skinny if you prefer the term) on the Ukraine ESL market? How do you see the career possibilities?

[Tiger Beer]

Nice new forum.

They should move all the other threads of the Ukraine in here as well. There were tons of them.

[FM3]

Well, as ecocks knows, I am sold on Ukraine and hope I am there soon! I've been there many times and I want to work there.

[ecocks]

is that it has a blend of European and uh, other in its atmosphere. It has an edge, but is comfortable when you need it to be. The masses are bustling (hustling) and trying to move forward but you can build relationships of friends, family, professionals and students with only a bit of effort. Prague struck me similarly but Kyiv lacks the throngs of tourists, prostitutes and backpackers. Nothing against any of those folks but it keeps that "edge" that I mentioned above.

[Sadebugo]

[ecocks]

The history of the region is interesting and you can find fortesses, palaces, churches and monasteries all over the country. Greek colonies in the Crimea, Polish palaces north of Lviv, even one of the last missile silos built before perestroika are all fascinating, at least to me. Kamynets-Podilski (pardon the spelling) is an incredible walled-fortress town which you will wonder how anyone could ever successfully attack without starving them out through seigecraft. You find old european architecture mixed in with soviet panelkt buildings and hundred year old townhomes.

Great food, napoleans, varenyky (like raviloi with different kinds of fillings), coffeehouses everywhere, sidewalk cafes, etc. Finding some places which have actually taught their employees customer service. Bargaining with taxi drivers (THERE ARE THE REAL UKRAINIAN SCAMMERS!). Shame I grew up HATING beets but I guess many people really LOVE their borscht.

But the people are best. For the most part, I avoid expats. A couple of other teachers, some professionals and NGO folks, but I have witnessed too many ugly tourist incidents and the teachers are an iffy bunch usually. My extended Ukrainian family is varied and, for the most part, pretty enjoyable. They provide plenty of contacts and a good cross-section of the society.

[canucktechie]

[mise_me_fein]

Do most people speak Russian or Ukrainian?

[ecocks]

In Western Ukraine, the tendency is to use Ukrainian. In the East, Russian. Kyiv is mostly Russian. I stick with trying to learn Russian since many more people speak it worldwide, as opposed to Ukrainian. I think if I was going to work in Lviv, I would probably have focused on Ukrainian.