Job Discussion Forums

[hepcat]

For whatever reason, Russia attracts me as a possible next country for 2009. Perhaps because the climate is similar to my native land, Canada.

I'm wondering if anyone here knows of a list of recommended schools in Russia. A Korean white-list landed me a good job (just started year 4).

Or, if you work at a good place, perhaps you might be so kind as to respond. I'm CELTA'ed and presently have 3 years exp. in Korea.

Thanks.

[coledavis]

Well, a site called visarus has a database of schools. On the whole, you only get to know about a few in detail (e.g. the very best and the worst). A search on these forums will also dig up some details, mainly on ones to avoid. Although even then, you have to work out if the complaint is about the teacher's personality or about the school management.

There would appear to be a few categories to consider.
The big recruiters, e.g. English First, not good payers but useful if you are going over there for the first time as they should provide some support to your disorientated self.
Other private companies/schools, often getting you to go to businesses as well as to the classroom. These are worth researching, as above.
Universities. Maybe less wild and woolly and more reliable, but much worse paid than the other options. Certainly not for people trying to make a living without other sources of income.

[Larry Paradine]

Visarus (and, for that matter, Dave's ESL cafe too) is Moscow and St. Petersburg oriented; Russia's a big country, there are a lot of interesting and sometimes even delightful places out in the boondocks where you could live and work without the stresses of megapolis life. The usual response to that is that the provinces pay peanuts, but even that isn't always true. Just as one example: my former employer British-American Language Centre (formerly Volga Centre) in Samara is now offering around a thousand dollars plus free flat, which would leave you better off than a job in Moscow that might pay nearly twice as much but doesn't provide an apartment. I was recently offered a job in Moscow by a British owned company (IPT) that appears to be well run and has a good reputation , but the cheapest flats in the capital would have eaten the lion's share of the substantial salary the company pays.

One thing to be borne in mind is that not all educational institutes in Russia can get teachers' work visas for foreigners, and this applies particularly to universities. There have been at least two strings about visas in this forum over the last six months, so I shan't reopen the subject but I advise you to make careful inquiries about visa support from any employer who offers you a job.

[coledavis]

Good post, Larry.