Job Discussion Forums

smellymelly · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 59

Hello,
I am a Canadian and am interested in teaching English in Scandanavia. Does anyone know of any good schools? I have tried an internet search but haven't come up with much. Thanks.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

That's because there's not much. You might want to read quickly through earlier threads on this forum. You would basically need strong qualifications, experience, and probably local contacts to get anything in Scandinavia.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Skandoonofians insist that you can spell the name of the region before they will give you a job.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I tried to provide a nice model in response to that problem Smile

workingnomad · Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 106 Location: SE Asia

I have yet to meet a Scandinavian, young or old, who cannot speak English well (and I have been to Thailand a few times!).

Is there a market there at all?

Kootvela · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania

I went to Oslo (Norway) last November. People spoke fantastic English!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I have contacts in a couple of Scandinavian countries and have checked out the possibilities (on my own behalf, I mean). The market is EXTREMELY small and really does require specialist qualifications and local contacts. Hence, the main points in my earlier post... I could give an educated guess regarding the OP's chances of landing any job in the region, but to post that could be construed as rude, I'm afraid.

hollysuel · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Connecticut, USA

http://www.aacglobal.com

Last I heard AAC Global in Vaasa, Finland was looking for someone. Don't know if they have found anyone yet.

Frankly, most language schools in Finland prefer locals as they don't want to sponsor a work visa and then if desperate they will recruit from abroad. I was recruited from abroad, so it does happen. They expect this type of person to be fully qualified, however. Don't expect to get anywhere close to Helsinki if you do get recruited from abroad.

Theriel · Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 26 Location: Helsinki, Finland

A number of the language schools here hire regularly. It's freelance work though, so you don't have a whole lot of security, and good luck managing summers. Nothing really advertises on these sorts of websites, though. Best bet is to find local job-sites. For Finland at least,

http://www.aarresaari.net/

and

http://www.mol.fi/paikat/

First one just has some jobs in English, second one is the national job listing, so a lot of jobs come through there. It's in Finnish or Swedish only, so borrow a Finnish-speaking friend.

Most places don't sponsor visas, but sometimes you can get lucky.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Norway should be exporting teachers to the rest of the world. Standards of English are higher than in Anglophone countries.

Jack Walker · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 412

As someone said,most of the work there is freelance without security.Best to look beyond Scandinavia if you are an ESL teacher.

Run along kids,run along! Cool

Holbs · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Russia

There's a listing right now here on Dave's for teachers in Stockholm, which was posted this morning.

It mentions that EU passport holders are preferred, but, like a lot of the other posts here mention, if you have the right qualifications, you could be considered.