Job Discussion Forums

[ztaylor371]

hi, everyone! I'm new here. I recently visited Poland and found it very interesting. I have a bachelor degree in Criminology from An American college. I also can speak and write Chinese Madarin. I'd like to get advice on how to become an ESL teacher in Poland since I don't have any teaching certificate. any informtion towards job openings is helpful.

[spiral78]

I'm not a 'Poland specialist' (and there are many on this board!) but will give my 2 cents worth for the whole region. I'll bet (and will check) that these general guidelines hold true for Poland.

You will need a basic newbie-level teaching cert to compete well on the job market in this region. CELTA is the name brand, but there are some generic courses out there that meet the standard: 30 days on-site, with actual supervised teaching practice with real students.

Ideally, take a couse IN Poland: There are lots of very good reasons to take a course in the country where you want to start working, if at all possible.

Training in-country offers you a great chance to get your feet wet in the country/culture
while you still have a support system � they usually arrange for your housing during the course, airport pickup, and local orientation. Your practice teaching students will really be representative of those you�ll be working with when you start. You can be sure that your certification will be recognized by local employers, and a training centre can give you invaluable contacts and advice regarding reputable local employers.


Finally, it's rare to find jobs from abroad in this region. Directors generally want to see you standing in their offices, CV in hand, looking professional and responsible.

This means you'll need to consider start-up costs: flights, housing rental costs the first month or two, and supporting yourself until your first paycheck comes in : at the END of the first month worked.
Contracts are generally Sept/Oct thru June. Plan interviews in late August/early September.

[Jack Walker]

The mandarin Chinese ability,albeit impressive,won't do anything for you in Poland.As the other poster said,get some kind of training course under your belt and start applying in the summer for jobs which start in the fall.

[scottie1113]

If you want to teach in Poland, get a CELTA, preferrably in Poland for the above listed reasons, plus you'll have the ability to make some contacts while you're doing it. It was cheaper for me to do the CELTA course than it was in the US, and since I wanted to live here, the decision was a no brainer. Good luck.

[Toad]

Hi,

What country are you coming from? If you're an EU citizen then that makes things easier. If you're American, it might be a little more difficult. Many schools want British English and many more really don't want the hassle and expense of applying for work permits. It is possible, but being an EU citizen gives you that edge.

Are you a native speaker? Again this gives you a huge edge. I'm not sure what the market is for non-native speakers but I suspect it's not brilliant.

As for the CELTA, I can highly recommend International House, Krakow www.ih.pl where I did my CELTA last year. I've since spoken to other people who did the CELTA at the same place and all comments have been positive.

Krakow is also a good place to start looking for your first job, but, remember, in cities where CELTA is taught, there will be many new teachers on the market every 39 days or so. Bear this in mind as competition will be tough and you'll need every advantage you can get.

It can be a hard life in Poland. Schools are often there to get as much from the students as they can and as little to the teachers as they can. Dont' expect much in the way of help but feel honoured if you do. My last school would not even help me by phoning local doctor's surgeries to ask if they have an English speakign doctor. In fact, the DOS simple said "You can't get medical care in Poland!" - She missed the part where I'm an EU citizen with a medical card and also the part where I can pay privately. But, then she was a typical Polish manager - no ears!