Job Discussion Forums

[mvsd87]

Hi everyone!

I'm a recent college graduate from San Diego, California. I'm really interested in teaching EFL in Poland next year. I have my BA in English as well as a TESL certificate. I have a few questions for you guys that I haven't been able to figure out myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

First, are schools as willing to hire Americans as they are British teachers? I'm a little worried since most of the English examinations are based on British English and because there's a lot of bureaucracy and visa issues involved in hiring Americans.

Secondly, when do most of the requests for teachers become available online? I'm interested in a fall 2010 start date.

Third, what should I be doing at this stage to prepare for a potential teaching job in a year? Is there anything that a lot of people overlook or notice too late that would be beneficial for me to know now?

Sorry, I kind of went crazy with questions! Thanks so much for any help.

Mary

[scottie1113]

Hey dude. I'm from San Diego, well, Carlsbad, and I've been teaching here for two years. Read the thread called farewell and you'll know a lot more about me.

To answer your first question: usually not because of the paperwork required, but it's not an insurmountable obstacle. Most schools which post vacancies online display an EU logo with the caveat that EU citizens are preferred. That's a reality.

Don't worry about the differences between British and American English. Learn the difference between pavement and sidewalk, flat and apartment, lift and elevator, cinema and movies, holiday and vacation etc. I always teach the difference between the two as in favourite and favorite, and at the weekend and on the weekend. It's not a big deal.

Keep checking the tefl websites. You never know when a job will be advertised. A couple of my friends from the US found jobs this way but nothing beats hitting the pavement with CV in hand (that's sidewalk and resume in American speak).

What kind of TESL certificate do you have? CELTA is the universal door opener but it's not the only one.

What should you be doing now besides eating decent pizza and drinking great microbrewery beer at Pizza Port (because you won't find either in Poland)? Read about the current regulations for non EU citizens applying for a karta pobytu (residency card). As an American you can only stay in a Schengen zone country for 90 out of 180 days unless you have a residency card, and to apply for that you need at least 45 days left on your initial tourist visa. I'm not clear on the current requirements for a work visa as I read conflicting reports about it all the time.

Amass all your necessary documents. Birth certificate, university degree, TESL certificate, police record, and tax returns, or something like that. I didn't have the last two and a signed statement to the effect that I wasn't an axe murderer and didn't owe any taxes was sufficient, but this is Poland and every office is different. I'm probably forgetting something but I've got plenty of time to remember, unless the piwo fogs my mind.

Now it's my turn to ask a couple of questions. Why Poland, and what city do you want to live in?

[mvsd87]

Wow, that's crazy! I'm from Rancho Bernardo. Anyway, thanks for all of your advice. Let me answer your questions...

My TESL Certificate is from a California State University. The entire program was 34 quarter units (9 classes) and took me about two years to complete. I did 20 hours of teaching during my last quarter as well. Its official title is actually just "TESL Certificate". Do you think that will be sufficient?

I went to a consortium on teaching English abroad, and one of the speakers/teachers had been to Poland and really enjoyed her time there. I talked to her for a while, and she told me to research further. I've always really wanted to teach in Europe, but of course there is less demand in countries that have been in the EU longer, so Poland sounded ideal.

As far as a city goes, I'm not sure, at least at this stage. I'd prefer a small-ish city and maybe one close to the German border. But really, I don't have too many solid preferences yet.

Also, thanks for your advice on British English. My mom's actually from Yorkshire so I guess I won't have too much trouble picking up and pointing out the differences between the two forms.

Oh and I've never been to Pizza Port. I should check that out.

Thanks again!

[scottie1113]

There were two Pizza Ports when I lived in SD, one in Carlsbad and one in Solana Beach. Either one is a definite must.

Your TESL certificate sounds good, but I think you'll have to explain it to a school. My guess is that it'll be OK, but that's an opinion, not a fact.

Any particular reason that you want to be close to the German border other than the obvious desire to visit there? You can always take a plane or a coach (bus) if you want to go, but be forewarned that teaching salaries here in Poland aren't that lucrative so you'll have to be pretty frugal on a first year teacher's wages to save enough money to go there.

Did you read the "farewell" thread yet? I love it here in Gdansk and I wouldn't want to live in any other city in Poland, but that's just me. If you ever make it here, I'll stand you to a beer.

When you have enough posts, you can pm me with any other questions, but I prefer email. I'll do anything to help you. The same courtesy was extended to me by an American in Warsaw and another who was here in Gdansk. I'll do anything I can to help a fellow Yank (Brit speak again) make the transition easier. We're ambassadors of our country here and if I can help you put your best foot forward, I will. I've got an extra room in my flat in Stare Miasto (Old Town) and you're welcome to stay here when you're in Gdansk. That may change between now and next year,but the offer is on the table.

I've got some more tips/advice (weather, culture, language, etc) but that's probably better left to email.

[mvsd87]

Thank you so much for your willingness to help I really appreciate it. And if I do make it to Poland, we'll definitely have that beer.

I still haven't figured out how everything works in the forums. I've tried to find your "farewell" thread but haven't had any luck. I also don't know how to pm, so I'm going to spend some time figuring everything out on here. I would love to correspond via e-mail too, so once I can pm you, I'll send you my address.

I don't have a strong attachment to being near the German border. I guess I kind of figured that the German language might bleed over a little bit into a border city. Since I don't know Polish yet, I reasoned that I could possibly get by with my intermediate German skills.

Thanks again for all your help. I'll let you know how my trip to Pizza Port goes. I have family in Solana Beach so I'm always in that area.

[scottie1113]

Look for search at the top of the page. Click the icon and enter farewell for the name of the thread. Piece of cake.

Don't worry about the pm thing. Just send me an email. [email protected]

Logic's not good about German. For some strange reason, most Poles don't speak it and a lot of them have forgotten their mandatory Russian lessons as well. Besides, I think you'd fare better as a teacher in slightly larger cities where there's more demand for English.

Pizza and Mexican food are the two things I really miss about the US. Garcia's on State Street in Carlsbad was my favorite. No decor but everything was homemade and I knew Belynn the owner. If I ever go back for a visit, I'll definitely go there.

[mvsd87]

Oh, duh. Sometimes I miss really obvious things. Searching for it couldn't be any easier.

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the German logic, but I thought I'd bring it up just in case you knew anything about it. So thanks for the advice.

Yes, the Mexican food in San Diego is delicious. I missed it when I was up north for college. Have you ever been to a Filippi's in San Diego? They have amazing pizza too.

I'll send you an e-mail soon. Thanks again!

[justflyingin]

I live near Warsaw, so if you have questions about this area, I'd be glad to try to answer you.

Warning/disclaimer. I am a married mom of several/many (depends on people's outlook) and don't hang around centrum or clubs. If that is the kind of info you want/need, I can't help you, but I can give you an idea of the climate for teaching English here.

I think my area probably qualifies as a small town since it is just outside the Warsaw limit, though, I think I'm teaching someone kind of famous, or at least related to someone famous. They come in from Warsaw to our area to take lessons.

The demand for English seems unlimited. I've been asked by several this year to teach. I'm not really seeking jobs, as this isn't my "real job", but I do enjoy meeting people and this is great way to do it.

I'm an American, so maybe that perspective will be different. We can give the schools a faktura, though, because I can teach as per our charitable organization's bylaws and give the faktura to the school from them.

[dynow]

scottie wrote:

[scottie1113]

dynow, I do. I get royalties for it. But as I'm a slow typist it's easier to send people there than to retype the whole thing. And it's not my thread as you well know. Glad to see you're still on this forum.

[lundjstuart]

[hrvatski]

[justflyingin]