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asmali
Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 1
Location: TURKEY
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 Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:20 am Post subject: can a non-native be an English teacher in Poland? |
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hello!
This is my first post here.
I am 22 , from Turkey and I have just graduated from English Language teaching department..I have experience in teaching but I have no certificate other than my diploma:)when I was a student I visited many cities in Poland and I really want to work in this country ..
so My question is.... is it possible to be an English teacher in Poland if you are not a native speaker?should I get any kind of certificate to have chance?
Thanks to everybody.. |
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scottie1113
Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 375
Location: Gdansk
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| At my school we have several non native speakers who teach English, and very well. They're Polish, Italian, Finnish and Romanian, plus a few Brits (that was a joke from an American). All have passed their proficiency exams and all of them have a CELTA. I don't know what it's like elsewhere. |
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justflyingin
Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 100
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| Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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Get your CELTA and come on. The public elementary schools seem to always be short teachers. (it may have to do with the rate of pay  ) It could be a starting place at minimum. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:19 am Post subject: Re: can a non-native be an English teacher in Poland? |
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| asmali wrote: |
hello!
My question is.... is it possible to be an English teacher in Poland if you are not a native speaker?should I get any kind of certificate to have chance?
Thanks to everybody.. |
Get a proficiency certificate if you want to earn a decent salary.
This is no easy task (many native speakers couldn't pass the proficiency exam, but we get a pass because we is native  SAFE!) but should entitle you to a fair chance at a job at the better language schools in Poland. |
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Blasphemer
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 199
Location: NYC/Warszawa
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| Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| It really depends on a lot of factors. One being your pronunciation and/or accent. I'm not a native but I sound like one, and yes, CELTA can only help in your case. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:31 am Post subject: |
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Can I hijack the thread slightly to ask about a comparison between Poland and the Czech Rep?
I'm less familiar with Poland in general, but have worked in/with schools in the CR for 12+ years now...
Please forgive me - this is a difficult issue to approach in a sensitive way.
We have sometimes had teachers with dark eyes, skin, and hair who have problems in the CR with racism. Not those of African descent (blacks seem generally well-accepted), but from Latin America and the middle East - and Turkey.
The problem is connected with Czech views on its own Roma population.
I want to say very clearly that I don't think racism is right in any case, and have felt outraged at some of the things that have happened to fantastic teachers/people who happen to have brown skins in the CR.
But these days, we would want to make a brown-skinned teacher candidate for the CR aware that he/she may enounter some level of racism - less in Prague, more in smaller towns.
Is Poland a better environment for such teachers? I would hope that the answer's 'yes,' and perhaps I can help to route good candidates in your general direction? |
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Blasphemer
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 199
Location: NYC/Warszawa
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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I honestly think that it works on a case to case basis. My school just hired a black teacher for example.
Racism in Poland is a pretty complex issue. A lot of it is unintentional - believe it or not. People just don't understand certain boundaries and are not quite sure how to approach the issue. It's "funny" how people think that it's ok to refer to someone as "negro" instead of... well, their name for example.
When it comes to working for schools... I don't think there is much of an issue as long as all the credentials are there.
Small towns would be something that someone with a dark complexion should stay clear of, but even that's progressively changing.
I'd be interested what everyone else thinks of this situation. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm seriously interested in anyone's responses, but maybe I wasn't clear....blacks seem relatively well accepted in the CR, but people from India/Turkey/Middle East are subject to being seen as Roma, and have had problems. The same in Poland? Different? I'm genuinely curious about this! |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Small towns would be something that someone with a dark complexion should stay clear of, but even that's progressively changing. |
agreed. the small towns would be smart to avoid, but what should be pointed out is that most people living in the larger cities are from small towns. Poland's population is about 40 million now, and if you added up the populations of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz and say Katowice, you're only at about 6 million. there are millions of Poles that have never even seen say an African or Japanese person.
The majority of my students here in Wroclaw are from small towns in Poland and either go to school or work here. That means they were raised with that small Polish town mentality, their parents have it, etc. etc.
I would never recommend Poland to a dark skinned person unless they had some deep-rooted desire to be here.
| Quote: |
| It's "funny" how people think that it's ok to refer to someone as "negro" instead of... well, their name for example. |
a completely culture-less society excluding their own, 99.9999% white population, 99% Polish population, limited exposure to the outside world.......it's no mystery why they don't know how to refer to a black person.
half my students still think that when I'm back home, I ride a horse wearing a cowboy hat and fire my 6-shooter in the air and eat steak with every meal  |
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Kofola
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Posts: 159
Location: Slovakia
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| I suspect that the Polish would not automatically assume that someone was a Rom because of their skin colour. It's not such an issue there as here in Slovakia (although I know Asians who have never had any problems here, even in the smaller towns) simply because Poland doesn't have the same numbers. In Slovakia, the Roma population is estimated to be between 480,000-520,000 out of 5 million. In Poland, it is 30,000 out of 38 million. Sorry, don't know the figures for CR. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:27 am Post subject: |
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| The figures for the CR are similar to Slovakia. That's interesting - perhaps Poland has a significantly smaller Roma population, so less trouble and prejudice... |
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Blasphemer
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 199
Location: NYC/Warszawa
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| dynow wrote: |
half my students still think that when I'm back home, I ride a horse wearing a cowboy hat and fire my 6-shooter in the air and eat steak with every meal |
you don't? hahaha... |
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Blasphemer
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 199
Location: NYC/Warszawa
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
| The figures for the CR are similar to Slovakia. That's interesting - perhaps Poland has a significantly smaller Roma population, so less trouble and prejudice... |
At one point, about 17 - 20 years ago, the Roma population was considered a problem in Poland. I left right after so couldn't really tell you how things went down. Right now Poland is experiencing another influx of immigrants from the Balkan region, but it's nothing permanent, they are just passing by on their way out west.
There was a deeply rooted prejudice when I was a kid towards the Roma population, you don't really see it as much anymore. At least not in the big cities. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Very strong in the CR. Which is why if the OP wanted to go there, I'd feel obliged to warn him/her....
Perhaps the next time an Indian or Turkish citizen inquires into CR or Slovakia, I can send him/her in the direction of Poland  |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080
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| Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:23 am Post subject: |
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| you don't? hahaha... |
ok, you got me. my parents own a ranch, my grandfather was an oil tycoon, McDonald's is a staple in my diet and the only real sport is American football
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