Job Discussion Forums

[Bogey]

by the way, no ethnic slur intended. Trust me on this. Written in purely jocular manner.

I'm Polish, by blood and by birth.

Polish was the first language I learned. My family left Poland when I was 9, and in the US I was fluent in English within a year and speak perfect English without even a hint of a Polish accent.

(however, native Poles now say my Polish, though still quite good, has hints of a "foreign accent" LOL )

Anyways. I was thinking of going back to the land of my birth just to check things out. I'd actually also like to polish up my Polish which has gotten quite rusty and I sometimes seek words I know in the recesses of my mind when trying to make a point, etc)

I have no worries about the Polish, but I'd prefer not to live off my savings while being there.

I'll have 4 years of overseas English teaching experience, as well as years worked in the financial sector beforehand (should probably check out the major brokerage houses in Warsaw) but let's suppose I'll be teaching ESL.

What are my options? I retain dual citizenship btw, ergo a Polish passport.
obviously I speak Polish (though no longer perfectly, but still fairly close)

I still have lots of family there, so that will be useful.

are privates the way to go?
which city/ies would you recommend.

any other suggestions or recommendations?

Thank you in advance.

[Master Shake]

Hi Bogey,

If you want to earn some cash, then Warsaw is the place.

But Warsaw is not the prettiest or most pleasant Polish city; you can't have it all.

Do you have a bachelor's degree and a CELTA (or similar) teaching cert? Poland is becoming more and more selective about qualifications. But with these you should have no trouble finding work in any major Polish city.

Privates are great for extra tax-free income, but it takes time to build up contacts and find reliable private students. You're probably better off working full-time for a language school for the first semester or so.

Unfortunately, you will probably run into some discrimination from potential employers if you have a Polish last name. It might be wise not to mention ties you have to Poland (beyond the last name, if you have one) to potential employers.

Check tefl.com for some ads for vacant positions.

Good luck!

-Shake

[Bogey]

[scottie1113]

If you want to get a decent job in Poland, get a CELTA. It'll be your passport to better schools, although you can find work without it. And as you've read on another thread, don't speak Polish in the classroom. It's a sin.

[Blasphemer]

Scottie is 100% right, get CELTA and you'll be in high demand. I'm in the same boat, left Poland when I was just a kid, came back over a year ago with a family [kids, cat and the whole 9] and I can't complain, haven't had to worry about bills or work.
Some might tell you that the fact that you're a Pole is looked down upon, [I've been told that on more than one occasion, I've also been yelled at for speaking Polish on school grounds] ignore it, it's far from the truth. Your "problem" with sounding foreign will straighten itself out after few months of being exposed to nothing but Polish day in and out.
Warsaw is a great place to start, loads of schools and pretty decent pay. Just make sure to read through your contracts before signing anything, don't jump into anything, believe me, there are tons and tons of schools willing to hire people like you without having to jump through some ridiculous hoops. [yea, I've made that mistake and it was a nightmare to get myself out of it, if you want to know which school to seriously avoid, hit me up via private].

Use your common sense - I think that'd be the best way to avoid unnecessary problems.