Job Discussion Forums

[VladJR87]

I have wanted to teach English in Russia for a few years now, and am getting close to having the money I want to do it. (I want enough money saved so that in case of disaster I can survive or, more preferable, so that when I return home I can buy a home ).

I have a B.A. in International Studies, and another in History. My family is [slightly] Russian, and I was there a couple years ago (as well as Kyiv).

The problem is it seems nothing is 100% legit, of course it could never be that simple. A friend recommended BKCIH Moscow (those letters might be in the wrong order), but I see they are not without their problems.

My biggest concern and question now is- Do I get my certificate in Russia or at home? And in either case, which route, program, etc?




My goal here is to spend more time abroad, hopefully build on my Russian, etc. Therefore some important assumptions are as follows...

1- Because my goal is to spend time abroad, I would not consider it a complete waste if I got my certificate in Russia, and then could not find employment immediately (cost pending of course). I know some are less likely to hire during certain times of the year, for example.

2- My interest here is Russia (or perhaps Ukraine), I want to teach English, and think I would enjoy it... but I have little interest in going to teach English somewhere else to start with (that could be plan B).

3- Being able to take Russian classes (legit classes) at some sort of discount is a big plus.

4- St. Petersburg would be a bit of a plus since I have been there and the added familiarity would just be nice

Thanks in advance

[Sashadroogie]

Makes no real difference if you CELTA up in Moscow or at home. The cert is the same. But would be more insightful for you as regards Russian students, perhaps, if you did it here. BKC-IH is not without its problems, but the CELTA course isn't really one of them. Dunno if they still hire too many CELTA trainees these days, with visa nonsense etc. But they are the route usually recommended for first-timers to Russia.

However, nothing in the country is legit, strictly speaking, so don't be too put off by schools that seem a touch on the cowboy side. Par for the course here.

Best of luck

[gondwana66]

You can of course get work in the provincial cities without CELTA. But you should have some form of training at least like TEFL. The pay will be lower but the cost of living is also lower so it evens out. Their's much higher competition for teachers in the big cities but if you gain the experience elsewhere then you'll also have a good idea of what's happening in the big cities and a better chance of getting work there.
The smaller cities are great. I lived and worked in Samara for about four years and loved it

[VladJR87]

Thanks guys!

Right now I am sort of toying back and forth with BKCIH and Language Link. I know neither is perfect... my main fear with Language Link is the lack of real certification. For two reasons, first off, if I had a horrible experience with LL- would I be employable with only in-house training and very little experience (for example, if BKICH was not working out, I could at least tough it out and get the cert, and look elsewhere for work)? Secondly, will it transfer over well as far as employability goes, and what about outside Russia [having only LL training and experience]?

Of course the big benefit of Language Link is it appears I would be going to fulfill a job, since you train and work at the same time- so no risk of going, getting my cert, and not finding a job. The work-study option is great too (which I understand BKCIH has similar deals with discounts for studying Russian).

It seems like LL might be the best of both worlds, I could do my training over there, but without the same risk of doing the training- and ending up jobless.

That being said, I will presumably apply to multiple programs, is there any others I should be looking at aside from BKCIH and LL?

I would be probably trying to go anytime after mid-September, I am in a wedding and I won't skip out on that- but I am feeling lately like my desire to leave my job is trumping my desire to save more money before going overseas .

Of course I could still do the long-term online cert here, but then I would have to find a new job and bleh I don't really want to wait around that long .

[gondwana66]

A CERT is a CERT. But probably there is a slight preference for someone who trained under one company in terms of employability. Not sure if your 'horrible experience' really translates into a lack of 'real certification' as far as LL goes. But the main thing is experience. LL would've have hired me, without CERT, but the price wasn't right so I went elsewhere.

[VladJR87]

[Sashadroogie]

LL's in-house certification is nowhere near as recognised as a Cambridge CELTA. If you are going to do a cert course at all, it may as well be the proper one, and that is only offered in BKC-IH.

True, both chains come with their own very similar sets of difficulties, but the Teacher-Training side of BKC does not really figure on the problem list. It is also true that you probably wouldn't need any cert at all to be hired by the McSchools either. However, if you are planning on spending any real length of time in EFL, then you'd be better off training up in BKC.

[HunterCom]

[quote="Sashadroogie"]LL's in-house certification is nowhere near as recognised as a Cambridge CELTA.quote]

Understatement of the century since LL`s piece of paper is surprise surprise only recognised by LL.

[Sashadroogie]

I am known for my understatement. Gives a nice air of balance and reliability to my postings, don't you think?

[Dyadya Misha]

I chose to do the CELTA in Moscow five years ago because I wanted to live there but wanted to first make sure that I actually liked it. If you do the CELTA with BKC-IH you are guaranteed a job if you pass and, as TEFL organisations go, they are a pretty good first employer. Most people start with a company like that and, once they know the lie of the land, move to another, higher paying, school.

In terms of Russian classes you might be better served finding a private teacher, just as you will almost certainly find work as a private teacher of English to supplement your salary. I found the kind of classes offered by BKC to be less than rewarding.

[VladJR87]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Two questions, when do you normally hear back normally? I will probably apply with both LL and BKC-IH (though I am not sure about the October program since it is part time and thus way longer [which is only a problem when it comes to paying to be there])... However, I obviously do not really want to put all my eggs in these two baskets necessarily because if I am not gone by then I need to move out which requires signing a long-term lease and all that junk that significantly lowers my chances of going abroad anytime in the near future.

More importantly though, any BKC-IH style programs in St. Petersburg that people could recommend? By BKC-IH style I mean with a decent history and track record (I know no one is 100%, but I have no desire to head across the pond with a program that has a horrible track record)! As I mentioned before, having been to St. Petersburg before I would love to return .

[gondwana66]

Vlad, Why don't you apply for everything that interests you now. Some might be slow in getting back to you and some might decline. At least you will get the ball rolling and end up with a short-list to make your final decision from.

Gondwana66
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