Job Discussion Forums

[cookbook13]

I'm looking at a job in Moscow with WSI...year contract, housing provided, medical insurance and $1,300 a month. Two questions about that: Has anyone worked at WSI Moscow (If you do, please tell me about your experience...good and bad!)? Does that sound like a liveable situation for someone who lives conservatively and eats at home?

Thanks for all your help/advice!

[maruss]

There have been previous postings about his firm on this site and unfortunately most of them were bad:crap organisation,classes cancelled without warning,promises made by management broken etc,money not paid on time........
What accomodation do they provide?This is a minimum survival salary for a contract job in Moscow with todays cost of living and most of it will go on food...
Of course the truth is that the only way to earn decent money there is to be hourly paid and work freelance but that costs you a big initial outlay for airline tickets and visa costs,plus the hassle and expense of finding accomodation and getting registration unless your employer will do it.Some firms will issue you with a legal work-permit as a teacher on that basis,for example try contacting Chrichton Brauer at Globus-his details are on the expat.ru site under employment/vacancies where you will find some other similar firms.The fact that he is an expat is a big bonus and he will tell you things straight!
Also be aware that many firms still employ people who come in on three-month business visas which is technically illegal,although many people do it.If you get caught they will simply deny that they have been employing you,the fine will be your liability and you will then be told to leave the country!

[maruss]

What does it cover???See Eve Lopez experiences when she became ill while working for BKC!
Make sure you buy your own from a reputable company in your own country that covers Russia and also find out who their agent there is,just in case you need to go somewhere like the European medical centre.I got a yearly one from the Halifax in the U.K.

[arthad]

I've also been offered a contract with WSI Moscow. For my second-round interview with them, I had to prepare a sample CELTA-style lesson plan, talk through it, and then answer questions about how I would explain vocab and grammar points. It sounded like my classroom duties would be similar. But the WSI website indicates that a portion of their instruction is done by computer, with "personal tutors" standing by to assist students. Does anyone know anything about their methodology? Do teachers spend a lot of time simply helping students through a computer program? Is it a place where I can continue developing the skills I learned on CELTA?

arthad

[cookbook13]

i've read through the forum at length, but have seen precious little in the way of information about WSI SPECIFICALLY. Most of what I've seen has been about bkc and language link...is there something i'm missing??

and i'm not sure about the computer aspect that they talk about on the website. i haven't had the 2nd interview yet, so i'll ask about it then .

[BocaNY]

Does anyone know if WSI Russia is still looking? I am planning on applying.

I worked for WSI in a different country. The students do their listening on a computer and if they have questions on it the personal tutor helps them. The lesson you is to make sure they understood the grammar and know how to use it. Class size is usually small about 4 people. They actually have lesson plans for each lesson so you use that as a guide on what to teach. After awhile you know what to teach and tweak the lesson to what you think is needed. There are also CC classes where you'll have more students who are in the same level but not the same lesson. This is a more relax class and usually more fun.

Yes sometimes students cancel without notice but to tell the truth you tend to look forward to those cancellations and the extra hour break.

[maruss]

As with many other firms,Wall St. operates as a franchise in various countries and they can vary enormously from one place to another,even within the same country.Consequently,don't be surprised if you read very conflicting reports from people who have worked for the same firm,but in different places.......Vladivostok is a good example where our friend there reported a good experience with an outfit which is generally blacklisted in Moscow!

[cookbook13]

sounds to me like they have (at least in moscow) bilingual russians to help with the technology/computer part of the teaching. that's not something the teachers they bring in get to do.