Job Discussion Forums

[Mapk]

Has anyone done the Language Link "Work Study Program"? It sounds like a great idea (teach English and learn Russian), but I wonder how it plays out in reality.

http://www.jobs.languagelink.ru/jobs/

I'm honestly not that set on making a bunch of money, as I've been working as an engineer for 3 years and have a decent savings. I mainly just want to do this for fun before heading back to school for a master's degree. I just want to come out even... no need to make money, but I don't want to cut into my savings if at all possible.

Thanks much for your advice!

[ancient_dweller]

firstly, good luck to you!

i can say that language links work/study programme will not be a relaxing experience. they'll work you hard for a few kopeeks, what are they offering these days? 20,000r a month? (a good night out will cost you 5000 with a taxi home) plus the russian teaching will probably be crap.

also, it's a big place, so expect crappy administration. cancelled lessons and nobody telling you, late pay. also they sell you to the students as a qualified teacher.

plus, if it's russian you want to learn and you have savings, go to the russian language course at MGU (they'll give u a 12 month visa too) and teach english privately or hourly at a school. you'll make a minimum 800r an academic hour for your teaching and you'll be getting some serious russian tuition at MGU.

if you're serious, don't muck about with the profit machines, avoid bkc too. search for schools in russian on yandex and then send cv's to those. check out the specialist schools who teach subject specific stuff.

good luck!

[ancient_dweller]

i've just taken another look at LL's website.

you have to pay to do it??? madness!

[smithrn1983]

The wages they pay you are miserable, plus you have to pay for the russian lessons, and accommodation. If you crunch the numbers you will spend $317 a week on the lessons and accommodation (assuming you do the 36 week programme with the cheapest per week costs, stay in their shared accommodation, likely on the very outskirts of moscow, and already have a tefl certificate), and will only get paid $186 per week (by summing the total pay for nine months and dividing by 36).

Put a bit of work into finding smaller schools in Russia, and you could make twice the amount they're offering. Also, be aware that while salaries are often listed in dollars (as on LL's website), they are paid in rubles, and schools sometimes use their own conversion rates. I used www.xe.com to convert euros to dollars for the above calculation. It also strikes me as odd that the costs are listed in euros and the pay in dollars.

ancient_dweller provided some good advice on how to learn russian, and enjoy your time in the motherland.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide to do.

[VladJR87]

I think your best bet is BKC or similar. I may be biased as that is the route I decided to do, but few programs give you a true CELTA, with as close to a guarantee of work as the McSchools. The pay may not be great, the working conditions may not be incredible, but you can also be fairly confident that if you have the right mindset, you will succeed.

If you travel on your own dime and hope to pick up private lessons or a job with a smaller school (going to be hard from my understanding without a CELTA) you are risking a lot.

MGU would be a great option, but you are not going to be breaking even, unless you try to do some private teaching or something, which, again, you are taking some more risks.

I had similar aspirations, I wanted to spend some more time in my grandfather's home, work on my Russian, and not spend all my savings doing it. I decided the best bet was BKC (or a similar McSchool). If, after a contract, I decide I want to go another route, nothing is stopping me. If I cannot stand it, so be it, I have to change my route and try one of the other potentials- but since those all require I get there anyway- why not give BKC a chance?

Be careful about what you find here. I know it may not sound like it, but I really do not mean to attack anyone's credibility here. The simple fact is no organization has a 100% satisfaction rate, particularly when it comes to employees. And maybe everyone here falls into that category. But, take into count how many people BKC employs, and the fact that easily most people that get online to write about something, are doing it because of bad experiences (few get on to say how great something is)... Well, draw your own conclusion.

It is not like there are no good reports out there about BKC either. I have a buddy online who worked there, and highly recommended it, he never claimed it was perfect, but it worked for him for years.

I have not done the CELTA program yet, or had any experience with BKC- beyond communication (I am leaving in just over a week!)... But having been to Eastern Europe I would give you one word of advice, regardless the route you go. Have no expectations, good or bad, and you are going to enjoy yourself. We will see if I say the same thing in a month, or a year... But I expect I will .

[Mapk]

Thanks everyone for your responses, the information and opinions are greatly appreciated!