Job Discussion Forums

[Sashadroogie]

I fear you may be right : ) But I was never interested in those types of jobs. They aren't really teaching jobs at all, in the main. And too short-term. (Why did you leave again? Was it really a better job offer elsewhere? Yet you want to return to Russia, or did until recently...)

A degree in education is laregly irrelevant to what I do. Just as a cert from Montesorri would be. A Celta is minimum entry standard, and largely irrelevant to teaching individual young learners of English. Do you really have a Celta? And not know what C2 level means? As it happens I do have a degree in the plastic arts, but that is really not important to anything. Though it should be added that the students of fundemental sciences that I teach seem to think it is interesting.

They are some really good students. Have you ever taught students like that? EAP students? Helping them with academic writing, I mean. PhD theses with all sorts of scary sounding titles about mathematical modeling methods for satellite and missile trajectories. If you are interested, I could put in a word for you. But I'm not sure a basic Celta and a singing and dancing routine would count as highly-qualified with them...Sorry. Still, you never know!

[Sashadroogie]

Hee hee! Scotland is part of the UK. For better or worse, lassie.

Now, what was that we said about assumptions again...? : )

[GotoRussia]

Hey why are you so curious about my qualifications? I already told you what I have, can't help it if you don't believe me.

And why are you so interested about my return to Russia? With a wife and kids shouldn't you be spending more time with them than on an ESL forum?

Why would I ever teach PhD candidates when I make much more watching English cartoons and playing football with kids?

It's much more fun swimming in their private villa overlooking the Med Sea, eating gourmet foods from a private chef, enjoying my 5 star hotel room and room service, jetting off to Europe in charter planes, being chauffeured in a luxury Mercedes all because I can speak English to the children.

All expenses paid plus a healthy salary. As I said, I wish I could help you out but you've passed the age limit and you seem to be lacking the requisite qualifications.

How's your Russian? If it's fluent they could be looking for porters acting as a go-between.

Tough life I know, but hey, someone's gotta do it!

[GotoRussia]

Not being from the UK, I really have no interest if they are all united or independent.

Again, what city and country are you from? Why so secretive, are you ashamed of your roots?

I've told you plainly where I am from. Sad you can't be proud of your heritage.

[Sashadroogie]

Helping PhD students is actually very well-paid if you are connected to the right place. But I thought we were talking about quals here, not earnings.

In any case, if people are happy in a gilded cage, working as a glorified menial, then good luck to them. For as long as they can hold down the job. But there are those of us who actually take satisfaction from really helping smart students achieve their goals. The financial gain, though generous, isn't the only motivation for this type of work. And it is work, my dear, with some fair high-stakes involved. Surely someone with a degree in education can see that? No? Oh, well, OK then..,

[Sashadroogie]

I'm an internationalist. I don't cling to parochial concepts or nationalistic nonsense. All delusions, jingoism, and semi-fascist, carefully fostered by the Piggies. I'm afraid to say this seems to be somewhat of a point of divergence here : ) "My country right or wrong!" eh? : )

If you read with close attention my previous backlog of posts, as you try to glean more info to 'weaponise', you'll see that. And learn a lot about dialectical materialism and even about EFL.

Enjoy!

[GotoRussia]

Funny how you make assumptions about my working career when all I've told you is I worked for a few Russian families.

You don't have a clue what I've been doing since I've graduated.

Pretty sure you haven't been teaching PhD students exclusively.

Weren't you inquiring about BKC in Zelenograd not too long ago?

Really high stakes work there I tell ya. With your qualifications in linguistics that the best you could do starting out?

[GotoRussia]

No, all I read from your previous posts was that you seem to lack social etiquette and don't endear yourself to many members on this forum.

I dare imagine how you are in real life and how your friend and family react.

With your slavic devotion to Russia one wonders if you haven't been brainwashed by the herd. You got a bit of reverse jingoism, renouncing all ties with your birth place and fostering loyalty to your "new" country.

hey whatever works for you man, it's your life. Maybe you had a bad childhood and just want to cut all ties with your past. I can understand that.

[GotoRussia]

[GotoRussia]

Man, so fun yet too easy.

[Sashadroogie]

I've been here a long time, and have a range of experiences. A wide one. A young graduate such as yourself has it all in front of her. Ah, so sweet really! Yes, I've worked in IH. Also, institutes, teacher-training, examing. All standard fare for career teachers. There are no contradictions in what I have written. But there is some degree of subtlety. Requires more than a quote-mining scan. And a deeper knowledge of what EFL involves. This is what gives career teachers' online advice somewhat more weight than backpackers.

As for social etiquette, I think that calling people w*#kers and scaring off love-struck posters with questions about their sanity disbars you from any comment on others' manners. But if you care to check out the posting history of those few forum ex-members who didn't like what I said, you'll see that they regularly provoked flame wars... Or used to.

[spiral78]

[GotoRussia]

hey man, teaching ESL certainly ain't my long term ambition. Never was nor will be.

You might see nannying as a step down but I'm pretty sure I earned more than you doing that gig. Plus I got alot of perks that you as a regular teacher wouldn't.

Did you get free flights, 5 star accommodation, all meals, expenses plus a nice salary?

Did you get picked up at the airport by a driver and have your own personal guide/translator in Russia?

I wonder if you have few if any options other than being an ESL teacher. Most I know do it for a year to live in a different country, then go home or to another adventure.

Quite unlikely that you could afford your own digs in Monte Carlo as an English teacher. Didn't see too many of them while wandering the city.

Hey as long as those Russians keep hiring me and paying me those rates I'll gladly take it.

And if you've been a teacher for this long in 1 place, shouldn't you have started your own company by now rather than work for someone else?

The expat directors I talked to in Moscow have their own businesses. With your expertise and qualifications I figured you guys would have done the same.

[spiral78]

Actually, on my Moscow projects I do get the perks you mention. I have some experience in the oil and gas industry, and there are some nice benefits to such gigs.

I'm personally quite happy with my solid, long-term university position. Owning a business is nowhere near as professionally fulfilling - in academia, we don't have to deal with non-teaching related stuff like marketing and accounting - there are professionals who handle such details for us.

Nor, as it happens, am I based long-term in Russia. As I've noted before, I've been in the region for a long time, and I work with Russians extensively, but I don't claim to be an expert on Moscow, as I do only project work there. Sasha is, however, very experienced and knowledgeable about the region, as are a few of the other long-term posters here.

[GotoRussia]

that long term experience might be great for expats who intend to settle in Russia, but most teachers passing by Moscow stay a year or 2 at most and then go home or move on.

So your advice may have little relevance to a young teacher who's coming only for the adventure.

They aren't working with oil/gas executives or high level PhD students. probably just the average person who wants some English classes.

I doubt you guys even know where the hotspots are in Moscow or what's the best place to catch a hip band on a Sat. Thankfully there's other resources out there which do tell you.

If anyone wants to immigrate to Russia I'll point them to your direction.