Job Discussion Forums

[dlbarrette]

Hi friends!

I am an American but I also have an EU passport. I have a BA in English Lang and Lit and a TESOL certificate. Would it be to my advantage to get an MA in Applied Linguistics or can I get a job teaching English without it? Basically, I'm wondering if it's really worth the time, effort and money. Anywhere in the EU is fine but I'm mostly interested in Czechia or Croatia. I am open to different types of schools and ages. I am also a professional musician so I enjoy incorporating music into my lessons. I don't need to get rich. Just a decent living wage.

Thanks!

[spiral78]

You are eligible for private language school jobs without the MA. These jobs are how most people get their start in the region; after you are established and have developed some local language skills and reputation, you might find that you want to scale up your qualifications in order to land one of the more rare 'better' jobs around.

You will probably want a CELTA or equivalent to be competitive on the newbie entry-level market - not sure what kind of cert you currently have. If it's got the key supervised teaching practice with real students, you should be ok.

Salaries are better in the Czech Rep than in Croatia and the job market's bigger. Both countries generally don't hire from abroad; your best bet is to come over at the end of August and interview in person in the peak hiring season of September (most contracts are Sept/Oct through June - you can expect VERY little interest in a new teacher across July and August).

I suggest that before investing in an MA, you come give it a try at the entry level, particularly as it sounds like your earnings expectations are reasonable.

[dlbarrette]

Thank you very much for your speedy reply, Spiral 78! You sound like you have a lot of knowledge. I will happily pick your brain for more info.

My EU nationality is from the Netherlands and I speak fluent Dutch. Unfortunately, they don't really have these types of TESOL jobs there. I know of one opening for an English teacher that was at an International School that had over 300 applicants! Not so many prospects there, although I do have the option of going for a teaching credential and teaching public schools. Not really sure I want to do that though.

I had thought about getting my MA in Applied Linguistics - taught in English - at a German University. It's free and I could get some student teaching experience at the same time. But I'm not sure how I feel about more school. I'm a little burned out at the moment. By the way, I do have a TESOL certificate that was supervised student teaching practice.

My third option was the one I mentioned to you in my first post which is just to take my BA and TESOL and find an EU country where I might do fairly well. I have a friend in Czechia which is why I thought there and I thought of Croatia because it is a bit warmer - I'm not such a great fan of the cold.

Are there any other EU countries you'd recommend that might offer the similar job availability as Czechia and Croatia?

Thanks for your input!

[spiral78]

I taught in the Netherlands for seven years. You're right that the job market is tiny and massively competitive. I was in a fairly small niche of English for Academic/Specialized Purposes.

If you wanted to return to the Netherlands later on, it would make sense to get started somewhere else in Europe and then add an MA after a couple of years of experience. If you can choose some MA focus that is in demand, like using technology in the classroom or something that would give you some background in English for diplomatic/government workers, you might well find some interesting niche of your own in the long run.

The Czech Rep is a good place to start. Croatia, as mentioned, has a tiny and non-remunerative job market (and the winters there are COLD, with damp sea air intensifying the temperatures). Poland, similar to the Czech Rep but bigger. Austria is very competitive; much more difficult than CR or Poland. You could always consider Spain or Italy; big job markets and easy entry, but teaching in either will be seen by future employers as different to Netherlands/Germany/Czech Rep. France also has a small job market, Belgium's pay rates are very low. Luxembourg is an option, particularly if you are interested in finance, but again tiny and it's often rainy and windy there.

[dlbarrette]

Thanks again!

It's really interesting that teaching in Spain and Italy is considered different than teaching in the Northern EU countries. I would have never thought that.

I like your idea of finding a niche. I will consider that. My background is in music but I may need to branch out to something else that has a wider net. Definitely something to chew on...

Czech Rep sounds like a good place to start, as you said.

Thanks again!

[nomad soul]

What about Germany? As a musician, you'd appreciate Berlin's music scene.

[twowheel]

[spiral78]

Or Prague's

[LH123]

An MA in Applied Linguistics certainly isn't a pre-requisite for most teaching jobs in Europe, although it could conceivably be for some EAP and managerial positions. Having one, though, would push your CV higher up the pile in most recruiters' eyes.

[goodEnglishes]

Move to Berlin! Coolest city I've ever been to and if I was content with private language schools and hustling with tutoring on the side I would be in Berlin in a heartbeat. Or Madrid. Or Lisbon...