Job Discussion Forums

[icesk8r]

Hello,

I'm a 25-year-old American female with a BA in a non-education-related subject and a TEFL certificate. I currently teach at a children's eikaiwa here in Japan (been here 2 years). My contract ends in a few months and I need to decide where to go next. I've been very happy in Japan and I'm certainly open to staying here should I find the right job, but I've wanted to live in Europe for a long time, and I assume it's better to go sooner rather than later, before EU regulations get too strict and it becomes even more difficult or impossible for me as an American to work there, even in Eastern Europe. Correct me if I'm wrong in that assumption.

Anyway, I enjoy teaching kids (ages 2-17) and would like to get a job where the majority of (or all) classes are with kids. I've taught a few adults here and it was okay, but I'm not as comfortable teaching them as I am with kids.

It seems to me that most of the job advertisements I see for Europe are for business English. Are there opportunities for teaching children? What are some good schools with children's classes? I'm most interested in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, or Slovenia.

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

[daily chai]

There are no "EU" regulations, but country-to-country regulations. It's unlikely with your passport that you would find legal work. Go with cash on hand and an escape plan if things don't work out by a certain date. It's worth a shot! AFAIK my EU friends working in Europe don't do much kiddie teaching. They teach at British Institute or Wall St-type schools, or at unis.

[spiral78]

There are some (a few) schools for children under regular school age that operate specifically in English in most big Central European cities. From what I've heard, the curriculumn tends to be regular kindergarten stuff, but the children may have a mix of mother tongues (not just the local native language) and so there is a language component. You won't yet have any insurmountable visa difficulties in Poland, CZ, and etc, and with your experience I would think you'd be eligible for positions at these schools. Searching for suitable schools may take some time, though. One route might be to contact the U.S. Embassies in the countries you're interested in and inquire about contacts for English-language kindergartens.
Alternatively, there are always the International Schools - but you would need a degree to teach some regular subject, like math, probably. However, again worth a try.
Elementary level schools often have an English language component, but I am told they are usually taught in the mother tongue by a local teacher. Further, these local teachers are often paid relatively poorly in general.
Probably you're aware that, coming from Japan, you'd be facing a real difference in pay scales in Central/Eastern Europe - but the experience can be very much worth it.
One more idea: have you considered applying to teach at summer schools in Western Europe? Sometimes it's possible to get these temporary positions even without EU citizenship (check out Malta, for example). Probably would not lead to any permanent position in W. EU, but a good chance to try teaching in a different cultural atmosphere.