Job Discussion Forums

ifihollerletmego · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 1 Location: usa

>As an American with out an EU passport. I do have a
>4-year degree and a tefel online certificate,but Im
>begigning to beleive its close to impossible to get a
>legal job teaching english in Poland. Is it even
>realistic to consider myself elegible for positions
>that want EU citizens? Are the jobs for American
>teachers is bleak as I beleive it to be?

Grrrmachine · Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 265 Location: Warsaw, Poland

>Teahig in Ploand isnt easy if u r not EU...

joking aside... try searching the forums. You're not the first to try and break into the EU market as an American, and there's plenty of advice on here over what routes are available to you.

Alex, if you're reading this - go easy on him.

Eager2teach · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:16 pm Post subject: teaching

I think it is quite possible that some of us Americans are quite traumatized by the current state of affairs in our country, thus we have lost some of our spelling and grammar abilitities.

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

Usually it's possible to overcome a problem and come to teach in Poland. But you have two problems: no EU passport and no recognised teaching qualification.

With a recognised certificate (i.e. CELTA or Trinity) you would be able to find legal work. As long as you jump through all the hoops to be legal.

redsoxfan · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 178 Location: Dystopia

Hey man, I don't want to be unfriendly, but if you're going to post something on a message board for English teachers, you really ought to write properly in English. How can you expect sincere advice otherwise? I mean, the last sentence in your posting was a complete butchering of our rather simple tongue. If you speak in such a manner during your classes, some of your students who are more in-the-know will eat you alive. Are you really prepared to answer questions like, "Why do we use the past simple tense when we say, 'I ATE cereal for breakfast today' instead of 'I have eaten cereal...', even though it's still today?" If you want to teach English abroad, more power to you--it can be a great experience. But better you hear it from me than your director when you find yourself jobless in a poor, foreign country--study your grammar!

tbiehl2000 · Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 87

Dear ifihollerletmego,
Well I'm not sure what makes a qualified English teacher. There are people that would dispute the idea that a 4 year degree plus one month certificate course makes a person a qualified teacher. In my mind a person with some sort of ESL Masters would be the only individual with real proof of teaching credentials. Or maybe from a 4 year education degree.
Then again someone once said, "I prefer enthusiasm to professional skill." I think there is a lot of truth to that. Not to say that an English teacher can be very enthusastic but only have an 8th grade education. My gut tells me that you may not be particularly cut out for the teaching thing. It's not for everyone and don't get too down about it. There no money in it anyway.