Job Discussion Forums

[davidmeta]

Dear All

It is my desire to move nearer to Berlin, because of its music scene and my involvement in that. I'm wondering, given the various negativity surrounding the tefl market in Germany, and in Berlin in particular, whether a move to Prague might be more successful for a newbie such as myself. I have heard good things about Prague and have a good Czech friend. Also, half of me is drawn to learning Czech, given its similarities with Polish - I would like to work in Poland in the future. Further, I would have the option to do the CELTA in Prague (at Akcent IH), which might be an advantage in finding a job straight after the course. Is Prague close enough to Berlin to be accessible by train/bus? Would it be worth taking my car out there?

I have a few debts to clear before I go. So I will not be able to travel out until, at the earliest, Jan 2009. It is is more likely that I'll be looking at a Sept 2009 start (so I could do the CELTA in July/Aug, in Prague). However, another option, since I finish my current work contract in July this year, is to do a CELTA course this Sept in Brighton (UK), after I return from holiday. Would this then allow me to get some valuable experience in London, before next summer? (In case you're wondering, I live in Brighton, but will be moving to London towards the end of the year.)

Many thanks in advanced.

Dave

[spiral78]

Quite honestly, the teaching market in Prague is geared towards newly-certified newbies, given that training centres are in such abundance there. Additional experience before you go will give you a bit of an edge in terms of hiring, but I wouldn't expect that to translate into higher pay or benefits. The only practical way to get the 'better ' packages in Prague is to pay your dues for at least a year, and then be in a position to negotiate a bit for whatever you want/think you can get in your second contract with a school.

As for the car, check the stats on auto crashes througout the CR - it's an astounding and very scary situation driving there...I'd personally prefer to use train connections - much, much safer!!

You can look at train schedules on www.idos.cz for Prague-Berlin connnections. There's also the bus option.

[davidmeta]

Hi Spiral, many thanks for the reply.

Yes, I think I will leave the car behind - it was just a thought, I never even considered cultural differences in road safety. Indeed, I would probably add to the danger being a left hand lane native! Thanks also for the train info.

I've decided to wait until Sept 2009, so I will take the CELTA this Sept and try and get experience as and when. I think it will give me an edge and I can then hit the ground running when I come over.

Best

Dave