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OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

Tried searching and no luck. I need information about teaching in these countries. What I've found so far indicates that you need to be a full-fledged teacher, but I can't believe that's the only option. Anyone?

saint57 · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:25 am Post subject:

I knew a woman who worked at an international school in Kyrgyzstan. She is a full-fledged teacher and spent two years there. Surprisingly, she never said anything bad about the place. I know this information isn't very helpful, but I'd imagine that only a small minority of people in these countries could afford English lessons. International schools are probably the only option and that's why you need to be a qualified teacher.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

saint57 · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:40 am Post subject:

At first glance, her mullet made me think that she was one of your vice-presidents at TEFL4Life.nerd

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

What you're saying makes sense, Saint, but surely there must be some sort of upper middle-overclass even there. What about them?

I really want to go. Alternatively, we're looking atttttttt... Kazaksthan? Yeah. What else is there is Central Asia except Usbekizstan and Afghanistan? Not much. I want to go to that area, for some obscure reason.

dreadnought · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Bit late to this thread as I don't normally drop into this forum...but anyhow, here's what I can share.

I've been living in Kyrgyzstan for 4 years, most of that time working as a teacher trainer so i can't give first-hand experience of teaching here...

However, there are private language schools here - The London School frequently advertise on TEFL websites and are a good school by all accounts. There are a couple of others but don't know much about them. One thing you have to get used to is the low salaries. I mean, you can live quite comfortably on $300 a month here, so I would imagine schools don't pay a lot more than that. If you're trying to pay back student loans or save money, then probably forget it.

Tajikistan has a Soros owned private language school in Dushanbe, and there are quite a few language schools in Almaty. Actually, IH have just opened one there, so it may be worth finding out about that. Uzbekistan I would probably forget, the political situation there is pretty dodgy and I don't know if there are any language schools there. The government is pretty capricious and if they get in a spat with the West they just throw out foreigners or foreign organisations (e.g. Peace Corps, The Soros Foundation). Not very reliable.

If you want any more info, feel free to PM me.

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

Hi Dreadnought. Thanks for your reply! I had the London School's name whispered to me already and I wrote a mail to them a few days ago. As to salaries, well, dude, I'm working as a teacher in Costa Rica currently! Hello 400 bucks a month :) Thanks for the concern, though.

Like Kyrgyzstan? I guess, since you've lived there for four years.

dreadnought · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

Bragging rights, haha. You really hit the nail on the head there. I was sitting looking at a map of Asia and my eyes fell on the Kyrgyzstan area, and I was like... have I heard of this county? No. Have I heard of anyone that has been there? No.

Slight pause.

Then: I'm going.

You mention "low level" in your post without specifiying it any more. What do you mean? I realize living there will probably not entail a standard of living that is in any way comparable to Norway (my home country), of course. That's why I'm going there, after all.

In regards to corruption, what can I say? I lived in South Africa for a while. Go figure. ;)