Job Discussion Forums

[Robski]

In Luxembourg City there's a (dis)organisation by the name of English World Institute. You might imagine in Lux-ville things would be better than at the average dodgy language school that you would find in Spain, Greece or Turkey, but sadly, in Middle Europe, life is just the same as elswhere.

On the face of it, the pay seems to be a bit better than at the average dodgy language school - 2100 euros p/m. However, all the classes are outside of the city and there is no calculation of travelling time - as much as 15 hours a week riding around on buses. Most teachers use their own cars but you have to be very careful when using private car for company business - if you can afford one this salary! The job advert should say: "job very difficult unless you have your own car because we don't have one." But also, the idea of doing company business in your own car because the 'school' won't pay for one is highly questionable. Also, since teachers have to spend so much time running around between classes, there isn't adequate time available for preparing your lessons; and in Luxembourg the students are very demanding, high-maintenence clients.

Notionally you do a 40-hour week. (So your pay BEFORE tax is about 12 euro per hour.) But once you realise you are teaching 26-27 hours a week, spending 10-15 hours travelling and waiting around for buses you're doing a 40-hour week before you do any prep or write any reports. If you want to do anything like a reasonable job, you might get away with 15 hours of prep. So, you will end up doing 55+ hours (some of which will be waiting in the rain a bus stops) which means you're on minimum wage. With relatively high rents in Luxembourg (as high as 900 euros a month + deposits etc.) my advice about English World Institute is "don't touch it".

[George Best]

Is your experience of teaching in English World Institute typical of other schools in Luxembourg with regard to travelling to clients and general conditions etc?

[spiral78]

I taught at two other schools in Lux. and the hours/travel/etc. were similar.

[spiral78]

Except that the schools had company cars - still a huge hassle to get around, and there's a bit of a scam involved as savvy teachers claim (truthfully, in many cases) not to be licensed drivers, leaving the naive newbies to do all the long-distance work.

[Robski]

I think what is sad in all this is that a lot of TEFLers leave places like Greece, Turkey, Spain, eastern Europe etc and head for northern Europe in the hope of more sensible money and a more professional attitude to teaching which is just not there. The scams and tricks and things they forget to tell you before you arrive in places like Germany and Luxembourg are as bad as they are anywhere else. But the clients are more demanding, the rents are much higher, and the disappointment that much greater when you really thought a job in Luxembourg would be better than Poland, Turkey, Russia, or pushing trolleys at ASDA. The charade of the interview process as well for such a job.

[PattyFlipper]

TEFL really is a ghastly business, isn't it?

[spiral78]

At the newbie/basic level, it's really only good for a couple of years max.

However, if you've got the resources and interest to upgrade qualifications, there are some great positions out there.