Job Discussion Forums

[riverboat]

Hi,

I'm a new ESL teacher, working in Paris (which is the only place I've ever taught). The vast majority of ESL work here is private sector, Business English, teaching adults aged 25+, either one-to-one or small groups of up to five students. Most students are pre-int to advanced, i.e. very few complete beginners, and at least reasonably motivated and pleasant to work with.

I'd be interested to know what average class size/ability/focus/attitude is in other countries, particularly in Europe...I'm pondering long-term ESL options and while I've read quite a lot about the difference in pay and conditions in various places, I don't know a lot about the classroom side of things. Any shared experience/info would be appreciated!

[mozzar]

I'm working in Madrid and that's about the same for me. However, I'm aiming to enter the university system in a few years and have been told that many of the students speak very little or no English, so it would be starting from scratch.

[jonniboy]

A mix of general and business English here. English was often unavailable in Soviet times. No children at all, students usually 25+. Class sizes 10-12 students.

[Glenski]

My experience in Japan.

business English classes were 5-10 students.
conversation school classes were 1-10 students (average 4-5).
HS classes 30-45 students.
university classes 10-120 students per class (average 40-50)