Job Discussion Forums

[Andrei]

Hey everybody,

Before I start, let me give you some background about me: I'm a college student about to graduate with my Bachelor's degree in History. I have a few semesters of Russian under my belt, and plan to get my Masters and PhD in Russian & Eastern European Studies.

Before I get onto graduate school, I'm thinking about hitting the streets of Russia and doing the whole TEFL thing to get some actual experience in the country and to save up some money for grad school.

However, researching the whole endeavor has left me with far more questions than answers, and some straight-up fears as well!

To make this whole thing quick, let's get to my main questions:

1) Is there a TESOL/CELTA/etc. course online out there that isn't a total scam and is actually accredited? There is no TEFL certificate course in my city so it'd have to be online.

2) I've heard rumors that there are some schools in Russia that are so short of teachers that they'll take people without a certificate. Any info on those, or are those sketchy?

3) Speaking of sketchy, I've been scouring the internet for schools and programs, and every one I find online seem to be what y'all call "McSchools" and come with a large amount of horror stories (lawsuits, appalling living conditions, denial of pay, etc.). Are there some schools that one can apply to online that are good for a newbie and won't put me through months of financial and emotional pain and suffering?

Seriously, I love Russia and I want to do this so badly, but the more I read about all the TESOL course scams and abusive "McSchools", the more discouraged I become about this whole thing. Tell me there's SOMETHING good about the whole thing and there's hope for a fresh starter like me!

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Andrei

Sorry to be the bearer of ill-tidings, but someone in your position of no EFL skills, training, certs or experience is not likely to pick up decent work in Russia. If it's money you want, you get that through private lessons - and there is lots to be made. However, you need a visa to be here to do that, and you need to have been here on the ground to build up contacts that will put juicy clients your way. Failing that, you are stuck with the McSchools, and getting money from them, even your own salary, is a stone-squeezing exercise.

So, make up your mind. Do you want cash to finance grad school or what ever? Not likely to happen here for you, yet.

Or do you just want Russian experience? Then your McSchool option is your only realistic choice. Plenty of 'real Russian' experience there. Especially the dogmatism.

As for certs, you don't need them for visa purposes, but most schools won't look too favourably on the lack of one, or on any on-line course. Some will, but you wouldn't want to touch 'em with a barge pole...

Again, sorry to be so gloom, but some realism, rather than sugar-coating, seems to be called for.

[Andrei]

Oh lawdy! It's a good thing I'm more about the Russian experience than I am about the cash...

Well, let me ask you this: will the McSchools take ANY online certifications? Like I said, there are no offline certification courses in my city, so online is my only option.

Russia sounds painful, but my past experiences there and having studied the land for 5 years have me hoping that I can get SOMETHING out there and out of it.

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Hi Andrei,
Sasha ain't blowing smoke. I'd like to add one other thing, however: You don't need to go the "McSchool" route, especially if you go to a smaller city (which I'd recommend anyway, for a "real" Russian experience, whatever that is). There are plenty of job possibilities out there, for a newbie, on this site and others, which I can PM you.
Also, while "McSchools" might not be ideal, I'm not so sure they screw workers over any more than many smaller schools (or even unis). I started here with a McSchool, and I found that they paid on time, supported my visa, and were generally helpful; the academic side, well, that's another story.
So, if I were you, I'd: A) Get an online cert, as it can't hurt (it's not really essential to have this or that cert with your intentions anyway); B) Go to a smaller city, as you want, presumably, to practice your Russian and see the "real" Russia (I can't say that Moscow isn't totally "real", though parts certainly aren't indicative of the rest of the country); plus Moscow is a huge rip-off; and C) No matter which route you go, be sure to ask many, many questions before agreeing to come over. Even with your knowledge of the country, this isn't really a place you want to be hung out to dry.
Best of luck to you.

[VladJR87]

BKC-IH offers a full CELTA training program in Moscow. I just transfered my deposit the other day for the program in January.

They do not have a perfect record, but they came recommended by an acquaintance, and for all people they employ you could definitely see a lot more negatives out there.

I had the same attitude, there's no "safe" way to do it, you are going to have to take some risks, if its worth it, pursue it. If you do not want to take any risks, from my research and experience with Russia, well, if you do not want to take any risks, time to find a new country .

I figure the same outlook that got me through Eastern Europe last time, will get me through again. Expect to have a good and enlightening time, and make almost no expectations beyond that. Flexibility will be key .

That being said, I am not there yet, so I could be way off .

PS- I chose to pursue a CELTA through BKC for a couple reasons. First off, getting in Russia, and all the associated costs, were not much higher than getting it locally (particularly if you count the costs of then going to Russia for employment). Secondly, any school is going to hire their trainees first, so getting your certificate stateside would put you at the back of the line in many situations. And most importantly, even if I hate it and cannot find a job and return home, it will not have been a waste, because I spent another month in Russia and got some more experience there. If I got my certificate here and did not find a job, that would be a waste!

[coledavis]

[Houston]

BKC isn't as bad as people try to make it out to be. You don't get to be picky when you're first breaking into the ESL business.

They provide a lot of support for people who are new to Russia, which is more important than you think. Russia is not Western Europe, something you will learn very quickly once you hit the ground here.

Don't waste money on an online cert. Just sign up for the Moscow CELTA course, and do it. You'll be doing yourself a favor, because it includes real classroom practice teaching real students.

[coledavis]

Yup, I think Houston's answer is pretty to the point for your situation.

[spiral78]

hitting the streets of Russia and doing the whole TEFL thing to get some actual experience in the country and to save up some money for grad school.

Just to be really clear, you won't be likely to be able to save up anything much at all. That's not just for Russia, but is generally true on the continent. The job market's just too tight - salaries are subsistence-level in general.

If you need to save money, consider Asia. That's about the only market for ESL these days where more than daily living money can be made at the newbie level.

[mayumi_kaneyuki]

Andrei, I've heard that IH London is going to run CELTA on-line soon.

[Andrei]

Well, even if I can't save up much money, the experience is really what will matter to me.

I have another question: how much money should I save up before leaving?

[Sashadroogie]

Always have enough readies to get out fast if you really really have to.

[Andrei]

[coledavis]

Difficult to be precise, especially as some places are more expensive than others, and a plane journey from say, Novosbirsk, will be more expensive than a flight from Moscow (for UK people) or Vladivostok (for N. Am.). It also depends upon whether or not your accommodation is provided gratis.

As implied above, you should have enough money to be able to jump on a plane back if absolutely necessary, plus a few hundred dollars for living for the first month, more if you're paying for the accommodation.