Job Discussion Forums

[intoanotherintensity]

Hello!
This is my first time posting. I've been looking through all the advice you guys have given to others and I want to start off by saying THANKS!

So about myself: I'm an American, recent graduate with a BA in English, but no teaching experience other than tutoring in the US and in Italy (during my semester abroad). I just got accepted into International House Minsk for the CELTA and I will be there for all of July. I want to teach in Russia or another Russian-speaking country (Belarus, Ukraine, etc.). I have about $18,700 in subsidized and $23,000 in unsubsidized loans.

Now on to my questions:
1. Can anyone tell me anything about International House? Good experiences/bad experiences, general reputation compared to other places, etc. I chose it for it's location, since I have a friend in Belarus who I've been meaning to visit. But since I read on here that often people apply at the schools where they take the CELTA, I want to know more about the school and what my chances are of getting a job there.

2. I don't want to get a job in September because I can't leave the US until December at the earliest. Will it be much more difficult to find a job from the US (assuming I can't set something up while I'm in Belarus)?

3. What are the costs and the approximate monthly salary I could make in this region? Will I be able to make any payments on my loans? I know others have posted asking about deferments but anything else you can tell me would be really helpful.

There's one post by a person from Dallas, TX that was especially good for me to read because I'm in almost the same situation (I'm even in Dallas, too!).

Thanks again and I'm sorry if these questions have been asked before but I want to know about this school and this region in particular and didn't see any posts that dealt with them specifically.

[coledavis]

I think you'll get better help on the 'Russia & CIS' board and, if that part of the region appeals, the Ukraine board too. My general opinion is that apart from International House, opportunities for decently paid work in Belarus are few if truly existing at all. Russia is a much better bet. I'll leave it there, as I think the boards mentioned would be a lot better for the advice you seem to be after.

[sharter]

I've spent 17 years teaching of which five were in Central Europe. I was in Poland three weeks ago. I also taught for IH. What I'm going to tell you isn't pretty.

First of all, IH are generally the worst payers in the countries each 'franchise' operates in. It doesn't matter if it's Belarus, Poland or Timbuktu......you'll be flat broke on what they pay.

Secondly, as an American, you're probably blissfully unaware as to just how expensive Europe is. Flat prices per square metre are higher in the east than in Berlin. So are clothes, electronic goods and lots more.

You have zero chance of paying any loans off.

After you've put your time in, it is possible to make a living wage for a single person.

[coledavis]

[tttompatz]

If you want culture = go to Europe.

If you want to pay off $40k in loans = go to Asia. pay off your loans in about 4-5 years (and have some cash in the bank to boot) then head for Europe (if you are still interested).

.

[Kofola]

Belarus might prove to be a bit of an adventure.

Last week the government issued a new 200,000 ruble note. And while it is only worth 20 euros, it is twice the amount of the previous highest denomination. Last year inflation was running at 100% at one point and the ruble lost 64% per cent of its value against the US dollar overall. There's no indication that the economy is going to improve drastically in the near future. Quite the reverse.

Russia or Ukraine might be doable, with a certain amount of luck, and also Kazakhstan. If I were you, I would do some careful planning and work out exactly how much you would want/need to pay off each month and then look at what's being offered. You also might want to factor in currency fluctuations in this uncertain climate. Not having any experience means that you would find it more difficult to compete for the better paid jobs. On a positive note, there seems to be more jobs around in Russia at the moment than is sometimes the case.

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Russia would be possible if you:
1) Get to a smaller city with few native speakers;
2) Establish yourself in the teaching community and make connections; and
3) Are able to sell yourself as a private tutor (get to know Business English, IELTS and SAT!).
You should then be able to make enough to save; perhaps even quite a lot ($1500-$2000/month, say; this also depends on your lifestyle, of course).
Otherwise, Russia is pretty much month-to-month.
Good luck

[sharter]

Coledavis I think someone has twisted your melon man. Maybe IH pays a little more but it's like saying death by getting shot is better than death by stabbing. All of them pay a pittance and this guy has $40,000 of debt.

What you do find with IH teachers is that they've bought into this idea, promoted by IH, that they are somehow better trained teachers, which us oldies know is absolute pap. Don't be suckered into IH. Even the Belarussians will sneer at your salary.

[spanglish]

@sharter and coledavis - International House is the worst employer in Colombia....except for everybody else. Actually there are very few employers in Colombia who are better than IH, which says a lot of unfortunate things about the state of education and language learning here.

[intoanotherintensity]

Okay I don't have time to reply to all of these so I'll post more later, but thanks for all the feedback!

I would actually prefer Russia, and I'm open to other countries as well, but I was thinking that if IH was a good school I would try to get in there while I was over there. Thanks for the heads up! Now does this mean my CELTA course won't be as good at an IH school?

I also have one friend who taught in St. Petersburg and might still have connections there and a place for me to stay. She said she would contact them for me.

[sharter]

Getting a CELTA at IH and actually working for them are 2 different things. By all means do the CELTA but don't work for them.

If you want to be in Russia and pay off debt first look at the governor/ness jobs with Russian families. There are plenty of agencies, just Google them. You'll pay off your debt in a year and save.

Just a thought....1 year of hard work to be debt free is a good trade off I think.

[coledavis]

[coledavis]

[sharter]

OK then how much does IH pay a month?

I said it's a pittance and you said I'm wrong, so spill the beans.

I first went to Central Europe 17 years ago and was there 3 weeks ago as my son is 13 and lives there. I know how expensive it is.

Currently I work in Kuwait for an oil company.....so I know what a good wage is and I know what a bad deal is.

IH is a slave trader and exploits newbies.

'You're twisting my melon man'-Happy Mondays 1988.

[coledavis]

Sharter - the amount in absolute terms is almost meaningless out of context. I (and colleagues) spent a gruelling time researching this very question in Minsk. Nobody - repeat nobody - got better than IH offered in Minsk. I have not come here to praise IH, but to decry their local opposition in Minsk. Even the one guy I know in Minsk with a lot of private gigs says that IH is the best payer out of the language schools (and forget the universities; they pay a pittence).

Context is the point. I think you'll see similar responses from teachers when newbies have been asking 'where will I get the best salary' and 'where can I save the most'.

That your comment comes from a film is not of interest to me. I am certainly not going to watch it just to ascertain whether or not a phrase is innocuous. Please keep to the subject matter.