Advice on Teaching English in Poland

Its Italian for 'I understand now'.... I think!!

Chromium
Thanks for this excellent post... answered a lot of my questions before I even asked them.

I have been thinking about teaching as a way to stay in Poland or a place like Thailand... just can't figure out what course to take and where. I am an American living in Middle East at moment, visiting Poland in a few weeks. Would like to find a good school in Krakow area to take the TESL course?

My only experience is a father who taught 4th graders for 30th years and I swore I would never teach... strange how the son comes around to what the father did...

I may drop you and msg or email to avoid from hearing from people who shouldn't post on this topic.

blessings
Lon

ok to clear some things up. the 1500-2000pln is based on me, also i havent yet got my nip so i am limited to the amount i can command as a wage. from the company i work for in krakow(city well known for paying crap) the teachers earn 38pln per hour.

concerning the private students, i find they do want to learn english, since it was them who came to me asking to. you can make 120pln an hour if you teach the right stuff. typically for basic english i ask 80pln. but 120 for when im teaching in hospitals because i teach medical terminology as i have degree in mental health nursing.

so i will only say that in a city like krakow teachers are paid less, but i find 1500 enough for me to get by, any more is a bonus. 1000 on rent and bills, 500 for beer:) im scottish so i have history of being tight:)

Yes, I looked it up in my dictionary and worked it out.

I think it is all a bit degrading myself earning money spreading the power of American imperialism around the world, not that I am left wing though it might sound it!. I like individualism and difference and no longer want to go to hundreds of McDonalds around the World.

someone PM'd me about what the DELTA is. For anyone interested:

The DELTA is the Diploma in teaching English to Adults.

You can do the DELTA after getting the CELTA (Certficate) and having 3 years of experience.

To become a Director of Studies or to have Senior Teacher responsibilities, you pretty much have to at least have done the DELTA in today's market. But, just to teach, it is not necessary. However, it greatly increases your chances of getting the better, more highly paying jobs.

That is not a compulsory requirement.

Chromium I'm new here and would like some help please. It's to do with this topic of conversation but I'd prefer to make contact by e-mail if that's ok?

I would appreciate if you could e-mail me at: marisa.bertonesi@fsmail.net

thank you!

Chromium you seem to be using your examples as an example for the whole of Poland and this is absolutely incorrect in what you are saying. You do not need a qualification in order to get a job in teaching in private schools in Poland as long as your educational background is good and your accent is not bad you will be able to find a job quite easily. I have been living and working here for seven years now and I have met many successful English teachers working without a qualification, even ones with their own schools and being very successful at it. Please, all I am asking is be a little bit more objective in your posts, because you seem to be giving incorrect advice here.

Well being poor and teaching English in Poland sounds right nice about now.... car bomb just killed another member of parliament down the hill from my town... nice sonic boom sound... new something was not right...

be nice I think Chrimium and and ukpolska both have good information to share... perspective or situations may be different.


out of here in a few days...

I have been talking to a Polish man from Wroclaw today as he has been employed on a temporary bases at my place of work. Besides from telling me that there may even be really two million Polish who have gone overseas recently to find work we turned to the subject of employment in Poland. He told me that teachers of English in Poland earn £300 per month and even he said for such a poor sum of money he would not consider it for himself. How can someone work for a month and earn less even that Job Seekers Allowance is in the U.K.? You are never going to buy a house or a flat or bring up a young family on that sort of mony, are you?

Most native speakers working full time earn well above 3000zl a month!

I do not know what the polish zloty is worth but 3000zl per month is still near on nothing. Just think that a Pole in England is entitled to a free council house and put the whole thing in to perspective!

3000zl would be for native speakers working in smaller town and not major cities

Average rent for a flat in a smaller Polish town would be around 800zl

Food and bills a further 500zl

Spending money around 1700zl

Chance to visit a new country, learn a new language and experience a different culture priceless

Seems a fine way to spend a year or two!

How many hours of work does this all involve?

20-24 45 minute lessons a week. It works out at around 10-12 euros an hour.

You are right, but from the posts from most of the other people on this particular forum, they are simply asking about how to teach in Poland, and I am trying to give them simple advice. Obviously, if one has the educational background to teach, then that person does not need the CELTA or equivalent to teach here. But, if they do have the educational background here, they wouldn't be asking how to get a teaching job in Poland, would they?

The vast majority of teachers in private schools have at least the CELTA or some sort of educational degree. Most teachers here do not fit your profile; however, as you have rightly pointed out, there are exceptions.

So, what I am saying is not wrong at all, and it applies to the overwhelming majority of native English speakers in Poland in private schools.

You're right, it's 2 years, not 3.

HI.I would live to teach english in poland.Presently I live in Brazil.any advice

In your opinion.

But I am sorry I have to disagree as I have met many natives without a CELTA or some sort of educational degree who are excellent teachers.



This is absolutely not true as many private schools will employ natives without qualifications for conversation lessons. I don't know where you are chromium but I have taught in Krakow, Lublin and Warsaw and the same rule applies in each city.

Ok, that's true, but how many schools have enough conversation only classes for a teacher to have enough hours to live on? In the 4 schools I've worked for in Poland, the answer is zero. How many conversation classes does your school offer?

Also, I am not saying that the teachers without some qualification are not good, or even excellent, teachers. They very well may be, but you seem to think that getting a CELTA would not help in getting a teaching job at a reputable private school. My assertion is that it does indeed help.

You may know many such teachers, but what do you think the ratio is of unqualified native teachers to qualified ones at private language schools? At the school I work for, and for the other 5 in its network of schools, the answer is 0/~ 95.

I admit I was wrong in encompassing everybody.

you dont need a teaching qualification to get a teaching job in poland

there are many schools, normally in smaller cities, who jump at the chance to have a native speaker on the staff

the celta or tcl cert is normally needed for a job at a more 'professional' or 'reputable' school

teaching english is a mugs game

why don't you all visit Daves ESL Cafe and see the forum on Poland.

loads of info on it.

forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewforum.php?f=19

Thread attached on merging:
TESOL Teaching English in Poland

I'm sure this has been covered before.

Are there many opportunities for teaching English in Poland. My idea is to start basic. Eventually I plan on getting the TESOL business certification and doing Business English Training. I have a degree in business with a minor in computers.

Any ideas and help would be appreciated!

Brian

I've been teaching here in Poland for over 3 years now. I work for Profi and Britam currently and also worked at Speed Callan. I was a trainer in Callan. I also have 2 years of experience in the now bankrupt NOVA but I enjoyed it out there. I have found the CELTA to be largely redundant here, some nice extra letters after the name but of minimal practical value. It just showed me how MSc and DELTA teachers teach. I scraped through my CELTA but who gives a Castlemaine XXXX? Target a school and find out their requirements. Any advice, I'd be happy to help

what course books are used at profi seanus?

English File, English in Mind, FCE Masterclass and CAE Result

and whats the attitude towards TCL examinations - are they being taken or is it predominantly cambridge?

The industry in Poland has a predilection for Cambridge courses. I get the chance to teach CPE privately which is a challenge at times. I'm teaching from this CAE Result book for the first time. Before that, it was CAE Masterclass in Callan. I hope to teach LCCI here but the relevant opportunity hasn't cropped up as of yet