Advice on Teaching English in Poland

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Edited by: Lonman May 25, 09, 10:45 #181

dtaylor5632:

as i said before, we should strive to improve not only ourselves, but our teaching itself.
Doors will open for us, and despite the strange rep i have on here, i hold down a full time job, plus 12 private students, and im a consultant at one of Polands biggest firms. I never show up late for a lesson, i often spend more than i need too explaining grammar, and through that fact i live a healthy life here ;)

I am just curious before you started teaching (and any other person who wishes to answer) how would you describe your grasp of English grammar?

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a "sticky" as it applies to this Forum?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 12:47 #182
My graps of English grammar before October 2001 was not ideal but it doesn't take long to pick things up :) Sticky, I dunno :(

niejestemcapitaThreads: 3 Posts: 666 Joined: Jan 3, 09 ♀	May 25, 09, 12:58 #183
Lonman: how would you describe your grasp of English grammar? Before I started teaching,minimal...(this is a noun, a verb is a "doing word"!) Transitive? INtransitive? Subjunctive? WTFis that?????

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 13:00 #184
And now only fractionally better? ;) ;)

niejestemcapitaThreads: 3 Posts: 666 Joined: Jan 3, 09 ♀	May 25, 09, 13:02 #185
Seanus: And now only fractionally better? ;) ;) ha ha ha......yes a small fraction...! There certainly have been some embarrassing moments over the years...of course now I am also expert in sidestepping questions..:)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 13:11 #186
Just like a politician, I do the same on occasion. That's good advice, make it out like a kind of assignment for the students to check for themselves.

niejestemcapitaThreads: 3 Posts: 666 Joined: Jan 3, 09 ♀	May 25, 09, 13:13 #187
Seanus: make it out like a kind of assignment for the students to check for themselves. yeh or throw the question to the class.. some smartass will always know....;) (teacher, sorry facilitator, wipes sweaty brow in relief!)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 13:18 #188
A facilitator is more what I see myself as now (in my main school). I was a mere mouthpiece most of the time at Callan. Profi-Lingua, well, a bit more of a regular teacher but still not as much of a teacher. Britam is the school at which I feel best as I am a teacher who makes their own lesson plans there and has to adapt articles.

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May 25, 09, 13:31 #189

Sticky means that it's always on top of the forum board. In most forums there's a special "sticky" section with topics that regard certain reappearing subjects, they usually include some kind of a tutorial, and advices, hence it's a shame to loose them over time.

Not to dash away from the main topic, I'll have to say I was really fond of my teachers teaching methods in Gliwice, in the British Council English school, he's name was Jamie, he was a scottish expat and he was really creative, every lesson included some kind of a game, story telling all mingled with standard teaching lessons ( every person has to do his amount of formal and informal writing stuff ), a really great and interesting formula

LonmanThreads: 5 Posts: 75 Joined: Sep 13, 07 ♂	Edited by: Moderator May 25, 09, 13:51 #190
So I actually feel better now. Sounds like control is part of the battle and being prepared for questions the students put forward. Even though I am an American I never spent a great amount of time learning structure. If it sounded right and looked right on paper then I figured I was good to go. As to sticky I would vote that this topic could be a sticky. It already is a sticky ;)

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Edited by: Seanus May 25, 09, 13:59 #191

Jamie, when was he around? A broad repertoire helps. If there's one thing that Callan did right, it was to shortcut the grammatical explanations. You simply don't have the luxury of fully teasing out all the strains of it. A few letters, a couple of teaching signs, and away I went.

For example, teaching transitive and intransitive. I used S V O and S V. Teaching passive voice, S V O in the active voice and the object becomes the subject in the passive voice, so, inversional arrows. Also, keep it visual when doing this, e.g I kicked the chair, label the parts, and then say the chair was kicked by me and show the switching. Show that the action passes from the subject, through the verb, to the object. Very easy.

frdThreads: 8 Posts: 1,956 Joined: Feb 3, 09 ♂	May 25, 09, 14:17 #192
Seanus: Jamie, when was he around? It was 3 to 4 years ago, I'm not exactly sure, do you know him? I don't think he was teaching Callan, there was lots of grammar from time to time..

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 14:22 #193
I've been here for 4.5 years but I've never heard of him.

Foreigner4Threads: 22 Posts: 1,990 Joined: Nov 18, 07 ♂	May 25, 09, 21:05 #194
i remember Jaimie he worked in Kato for a spell but then had enough of Profi and jetted to a different school-students loved him. Tall, thin, brown hair and i think one or two teeth out of place, is that him (don't think he ever did callan though, seemed the type to be dead set against that kind of thing)?

frdThreads: 8 Posts: 1,956 Joined: Feb 3, 09 ♂	May 25, 09, 21:10 #195
Yeah, that's exactly him, he was mainly teaching in Kato from what I know, but I attended classes in Gliwice. From what I remember he moved to Spain or somewhere.. do you have any contact with him?

Foreigner4Threads: 22 Posts: 1,990 Joined: Nov 18, 07 ♂	May 28, 09, 21:15 #196
When he left he really did it like a pro, changed his number and flat and just plain vanished. I tend not to try to make friends with many expats here as they all just seem to leave in half a year anyhow.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	May 29, 09, 13:15 #197
Most of them, For4, most of them :)

moonlightThreads: 7 Posts: 115 Joined: Nov 10, 08 ♀	Jun 18, 09, 20:46 #198
Ok Im sure this has been asked many times before but OMG there is so much info on this site and I'm being a bit lazy :) Just wondering what the general view is about ESL Bell...good, bad, avoid like the plague?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Jun 20, 09, 15:14 #199
Bell, a little pricey. Best avoided!

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Jun 21, 09, 20:27 #200
moonlight: Just wondering what the general view is about ESL Bell...good, bad, avoid like the plague? Money is pathetic, as far as I know...

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Jul 2, 09, 15:24 #201

Hi....
I have been looking to enrol for a CELTA course in Sydney. I have a bachelors and a master’s degree in Business with 9 years of sales and marketing experience. Although I have studied English for 17 yrs ….I am not a native speaker…in terms of acquiring
local ascent (Even though I have lived in this country over 10 yrs). I called a couple of English schools in Eastern Europe especially Poland. The feed back was very disappointing even though I have a good command over this language and have studied this language for so many year (Grammar for 8-10 years in school, 5 yrs of creative writing).I have a strong feeling that I might be discriminated of not being a native speaker as I am looking for an employment opportunity towards eastern Europe. Your feedback will be deeply appreciated, as this shall help me to make my decision towards doing this course or not.

Cheers

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Edited by: Harry Jul 2, 09, 15:32 #202

amit_m:

I have a strong feeling that I might be discriminated of not being a native speaker as I am looking for an employment opportunity towards eastern Europe.

You will be discriminated against.

amit_m:

Your feedback will be deeply appreciated, as this shall help me to make my decision towards doing this course or not.

Save your money: the few places which will give a non-Polish non-native speaker will also hire completely unqualified teachers.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Jul 3, 09, 10:53 #203
Harry is right, many native speakers want to leave Britain and other places and they will be first in line.

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Jul 3, 09, 11:39 #204

Seanus:

they will be first in line.

And right behind them are the Polish teachers of English (who are properly qualified and no hassle to employ because they don't need work permits and can easily set up their own companies). And behind them will be properly qualified English teachers from countries like Ukraine (who find it much easier to get residency permits (at least for six months) and work permits).

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Jul 3, 09, 11:42 #205
It's not that hard to set up your own company but it is easier for Poles. Properly qualified, LOL. You don't need 'proper' qualifications to do much of the teaching I've seen here. It's the hardest for American teachers due to the complicated document requirements.

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Jul 3, 09, 12:00 #206

Seanus:

It's the hardest for American teachers due to the complicated document requirements.

Canadians would disagree with you, what which them having to set up limited partnerships instead of the one-person companies which Yanks can set up

Seanus:

Properly qualified, LOL. You don't need 'proper' qualifications to do much of the teaching I've seen here.

Yes, but the point is that a qualified non-native speaker will get the job over a non-qualified non-native speaker.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Jul 3, 09, 12:22 #207
Maybe true, I've only known Polish-Canadians :) Well, that's for sure :)

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Jul 10, 09, 15:25 #208

I have been reading some other forums (oops) and I am begining to wonder if I have been foolish and naive. I was happy enough with the pay I was offered as I am an inexperienced teacher. I want to develop and gain experience so I also considered this when I was making my decision. Judging by the comments I have read (elsewhere, not on this forum) I am considered to be driving down prices by accepting this pay. I have to admit that pay is not a hugh worry for me as I will have income from another source also but this does not mean I want to or am willing to work for less that is appropriate.

As an inexperienced teacher what sort of wage is acceptable?

HarryThreads: 62 Posts: 8,508 Joined: May 2, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Jul 10, 09, 15:36 #209
moonlight: As an inexperienced teacher what sort of wage is acceptable? Where? Here in Warsaw you should be asking at least 45zl per 45 minute lesson.

moonlightThreads: 7 Posts: 115 Joined: Nov 10, 08 ♀	Jul 10, 09, 16:07 #210
The school is in Bydgoszcz. Oh good, that seems to be ok. Thanks. Sometimes I think it's a bad idea to read too much.

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