South Americans living in Poland, going to teach English and Spanish.

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Nov 28, 10, 18:50 #1

Hi.

My name is Guillermo Duarte and basically I'm keen on moving to Poland in a few years. I will be an english teacher, but, since I have spanish as mother tongue, I'd like to teach spanish as well. I've wanted to find some information about working in Poland, but it seems to be a bit difficult. That's why I decided to contact southamerican, especially chilean people, living in Poland, to know deeply if there's any chance to move there.

I hope someone from south america can help me

Greetings from Chile!

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Nov 28, 10, 18:58 #2

willyduarte:

I will be an english teacher, but, since I have spanish as mother tongue, I'd like to teach spanish as well. I've wanted to find some information about working in Poland, but it seems to be a bit difficult.

You're right, it's very difficult. You'll need a work permit for every single job, even if it's for 1 hour a week. Most people won't bother to apply for work permits for all but the most exceptional candidates, due to the bureaucracy and time hassle involved.

If you have about 5000 Euro spare, then you can move here quite easily - you can start a limited liability company, and use this for the basis of applying for a residence permit. It's complicated and tedious, but it's really the best way.

Why Poland, out of interest? Why not Spain?

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Nov 28, 10, 19:15 #3

Thanks for your reply!
First of all, I've always wanted to move to Europe. But I've never thought about where specifically. A couple of months ago, I looked for some information about Poland, just because I had met some polish friends on internet. After that, according to the information I read, Poland seemed to be a nice place to start working. I know there're many countries better, economically, than Poland, but I don't want to start living in a country that I know I won't have any chance to get a job. (ie. UK, an so on)
And I don't like Spain. Maybe to visit, but I wouldn't like to work there. But, being honest, if there's any chance to get a job, I wouldn't think it twice. I would take it. But so far, I want to look for some information about Poland.
I would like to know if I can work teaching spanish there. I think schools and institutes would like to have a huge variety of spanish tongues, as in english, where you can teach either american english or RP

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Nov 28, 10, 19:59 #4

willyduarte:

Poland seemed to be a nice place to start working. I know there're many countries better, economically, than Poland, but I don't want to start living in a country that I know I won't have any chance to get a job. (ie. UK, an so on)

Well, the official Polish unemployment rate according to the last data is around 11.5%. The UK is around 7.5%. Bear in mind that you're far more likely to get a job in a country where you speak the language (the UK) than in a country where you don't (Poland). As for being a nice place to work - many language teachers here are without even basic health insurance. If they do have health insurance, then they have to pay quite a lot in taxation (effectively, around 35%).

willyduarte:

I would like to know if I can work teaching spanish there. I think schools and institutes would like to have a huge variety of spanish tongues, as in english, where you can teach either american english or RP

I've said it elsewhere on this forum, but the problem with Spanish is that it's seen as a "fun" language. It's not taken seriously, unlike English/German - so unless you have a decent educational background in Spanish (ie, Masters degree in Spanish or similar - a BA won't cut it) - it's unlikely that you'll find a good job. The old work permit always comes into play, as well as there being plenty of Spanish speakers already in Poland who want to find work and who have the advantage of already being here and able to talk to school directors.

As for English, it's not impossible, but put yourself in the shoes of a school director - what do you offer them that makes it worth getting a work permit?

If you seriously want to move to Poland, get at least a Masters degree in a discipline related to the Spanish language, work for a couple of years at a university and try and find a job that way. You'll then be worth something.

Luelle	Apr 23, 11, 20:19 #5
Well, it's not so difficult. There's a lot of english schools in Poland, e.g. Speed School of English, it's very expensive, so I think it's well payed job. As well, many public schools in Poland would like to hire native spanish teacher, e.g. II LO in Katowice. greetings from Poland (;

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Apr 23, 11, 21:37 #6
Luelle: As well, many public schools in Poland would like to hire native spanish teacher, e.g. II LO in Katowice. Sure, and they'll pay them in accordance with the payscale - which is pathetic for a newbie teacher.

Ale AngelsThreads: - Posts: 6 Joined: May 10, 12 ♂	May 10, 12, 22:01 #7
Hi, I know this is an old post, but I'm South American too, and I was thinking about moving to Poland. I'm from Brazil, but I have also an Italian citizenship. I'd like to know, first, if that citizenship can make things easiear. And second, if it's easy to find Polish courses for foreigners. Can anyone help me with those two questions? Thanks

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May 11, 12, 11:40 #8

Ale Angels:

Hi, I know this is an old post, but I'm South American too, and I was thinking about moving to Poland.

You're insane to want to move to Poland, but whatever, the world needs idiots. If anything half of Spain's, Portugal's and Italy's students are moving to Brazil looking for work right now.

I'd like to know, first, if that citizenship can make things easiear.

Yes. You are an EU national and a part of the Schengen zone. You can live and work anywhere. I do recommend reading a bit about this as some of this information could be very useful for you.

And second, if it's easy to find Polish courses for foreigners.

It kind of depends where you live. A 25k person town in the middle of nowhere? No. Any of the large cities in Poland (Poznan, Wroclaw, Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk), there are numerous courses to choose from.

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May 11, 12, 17:07 #9

Hey brow, thanks for the advices..
Good luck to europeans looking for jobs here... the only thing they'll find here is a rich government with poor citizens and the highest taxes in the world. Even with a very high wage, people live a miserable life.
I went to poland in January and I liked it pretty much..
I was thinking about Tarnów. It's not one of the biggest cities, but it's big enough to have some opportunities, right?

pantslessThreads: 1 Posts: 177 Joined: Feb 1, 10 ♂	May 12, 12, 00:23 #10
Ale Angels: some opportunities, right? What kind of opportunities are you talking about here? Fighting skinheads? Selling drugs? Teaching Portuguese? Learning Polish? Opening a business?

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May 14, 12, 15:55 #11

I started working when I was 14. And ever since I dug my way to the top. Now, I'm in a good company, doing a well paid job, but life here is ****.
So I'd rather drop everything and work as handy man in a country that offers a nice quality of life, than staying here.

I don't know so much as you do about the situation in Poland, so that's why I'm asking about it.
It seems like a peacefull country (though it has it's history)...
Skinheads? That's complicated..

pantslessThreads: 1 Posts: 177 Joined: Feb 1, 10 ♂	May 14, 12, 16:31 #12
Ale Angels: handy man in a country that offers a nice quality of life, than staying here. THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE. If you dont understand this proverb, it means people always thinks someone "over there" have a better life than you "over here".

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May 14, 12, 18:19 #13

hey, thanks for the advice...
I really wish you could come over to see our grass. You'd be impressed!

We spend 4 - 6 hours of our day stuck in traffic (average).
Depending on where you're heading, you MUST carrie a gun (or other weapon) tucked in your waiste, otherwise you better stay home. (and if you carrie them, you must be prepared to use them).
40% of your earnings go to the government.
up to 60% of what you buy, also go to the government
Nothing public works correctly..
etc
etc

Now I ask you, what bothers you most, in Poland? (just so I understand your point of view)

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May 14, 12, 23:25 #14

Ale Angels:

We spend 4 - 6 hours of our day stuck in traffic (average).
Depending on where you're heading, you MUST carrie a gun (or other weapon) tucked in your waiste, otherwise you better stay home. (and if you carrie them, you must be prepared to use them).
40% of your earnings go to the government.
up to 60% of what you buy, also go to the government
Nothing public works correctly..
etc
etc

I spend sometimes up to an hour driving 10 km. the traffic and public transportaiton system is so bad that i bought a bike and scooter.
No major crime like murder and the need for a weapon, but petty theft and muggings are quite common. Ive had two bikes stolen, everything that I ever left outside in the yard, my car's side mirrors and bumper. ive been in two fights with strangers.
40% of your salary also goes to the government
23% VAT on all goods, gas costs almost 6zl or 1.4 euro
Nothing works that well over here either
corruption is rampant, the bureaucracy mind-staggering complicated and slow
salaries are low, costs of living are very high
an average apartment in an average part of town costs 300000 pln,
most people make 2000-3000zl net a month, just to survive costs 1500-2000zl a month

oh yea the winters are brutal and depressing if you dont do any winter sports (good luck affording them)

WulkanThreads: 1 Posts: 344 Joined: Dec 28, 07 ♂	May 15, 12, 00:24 #15
Teaching Spanish would be a good idea but not English. You are not a native English speaker so you wouldn't have a right accent and you don't speak Polish so your communication with students would be limitted.

Ale AngelsThreads: - Posts: 6 Joined: May 10, 12 ♂	May 15, 12, 14:55 #16
So, Corruption rules in there too.. I had no idea of that.. Fights, thefts and other social crimes don't bother me anymore.. but corruption is something that is critical to a country developpement, isn't it? I do like winter sports, but I'm not thinking about it yet. About the apartement prices, it's more expensive than I thought. In which city would it be? All of them, or just the bigger ones?

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Edited by: pantsless May 17, 12, 13:34 #17

Ale Angels:

So, Corruption rules in there too.. I had no idea of that..
Fights, thefts and other social crimes don't bother me anymore.. but corruption is something that is critical to a country developpement, isn't it?
I do like winter sports, but I'm not thinking about it yet. About the apartement prices, it's more expensive than I thought.
In which city would it be? All of them, or just the bigger ones?

Poland is the most corrupt country in the EU besides Estonia, but who ever heard of Estonia... Of course its critical for development, but money is so poorly mismanaged Im actually thrilled that they did anything at all with it. of course most public projects require maintenance works within two to four years after completion because they were so poorly built, but hey..

300000zl-250000zl is considered the "standard" price for an apartment in Poland in all of the major cities except for Warsaw, everything there is 1.5x to 2.0x more expensive. The problem with Poland is that although real estate is cheaper outside the major cities, the salaries are even crappier, not to say that life in a small city without knowing Polish will be very hard. The only cities worth considering are: Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Katowice. Warsaw is the "best" in terms of salaries.

baskerThreads: - Posts: 3 Joined: May 21, 12 ♂	May 23, 12, 13:28 #18
pantsless pantsless: Poland is the most corrupt country in the EU besides Estonia, but who ever heard of Estonia. I think you can not imagine how is the corruption in Spain, Italy or Greece. This countries have been gone bankrupt by the politicians, while these are becoming millionaires.

pantslessThreads: 1 Posts: 177 Joined: Feb 1, 10 ♂	May 23, 12, 17:13 #19
basker: I think you can not imagine how is the corruption in Spain, Italy or Greece. This countries have been gone bankrupt by the politicians, while these are becoming millionaires. You are quite right, I misinterpreted the results provided by http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/, Poland actually is the least corrupt in Central/East Europe. However, Spain is less corrupt than Poland.

4 eignerThreads: - Posts: 84 Joined: Aug 15, 11 ♂	May 23, 12, 19:45 #20
willyduarte: South Americans living in Poland, going to teach English Good luck then ;-)

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