ESL Jobs Forum

[thespaniard]

Hello there everyone,

I'm preparing to start my brand new career teaching abroad and am trying to decide between the four countries mentioned above. Does anyone have any recommendations on where I'll earn the most, have the most job opportunities, and most importantly have the most fun!

Looking forward to hearing back.

The Spaniard

[tomde]

That's an easy one...no contest it's Poland!

- Tom

[iluvsienfeld]

I'll have to chose Poland as well. Czech is certainly beautiful but it's small and over run with College kids thinking that Prague is the best thing since sliced bread. Let them have it...I'll take Poland and Krakow anyday!

- Macy

[Curica]

I am an ESL teacher in Croatia. I am just curious how much do they pay for an ESL teacher in Poland? In Croatia, like I had mentioned previously in my last post I am only getting something like 700 Eu. What about in Poland?

[jpeebles]

Hi Curica,

A professional EFL'ers salary will vary widly depending on where they teach, the type of teaching they are doing, and the workload they are willing to undertake. I would say salaries can range anywhere from 2000 PLN to upwards of 3500 PLN...again depending on any number of factors.

JP

[english-test.net]

Well, Poland certainly is an interesting country to work as ESL teacher. People in Poland are very opend-minded, if you try to speak some Polish they will greatly appreciate your efforts.
I also have been to Kiev several times and I think it's a good place to gain working experiences, too.
_________________
ESL Blog

[dcklondon]

Have you thought about the Baltic countries? The capital cities in each are quite lively, Riga being by far the biggest of the three. They all have really nice old towns and as they are new members to the EU there are lots of jobs going. It's one of the areas where it's still a teacher's market rather than an employer's market. Rates of pay are usually very good. I'm earning well over the odds here in Riga and enjoying Latvia a lot, though the language is proving quite pesky to learn! David

[camelcarl]

I vote for Poland. Anyone been to the gastromatic there in Katowice? I love that place.

CC

[jacek.frytz]

Karl, I know the place, but it's actually "Gastonomic", not "Gastromatic". Great hot dogs though.

Jack

[Bezdomny]

I would have to say (having lived in all the above mentioned countries), that you'll get the most bang for your buck in Moscow. That place is unbelievable! I can even advise you onw how to "get in" there. In prague the pay is refugee level. Krakov is fun but no room for advancement. Ukraine is troglyditic. In Moscow you can earn enough to live a decent life, and there is always room for advancement and ways to earn more money.

-Jeff

[PittsburghPete]

I'd have to agree with old TomD there. That nasty place has the best thing going, in my opinion. I've also eaten at that greasy Gastronomic stand that keeps getting mentioned. Puts a stufin in ya gut, I'll tell you what. What a relic from more interesting times. Yeehaw.
_________________

"You might be a redneck if you spent more money on your pickup truck than on your education." --Joe Foxworthy.

[Peter North]

Don't know about that Gastronomic place, sounds like at best it could cause some "gastro" - intenstinal problems. I knew a great place like that in Amsterdam called "Tolkein's", of the JRR variety. They served a lot of coffee there if you know what I mean...By the way that's a great ESL market if you know your way around, but everybody seems to pass it over.

And be sure to check out my new Movie, "North Pole" I'd leave the link here but it would probably be censored, you know those parental blockers out there

[Yuci]

Hi!
I am new to the forum..I have some difficulties finding an English teaching job. I currently live in Chicago. I am originally from Romania.I have a Master in TESL, 2 years experience teaching in Chicago.I have American citizenship.
I feel I should find lots of opportunities, but I don't.
I would love to teach in Romania, or any other country around there...
Any suggestions?

[khrystene]

Interesting that so many people picked Poland as the best place to work in, out of the given choices.

I also live and work in Poland. Originally from Australia.

Of course there are problems, and I've not worked in other of the mentioned countries, but I think the life here is quite interesting.

Thankfully, where I am, not far from Bydgoszcz, there aren't too many obnoxious tourists. Also it's a University town, so I find myself in a fairly youthful environment, which is also quite nice.

Pay's not too bad. Not like Warszawa, but then it's dearer to live in W.

Luckily, or not so luckily sometimes, I have Polish citizenship, so I can work in any field or anywhere for as long as I like here...

All the best to everyone throughout the former Commie states or C & E Europe!!!

[CizinkaNaZemi]

I live in the most central city of Central Europe - four or five hours from Prague, Krakov, Vienna, and Bratislava with Budapest not much farther - but every time I visit one of those big cities, I'm glad to come home to the land that tourists forgot. By the way, like a lot of post-industrial cities, it has a thriving pub&club scene. Any guesses where I am?
The pay certainly won't be stellar in American terms, but the lower cost of living, the relative ease of getting around, and the benefits in terms of really getting to know the country and the people (and having any chance of learning the language) will make up the difference.
Prague can certainly be fun if you want to stick with other ex-pats (Radost, anyone?), but if I were you I'd keep my eyes open for a good language school in a smaller city. As someone else mentioned, university towns may be a good place to look. You're more likely to find a diverse English-speaking international community as well as interesting activities.
Besides, your students and colleagues will be grateful to have a native speaker, not jaded about just another transient foreigner.
_________________
"... And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth."