Jobs Teaching English in Central and Eastern Europe

New Stability and Continued Opportunities in the CEE

By Susan Griffith

The dramatic changes which took place in the former Communist bloc following the quiet revolutions of 1989/1990 prompted a huge influx of native speakers of English as teachers and entrepreneurs. Thousands of joint ventures were launched and academic alliances forged between East and West, most of them underpinned by the English language.

That phase is now over and countries like Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are flourishing stable democracies. Many of those countries were admitted to the European Union in May 2004 and are now sometimes referred to as “the New Europe”. Yet the term Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is still used by telecoms companies and government agencies as a convenient label for the countries east of Germany including Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) and south to the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia Herzogovina). Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus can also be included for convenience.

In the early days native English speakers were eagerly welcomed as teachers throughout the region. The situation for prospective English teachers has settled down so that now it is almost essential to have some ESL training and/or experience, or at the very least friends and contacts in situ, in order to get a full-time job as an English instructor in Prague or Budapest. Vacancies tend to be in the less appealing industrial cities and provincial towns. Membership in the European Union means that for immigration purposes, nationals of other EU member states have a clear advantage over North Americans who will have to jump through a number of bureaucratic hoops in order to be hired legally.

The demand for native speakers of English—with or without qualifications—is still strong in the less developed parts of Eastern and Central Europe, especially in the Baltic states and other former satellite republics of Russia. In many of these regions, economic hardship prevails, which means that opportunities exist for expatriate teachers but remuneration is low. A number of independent placement organizations and commercial companies in the U.S. and U.K. send teachers to Eastern and Central Europe. Such programs (some are listed below) are designed primarily for individuals in search of a cultural experience who don’t mind financing themselves.

Anyone with a relevant resumé should contact the well-established schools in East European cities. To find the smaller schools on the spot, check the main TEFL websites, local English language press, notices in English language bookshops or universities.

Russia and the Newly Independent States: A TEFL Boom

The mainstream academic institutes and international language chains continue to recruit native speaker teachers despite an ever-increasing availability of trained Russian teachers of English. Most language schools are sounding more upbeat in their appraisal of the future than they were a few years ago when Russia was experiencing an economic crisis, and once again they are looking to employ expat teachers. The growing and prosperous middle class in Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities still clamors to master English for business and also as a status symbol. Education is highly valued in Russia, so university graduates with a TEFL qualification are in demand. Few schools can afford to advertise and recruit teachers abroad, thus internet advertising is becoming increasingly important. The most popular sites among Russian companies are www.visarus.co.uk (which has a forum for EFL teachers in Russia), www.tefl.com, www.eslcafe.com and www.teachabroad.com. The development of the oil industry in the Caspian Sea has resulted in an economic boom (and therefore something of a TEFL boom) in the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The U.S. investment in infrastructure has resulted in a preference for American English as the language of commerce.

Since the Central Asian republics became independent, the old Soviet order has quickly evaporated. For example, Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan—the ninth largest country in the world—is now a relatively cosmopolitan city with international hotels and private language schools. Yet it is still impossible to enter the country without an official invitation from a sponsor.

Getting a visa is still notoriously difficult, especially for the sponsoring school, which is why a number of them offer only to get their teachers a student visa (which is illegal) or a multiple entry visa, Companies with the right to invite and employ foreign teachers in Russia can arrange for a three-month single or double entry visa. The employer then has a further three months to fill in all the documents necessary to have the visa converted into a one-year multiple entry visa. Companies without prior permission to invite and employ teachers can facilitate their teachers getting a 12-month multiple entry visa; however these teachers are required to leave the country after six months on a “visa run” (typically to Estonia) to have their passport stamped on re-entry.

American Academy of Foreign Languages Moscow, Bolshaya Cheremushkinskaya ul., 17A, Moscow 117447, Russia; 011-7-499-724 22 02; info@aafl.ru; www.aafl.ru. 20 full-time and part-time native speaker teachers with EFL teaching experience, preferably in the business world. Sister office in Ukraine (Dmitreva St 16, Office 16, Kiev 03150; 011-380-44-230 26 08; academy@carrier.kiev.ua).

Benedict School, 4 Admiraltejskaya Nabereznaya, St. Petersburg 190000, Russia; 011-7-812-315 3596; benedict@peterlink.ru. 50+ teachers to stay at least 3 months in St. Petersburg or other cities. TEFL qualification preferred though Benedict School offers its own training courses.

BKC – International House, Starovagankovsky Pereulok 15, Office 3, 121019 Moscow, Russia; 011-7-495-737 5225; recruit@bkc.ru or recr@bkc-ih.com; www.bkcih-moscow.com. 200 contract and hourly paid teachers in Moscow, plus 50 more for the Moscow region. ELT qualification essential.

EF English First, 5th Floor, Building No. 15, 1st Brestskaya Street, 125047 Moscow, Russia; 011-7-495-937 3887; Svetlana.shulzhik@ef.com or recruitment@englishfirst.com; www.englishfirst.com. Recruit for 30 schools throughout Russia. 4-week certificate plus university degree required.

Language Link Russia, Novoslobodskaya ul. 5, bld. 2, 127055 Moscow, Russia; Tel. +7 495 251 4889; Fax. +7 499 973 2155; jobs@languagelink.ru; www.jobs.languagelink.ru. 200 natives speakers hired for positions throughout Russia ( Moscow and Region, St. Petersburg and Region, Volgograd, Samara, Toliatti, Ekaterinburg Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Zalanograd). Candidates without a recognized qualification may enter Language Link’s Teacher Internship Training Program. Net salary from $600 to $800 depending on location and experience plus return airfare (maximum $700 to America). Teaching positions at summer camps also available from June (camps@language.ru).

The Petroteach Project has nothing to do with the petroleum industry. This teaching internship program based in St. Petersburg places college graduates in public or private secondary schools in St. Petersburg for an academic year. Fee-paying participants must apply by June 1 for a September starting date or by December 1 for the spring program. Accommodations are with Russian host families who charge $200 a month rent. The administrative costs of placement are $470. Further information is available at www.petroteach.com.

The Svezhy Veter Travel Agency, P.O. Box 2040, 426000 Izhevsk, Russia (011-7-3412-450037; www.sv-agency.udm.ru) runs a number of programs in the seldom-visited city of Izhevsk between Moscow and the Urals. Native speakers can be placed at a local secondary school to teach mornings plus an evening course, in exchange for homestay accommodation, meals and visa support. The agency also offers placement of English-speakers on summer camps, as au pairs and in work experience positions. The agency fee is 100-150 Euros.

Baltic States: Looking Toward the West

Originally the most westernized of the old Russian states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have already joined the European Union. Unfortunately this means that employers prefer to hire European teachers since they must apply for residence permits for non-European staff which can be costly and take as long as six months (in Lithuania).

Although the main cities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have fewer academies than cities of comparable size elsewhere in Europe, the demand for English tuition remains very strong and many foreign individuals arrange to teach private lessons. Bear in mind that many bilingual second-generation Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians from North America and elsewhere have returned to work in their countries.

International Language Services (ILS) is a language training organization which employs qualified and experienced native-speaker teachers in all three Baltic countries:

ILS, Lukiskiu g. 5-511, Vilnius 01108, Lithuania; 011-370-5-262 5406; recruitment@ilsvilnius.lt; www.ilsvilnius.lt.

ILS, Roosikrantsi 8B, Tallinn 10119, Estonia; 011-372-641 2475; info@ils.ee; www.ils.ee.

ILS SIA, Brivibas 40-2, Riga, Latvia 1050; 011-371-7240 557; info@ilsriga.lv; www.ilsriga.lv.

The International Exchange Center (20 Kalku St, LV-1050 Riga , Latvia; 011-371-2-722 8228; info@iec.lv) recruits young people with a TEFL qualification for summer language camps in Russia as well as Ukraine, Belarus and a few in Latvia. It offers between 20 and 40 hours of teaching in return for a salary equivalent to local rates or free board and lodging. The application fee is $150. By all accounts the living conditions at these camps are extremely spartan.

Ukraine: Serious Shortage of Teachers

Ukraine has a serious shortage of English teachers, among many other things. Many work in a semi-voluntary capacity and must be prepared to accept a modest standard of living. However the situation has been improving and in 2006, the visa requirements were simplified, though you must find a commercial language school willing to sponsor you for a visa. A number of language institutes run conversation clubs whereby native speakers are employed to have informal discussions in English with clients.

American Academy of Foreign Languages, see Russia above.

International House, 7 Vasilevskoy str., p/B 6411, 03055 Kiev, Ukraine; 011-380-44-238 9870; dos@ih.kiev.ua; www.ih.kiev.ua/en/vacancies.htm. About 30 TEFL-certified teachers are employed.

The London School of English, 39 Polytehnichna str., Bld. 19, Office 105, Kiev, Ukraine; 011-38 044 241-9654 / 241-8927 / 236-5277; admin@lse.kiev.ua; www.lse.ua. Also has branches in Odessa and Donetsk, all of which employ native-speaker teachers with certificates.

Czech and Slovak Republics: Opportunities in Small Towns

In the years that have elapsed since the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Western-backed language schools have been joined by many private schools run by locals in both the Czech and Slovak republics. While there seems to be an equal demand for English in both republics, the majority of TEFL teachers tend to gravitate to the Czech Republic, partly because there are more established language schools in Prague than Bratislava, most of the servicing the business community.

Unless you have a recognized TEFL qualification, it remains very difficult to obtain employment in the Czech capital because of the competition from other foreigners. The acceptance of both republics into the European Union in 2004 means that British and Irish passport-holders have an advantage in the job hunt. Qualified EFL teachers are being recruited to teach in primary and secondary schools, usually on a 1-year contract with low-cost or free accommodations and a gross salary of 13,000-18,000 crowns (about $575-$800) per month. The centralized contact is the Academic Information Agency (AIA) in Prague, part of the Ministry of Education (address below). The AIA simply acts as a go-between, circulating resumés and applications from graduates form the US, Canada and other English-speaking countries to state schools, which then contact applicants directly. Its web site includes updated school vacancies with contact details, mainly in the spring and summer for a September start date.

The English language Prague Post, www.praguepost.com, carries classified advertisements including some job vacancies. In Bratislava, check the Slovak Spectator published every other Thursday. One frequent advertiser in the latter is The Language Academy in Bratislava (www.tla.sk). Another place to look for teaching and other job vacancies is on the site www.expats.cz and you can find a list of language schools in Prague on seznam.cz.

Akademie J. A. Komenskeho, U Pekařky 314/1, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic; 011-420 283 842 272; info@akademie-praha.cz. Posts available as English lecturers in 50 adult education centers and schools throughout the Czech Republic.

Akcent International House Prague, Bítovská 3, 140 00 Prague 4, Czech Republic; 011-420-2-6126 16 38; info@akcent.cz. 120+ positions for qualified teachers in and outside Prague.

Caledonian School, Vltavská 24, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic; 011-420-2-5731 3650; jobs@caledonianschool.com. Employs over 170 teachers with TEFL background to teach English in both the Czech and Slovak Republics. Some teaching is of professionals, many working for American companies.

Channel Crossings, Lazarská 8/13E, 120 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic; 011-420-2-2494 6515; www.chc.cz/en/teach-english.php. 25 full-time native English speakers.

Languages at Work, Pobrezni 4, 186 21 Prague 8, Czech Republic; tel/fax 011-420-2-2481 1379; www.languagesatwork.cz. 35 full and part-time. Teaching experience especially valued in teaching English for Specific Purposes, since clients tend to be in business, banking, law, computing, etc.

Prague Language Centre, Stepanska 24, Prague 110 00, Czech Republic; 011-420-2-2223 2932; www.plc.cz. 120 native English teachers employed with at least a TEFL Certificate. Hourly rate of 280 crowns (before deductions).

Poland: More Jobs Than Other Central European Countries

Prospects for English teachers in Poland remain more promising than in the rest of Central Europe. Even the major cities like Warsaw, Wroclaw, Kraków, Poznan, and Gdansk are hopeful destinations for the job-seeking teacher, though the job hunt is predictably easier in the lesser-known cities and towns. As in the Czech and Slovak Republics, opportunities in state schools have diminished as opportunities in the private sector have increased. Any number of commercial institute directors are delighted to interview native English speakers who present themselves in a professional manner. But it must be borne in mind that although the reverence for native speakers of English still runs high, the EFL public in Poland has slowly become more selective. Interested teachers should not expect to be snapped up unless they have at least a TEFL certificate and some sort of teaching experience.

Contacting private schools ahead of time may produce some interest, though it is much easier to find a job on the spot. Would-be teachers should dutifully do the rounds of the Dyrektors.

The current average wage in the private sector is the zloty equivalent of $10-$12 an hour (gross) whereas private lessons usually pay about 50 zloties ($16) an hour. The standard deduction is 21 percent for taxes and contributions. As long as there’s subsidized or affordable housing, this is enough for teachers working at least 20 hours a week, though most foreigners supplement this income with private tutoring on the side. US and Canadian citizens need to apply for a consular visa in their country of origin which enables them to apply for a work permit in Poland with the sponsorship of their employer.

Archibald School of English, ul. Widok 26, 00-023 Warsaw, Poland; 011-48-22 627 32 89; teaching@archibald.pl; archibald.pl. Lively native speaker teachers work alongside Polish teachers.

Brytania School Of English, Ul. Ogrodowa 12, 39-200 Debica; Tel./fax 011-48-14-670 3811; www.brytania.com.pl. Qualified TEFL teachers for this school plus branch in Tarnow.

English School of Communication Skills (ESCS), Ul. Walowa 2, 33-100 Tarnow, Poland; Tel./fax 011-48-14-690 87 49; personnel@escs.pl; www.escs.pl. Private language organization that employs 100 teachers for 5 schools in southern Poland (Krakow, Tarnow, Nowy Targ, Mysleniceb and Katowice). Also conducts summer language camps at Polish seaside.

English Unlimited, ul. Podmlynska 10, 80-855, Gdansk, Poland; Tel./fax 011-48-58-301-3373; www.eu.com.pl. A large English language school with 11 centers around Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia, etc.

International Language Centers (ILC), ul. Karmelicka 10/7, 31-128 Krakow, Poland; tel/fax 011-48-12-429 6788; info@ibes.pl; www.ibes.pl. Applications from native speakers accepted online.

Profi-Lingua, ul. 3 Maja 10/2, 40-096 Katowice, Poland; 011-48-32-253-05-19; www.profi-lingua.pl. Branches in Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Lodz, Lublin, Kielce, Katowice, Sosnowiec, Gliwice, Tychy and Zabrze. Teachers who must have a degree, TEFL certificate and 2 years of teaching experience.

Word School of Foreign Languages, ul. Wyszyñskiego 1, 39-400 Tarnobrzeg, Poland; 011-48 15 823 83 33; job@word.edu.pl. Visa assistance for qualified applicants.

Worldwide School, Popieluszki 21 paw 21, 01-591 Warsaw, Poland; Tel./fax 011-48-22-833 91 12; praca@worldwideschool.pl; www.worldwideschool.pl. 16 teachers with TEFL certificates to teach for an academic year. $1,000-$2,000 a month gross.

York School of English, ul. Mackiewicza 12, 31-213 Krakow, Poland; 011-48-12-415 1818; www.york.edu.pl. Employs teachers of many nationalities.

Hungary: Opportunities Are Mostly in Provinces

Partly because the Hungarian language is so difficult to master and partly because of the success of the program to retrain teachers who taught Russian in the bad old days, many schools prefer native Hungarians as English teachers. Despite this, a demand for qualified native speakers still exists, especially in the business market. The invasion by foreigners of Budapest was never as overwhelming as it was (and is) in Prague, but Budapest still has a glut of teachers. More opportunities exist in the provinces though, even in the more remote parts of the country, formal academic qualifications are important.

ILC Nyelviskola, Markovits Iván utca 4. I/5, Budapest, Hungary; 011-36-1-202 33 37; info@ilc.hu; www.angol4xgyorsabb.com or www.ilc.hu. Sister school of International Language Center Krakow (see above). Applications from native speakers accepted online.

Tudomany Nyelviskola, Tavasz u.3, 1033 Budapest, Hungary; Tel./fax 011-36-1-368 1156; info@tudomanynyelviskola.hu; www.tudomanynyelviskola.hu. Affiliated with ELT training centre Via Lingua Budapest (Tavasz u. 3, 1033 Budapest; tel./fax 011-36-1-368 11 56; www.via-lingua.hu). Local interviews essential.

Vocational Academy, Teleki u 18, 9022 Györ, Hungary; 011-36-96-512010; www.vocational.hu. Teachers from English-speaking countries to work in business.

SUSAN GRIFFITH is co-editor of Work Abroad and contributing editor for Work Abroad for Transitions Abroad Magazine. See Susan's bio for more information about her extensive bibliography.