Teaching English in Brussels

No Shortage of Jobs, Even for Uncredentialed

by Wendy Schatzman

Paris may be the first choice for those seeking English teaching jobs in Europe, but Brussels offers many more benefits. There is no shortage of jobs for good teachers, including native speakers who have no formal teaching credentials. Brussels is a small city and easy to navigate. Rents, even in the center of town, are affordable.

The best way to go about getting a job in Brussels is not by sending a resume from overseas but by calling the company and making an appointment to meet with them in person. Don’t expect to get a job before an interview. Also, buy The Bulletin, Brussels’ English-language weekly magazine. These days it is filled with job ads, including some for teachers.

Eurospeak, www.eurospeak.be/doc-e.html, a small school run by Marleen Das, is my favorite among the English language schools. Once you teach a few classes and earn a reputation for being on time, organized, and effective, you should be able to get regular employment there. You can probably take free language classes too. Tell Marleen I sent you. For those schools for which you have no information, I advise exercising caution. Start out teaching one course for the first month and agree to teach more classes only if you have a good feeling about the school and have been paid.

The following language schools in Brussels are ones with which I have some familiarity:

Eurospeak, www.eurospeak.be/doc-e.html, Rue de Stassart, 49, 1050 Brussels; (011) 32-2-511-89-12. Contact: Marlene Das. My top choice. Ms. Das is loyal to good teachers and will provide them with regular work once they have established a good track record.

Foundation 9, www.ulb.ac.be/assoc/fondation9, Ave. Louise, 412, 1050 Brussels; (011) 32-2-640-21-92. Contact: Claudine Duquesne.

CPAB, www.cpab.net, Galeries de la Toison d’Or, Chaussee d’Ixelles, 29-31, 1050 Brussels; (011) 32-2-511-0109. May International, Rue Lebroussart, 40, 1050 Brussels; (011) 32-2-640-87-03. Good for a first school to start with, though usually wants two years of experience.

Brussels Language Studies (BLS), sylvaine@pophost.eunet.be, Rue du Marteau 8, 1210 Brussels; (011) 32-2-217-23-73.

Languages Unlimited, www.languages-unlimited.be. Especially recommended for anyone who has taught Asian students of English.

Web Editor's Note: See www.xpats.com for an exhaustive list of language schools and other information about Belgium in English.

WENDY SCHATZMAN is an English language teacher and journalist in Brussels.