Work / Teaching English in Poland, no degree just certificate [41]

Wow, Poznan is all the rage these days.

Anyway, hello! I'm in Poznan, and I'm on an industrial year from Writtle College, near Chelmsford..but I'm Scottish. Don't ask, long story ;) But anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to find a job.

If you want, I can help you with the locations of schools - Google is pretty useless, and it's highly annoying having to walk around Poznań to find schools. I know what it's like, having had to have done this at the start of September. Some schools you should also avoid like the plague - Profi-Lingua is the big one, but some of them in Poznan should be avoided too. I won't say which ones publicly - but there's at least one where the director will happily hire you after two minutes conversation with her, only for her to then expect you to be a natural at teaching Callan after 10 minutes.

What else...basically, if you need any help at all in Poznan, feel free to give me a shout - I'm contracted for 15 hours and rarely work more than 20 in a week, so I've got more than enough free time to be able to help :) Having a Polish boyfriend will really help too - my girlfriend is Polish, and without her help in certain respects, I would've been banging my head off the wall.

And yes, I would definitely say that it's worth just trying to find any job for a few months until you know what the score is. I'll ask around for you as well if you want - people know people who know people and all that ;)

I could talk about this subject all day...

Life / NHS/NFZ assistance for British expat [12]

Yep, it pretty much works like that. Make sure to take the European health care card along when you register and when you see the doctor, and there shouldn't be any issues. There isn't any clearcut guidance as to what is and what isn't free - my local osiedle doctor doesn't charge for anything that Poles would get free, but I've heard of doctors charging for everything and then leaving it for people to apply for a refund from their home country.

Of course, if you're not EU, then it complicates things :P

Work / Little Help finding out right to leave 1 yr contract. [15]

To be honest, the contract probably wouldn't be worth enforcing, either on your part or the school's part. It does depend how much less hours you're working - if it's contracted for 20 and you're getting 15, it's not really worth kicking up a fuss about. But I can understand if it's contracted for 20 and you're only getting 10 - so you really have to weigh it up. I'm not familiar with where you're from, so you have to consider that it might not be so easy getting another job too - at the very least, I would stay in your job until you land another one.

Are the other teachers getting their contracted hours? It might very well be that they just can't afford to pay you for more hours - many schools will overpay their native speakers (wrongly, in my opinion) compared to the locals, only to realise that there's no real benefit in having a native speaker around.

But another thing - what kind of director would put a 3 month break clause into a yearly contract? Seems absolute nonsense!

As for private lessons - if it's not in your contract that you're exclusive to the school, tell them to get lost, particularly if you're doing it to make up the hours that he's not giving you.

Work / Little Help finding out right to leave 1 yr contract. [15]

Wise crack? It was as much aimed at myself as it was aimed at others.

I know some Polish teachers earning less than me, who, in my opinion, are far superior teachers. Their accents are absolutely spot on - in one case, I was convinced she wasn't Polish. Should they really earn less, when their language skills are probably higher than 90% of people living in the UK and definitely higher than quite a few native speakers I've met?

Of course, you have to pay the big wages to attract the good native speakers in the first place - but I'm not wholly convinced that there's actually a need for them.

Life / NHS/NFZ assistance for British expat [12]

Jesus, I'm a complete moron. I've just noticed the 'British Expat' part in the title.

Don't bother with the NIP if you don't need it, especially as not being registered will probably cause all sorts of confusion and arguments with the tax office. You (officially) don't need to be registered in Poland to get a NIP - but I wouldn't fancy my chances of explaining this to the tax office ladies!

Finding an English speaking doctor is going to be tricky - but did you know that you can often see a private doctor ridiculously cheaply? I was quoted 120zł in Poznań to see an (English speaking!) doctor and to get the tests done. It might be worth just doing that in the meantime, until you can get your hands on an English speaking doctor.

You've got my pity that they won't phone around for you - I can't for the life of me understand this attitude of certain schools, who seem to fail to understand that foreigners here need sometimes just that little bit of extra support.

As for the medical book - nope, no need for it. But the problem is that many of these NFZ-funded practices are still stuck in pre-EU times - my local one had never seen the European card before!

Life / Exchange US DRIVING LICENCE IN POLAND by taking practical test only? [11]

Just for information purposes :

It's possible to take the theory test in Poznań in English, and the requirement is the same re sworn/certified translator.

However, I've been told that the driving examination centre isn't particularly bothered about the credentials of the translator, provided they are capable of doing the job. This being Poland though, I wouldn't rely on this - it's quite possible that it's wholly dependent on the examiner/secretary on the day, and so not worth risking. Any concrete information would be nice concerning the need for the sworn translator.

And while I'm at it - a sworn translator for the driving part only should cost no more than 120PLN.

Work / Teaching English in Poland, no degree just certificate [41]

Gjene, are you in Poznań at the moment? It's much, much easier if you're actually here - not only because you can collar the directors to their faces, but also because you can judge where is worth putting CV's into in the first place.

Having said this, it seems to be a very Poznań trait to completely ignore your CV, then call up several weeks later enquiring as to your availability. Infuriating.

Life / NHS/NFZ assistance for British expat [12]

Oh, I completely agree with the nonsense here over doing some of the simplest things - especially the nonsense with the NFZ covering everyone, but in some convoluted, complicated way.

However, it definitely seems that the rules regarding the European cards are flexible - as far as I can tell, it's supposed to be emergency care only. But the reality is that it depends on the practice - for instance, my local one is perfectly happy to accept me on the same basis as a Polish NFZ-paying individual. Which isn't bad, really :)

Work / Teaching English in Poland, no degree just certificate [41]

vndunne - Akces is the big one to avoid. Unprofessional, cramped schools, with absolutely no interest in actually teaching the students properly. They adhere strictly to the rules of the Callan/direct method - which, as anyone properly trained knows, are absolute nonsense. They also have quite fixed ideas of how English works - which is hilarious, given that the whole point of English is that every rule can be broken in every way.

I'm also told by my fellow teachers that the chain schools should be avoided - Empik, Berlitz, etc, as they're just teaching factories with fixed ideas of how teaching should work and thus aren't enjoyable places to work. Omnibus is also apparently dreadful - but they were friendly enough to me when I was dropping in CV's everywhere, so I'm really not sure.

It should be said that Callan isn't all bad, so don't discount a school based on that - but rather base it on how they teach it. If you get a good school, they won't pressure you to teach exactly how it's 'supposed' to be taught, but rather will allow you to put your own character into the lesson. There's schools out there who will let you decide what's best on that day - if they need an hour of traditional teaching for example, then a good school should allow this without any problems. But bad schools will insist upon 'THE METHOD' every lesson, for 50 minutes, every time. Avoid those like the plague - they won't be creatively satisfying, nor will they do anything for your improvement.

If you don't need to worry about the money, it'll make life much easier as you can pick up experience in a 'good' school without needing to hold out for more money.

Gjene - unfortunately, it's much, much easier to get a job once you're on the ground. I haven't met anyone who got a job here without being here first - although it is possible, it seems most schools in Poznan want to see you first. The only thing I can suggest is sending (physical) CV's to absolutely everywhere on Google, put adverts all over the internet and wait and see.

However, do consider that it's nearly December and the teaching year will end in May/June - it might be best to try and line up something for next year, rather than trying for something now. I wish you the best of luck :)

Work / Teaching English in Poland, no degree just certificate [41]

Be warned, the salaries aren't likely to be good enough to sustain you over the summer based on four months work - which makes it difficult as you'd have to find your feet pretty quickly in order to be able to find enough work over the summer months.

What you might have success in doing is applying to some of the small provincial schools - you might very well find a school willing to take you on with some hours over the summer months too. They (if it's in a small town) may also be quite happy to sort out some very cheap accomodation too.

Ignore the requirement for a degree - it's not required. As long as you can speak, read and write English well, there's really no need for one. I'm still studying towards mine, and it hasn't presented any barrier at all. Some schools might demand it - but in my opinion, if they do, they aren't worth bothering with.

And yes, the adverts present a false impression - Poland is full of language schools, Poznan is no different. The problem is that a lot of these schools won't take the risk on an unknown quantity when they can see someone 'in the flesh' here - Poznan is a short trip from many UK cities, and so there just isn't the need to risk it on non-EU citizens.

Incidentally, do you speak Polish? If you do, or if you have a Polish passport, it'll make life considerably easier when trying to find a job.

Work / Any advice to help with my move to Gdansk/Gdynia in March 09? [20]


Oh, you're not mad to go. It's mad not to consider moving to a different country for a while, if only for the experience.

Anyway, what you need.

Most important thing - make sure you've got the European health care card. It's pretty important, because it'll mean avoiding any hassle if (touch wood!) you need any health care while here.

Obviously, make sure that your passport doesn't run out anytime soon.

Errm..will you have accomodation sorted for you? If so, that'll make life much easier - but if not, I'm sure, even in Gdansk, it won't be hard to sort out

Make sure that you've got the means to get back to Ireland quickly if needs be - I've heard some horror stories of people being stuck in Poland without any support network, and it's just wise to be able to go to the airport and 'go home' without any notice.

Hmm...Polish is a nightmare to learn ;)

Ack, if you have any questions, feel free to ask...I'm no good at telling people what to bring, I came here on the spur of the moment :P

Work / Teaching English without a degree and any experience in Poland. [14]

Well, just to let you know...

I'm teaching without a degree, although I'm teaching as part of my 'gap year' from studies. I'm probably going to transfer my degree here and still teach - so no, there's no requirement to have a degree as such.

However...you should get yourself the CELTA qualification if you can. It'll open up plenty of doors, including some doors that wouldn't open for someone with just a degree and no teaching qualification. Certainly, you can build a decent career here on the back of the CELTA.

I suspect the 'degree' requirement is simply a way of many language schools trying to stop uneducated people applying - though if you prove your abilities in English via the CELTA course, then it's likely that they won't care less about the lack of a degree. Some schools might be bothered by it - but really, they aren't to be worried about.

Basically, it's not impossible - and probably far more sensible to not run up loans paying for a degree that you might not even need :)

Work / Any advice to help with my move to Gdansk/Gdynia in March 09? [20]

cold? it's not cold! it's only 0c outside and it's pouring down rain!

Work / Teaching English without a degree and any experience in Poland. [14]

To be honest, I'm really not sure why there's an insistence on having a degree - there's so many muppet degrees in the UK now that you can pass one by putting in the bare minimal effort. I even passed a module last year by putting in four hours of work in total - 2 hours writing an assignment, half an hour reading a book before the exam and an hour and a half in the exam.

Hardly says much for the academic validity of UK degrees, really.

Work / Any advice to help with my move to Gdansk/Gdynia in March 09? [20]


Sun? what's the sun? I haven't seen it in weeks..

Actually, that's a complete lie. It was warm enough to stroll around Stary Rynek yesterday wearing only a t-shirt, jumper and a thick jacket. And the sun was shining.

Law / Personal loan in Poland? (not paid off) [11]

This mythical 'blacklist' doesn't exist - apart from in terms of which EU countries have treaties with one another to chase up tax debts. I think the UK and Germany are an example of a pair of countries that have such a treaty.

Travel / How do I open a bank account in Poland with only a visitors visa? [11]

If you're on a visa, best bet is via mbank - they're somewhat lax with their checks, as they only demand that you 'declare residency'.

Law / umowa o dzielo z prawami autorskimi [10]

I'd be inclined to believe that seeing as they've willingly broken the contract, there's little to nothing they can actually do about you leaving. However, I'd make sure you were paid up until the point where you quit - they more than likely would be quick to withhold payment if you leave. If you're paid awkwardly, for instance, in a month in arearrs - then (if I recall rightly, they were very insistent about you not showing the contract to the tax office) start twisting their arms - Polish or non-Polish, it won't take much words to explain to the tax office exactly what they're upto with their contracts.

Having said this, perhaps the most sensible thing to do would be to 'get ill' this month - so you don't have to work for them, you'll still get paid by them as they'll be none the wiser, and you can then walk out once all the money has been paid. You could even get away with working for the new job in the meantime - the chances of them finding out are pretty minimal.

I look forward to reading about your experiences :)

Work / Teaching English in Poland, no degree just certificate [41]

No problem, if you need any help with Poznan and schools, feel free to ask :)

(having said this, will someone please stop this climate conference already? so many blue lights everywhere...and a bomb threat at £awica!)

Study / School list for Poland [11]

There's some private business school here constantly advertising with their stupid trailer and their stupid loudspeakers...all advertising courses in English. But the name? It escapes me...

Work / Teaching English without a degree and any experience in Poland. [14]

Oh, of course. I've known people at 'bad' universities who have had a far tougher time than I've had at Essex, despite their universities being ranked way way down the league tables. It's ridiculous - and just shows that league tables are absolute nonsense.

Work / Little Help finding out right to leave 1 yr contract. [15]


Actually, I've had quite a good laugh about this with my students - we share our painful experiences together :)


I know of schools doing just this - and it's a dreadful thing to do. I don't even teach grammar in my school - even though half of it is Callan, there's a strict rule that I don't teach grammar on the grounds of it only existing to confuse people if they can't get it explained in Polish too. And it works - I concentrate on teaching people the artistic side of the language with all the beautiful ways that English can make absolutely no sense, and the Polish teachers do the nitty-gritty technical aspects.

As for the articles - do any Slavic people full stop have a complete grasp of them? I know some people who have done a masters in English and they still make mistakes with them - despite having the most beautiful accents and ability in the language.

Travel / How do I open a bank account in Poland with only a visitors visa? [11]

The other thing I should say is that mbank categorically don't demand residency from EU citizens. I'm not sure about non-EU however - but I opened an account without any sort of registration at the time.

Nordea (in Poznan, at least) have signs on their doors saying WE SPEAK ENGLISH, so they might be worth investigating.

There's threads on here which suggest to avoid PKO like the plague, however.

Travel / New Year in Poznan [12]

Poznań at New Year appears to be nothing but a bunch of clubs charging ridiculous amounts (100zl+!) for crap entertainment.

I'm going to Wrocław. Should be better :P

Travel / Ryanair cancelling flights to Poland at short notice [55]


Hmm..I did it (nearly) in September on the spur of the moment.

Harwick-Hoek van Holland was 23 pounds walkup single
Hoek van Holland - Arnhem was 24 euro.
Arnhem-Berlin was 93 euro.
Berlin-Poznan was 22 euro.

That was walkup prices, so you should be able to find it cheaper, particularly if you don't travel IC/ICE within Europe.

News / BOOZE & CAR TAX TO AID POLAND'S NEEDY? [23]

Tusk's Solidarity roots are betraying him with this particular policy - 2zł on a litre bottle of vodka?!

As for free school lunches - tut tut, they're not what I'd expect from a Thatcherite party!

Life / Thrift Stores in Warsaw [9]

If I see one more shop selling British clothes by the kilogram, I may scream.

News / BOOZE & CAR TAX TO AID POLAND'S NEEDY? [23]


Scotland's just voted to introduce it for the first three years of primary education - but as Shelley says, the food is somewhat terrible.

Out of interest, how is this policy going to work when (to the best of my knowledge!) many Polish schools don't have kitchens?

Life / A trip to a Polish supermarket [136]


I really wish they'd get rid of the 1 and 2 grosz coins, there's just no need for them (if Holland can not use 1/2 cent coins, Poland has no excuse) - and the amount of time wasted is ridiculous.

Once in Carrefour in Wrocław, we worked out that asking for change wasted, on average, about 20 seconds per customer. It's quite possibly the most irritating thing in Poland, for me :)

Genealogy / Does anyone know anything about All Saints parish in Bialystok? [5]

The city itself is dreadful, don't go near it with a bargepole. It's the dictionary definition of 'arse end of nowhere' - though the countryside nearby is unbelievably beautiful.

In other words, don't go there unless you have no other choice ;)