New English 'teacher' in Poland (I have no qualifications).

Just because someone themselves can do something doesn't mean they can teach it. Not everyone is cut out for teaching.
Best to step back and look at the big picture, beyond just your own financial needs.

I like Swan. David Crystal is another good author/grammarian. His encyclopedia is actually fun to read.

No, that's right and this guy won't know if he is or isn't until he tries it. Then if he is any good at it, it makes going for the qualification worthwhile. If he's not good or doesn't like it then he didn't waste his time putting himself through the qualification.

The qualification isn't everything, there are teachers with qualifications who are poor teachers. My friends sister and her class have just put in a complaint about their English teacher because the woman is just not interested.

I agree. If I ever tried to teach my lack of patience would have half the class dead within the hour.

Right. I didn’t mean to deter anyone from doing what they want to do. I just know that in America many are hung up on the notion that 'all one needs to do is to want to do something and they can'. While this is a good attitude for the determined, it also leads to things like unfit or incompetent people holding positions they have no business in holding.

I personally know a girl who is terrible with her own kids –intolerant, impatient, easily annoyed, etc.- but for her job she is an elementary school teacher. When asked why about this seeming contradiction, her explanation is that she passed the schooling and she needs the income.

One can just imagine how the children in her class suffer to a degree for nothing more than her to fulfill her own personal desires. That’s not right.

So again I say, just because someone can do something, this doesn’t mean they should.
Seems to me there needs to be more emphasis put on matching personalities to the proper careers, rather than just what someone wants to do.

Edit:


Lol! I just wrote about this! :)

Very true, some teachers who have qualifications make teaching about as interesting as watching paint dry.

Matching personalities to their proper careers, one of the best comments I've read here in a long while. Correct, Randal. I've been thinking about this. It doesn't really matter the money you make. If everyone went in pursuit of money jobs, we'd have fighting and a loss of skills. People like watch repairers, garbage collectors and cleaners are not well paid but where would we be without them? There are many important roles in today's society and getting the right personality for the right job is the most important thing.

Again Randal, I tip my hat to your comment. Here's to those that earn little over 1000PLN a month but do a sterling job!!

i'm a native speaker in Wroclaw and some off you are right about teaching although i have no qualifications to start with it was hard, i only have conversations with students and its all about making it interesting and confidence is a key because you do have to correct them and the more you do the more they realise you are here to help with their English. I don't think because i'm a native that for sure i'll be able to teach i did do research and alway prepare for my lessons with each individual person.

But i'm still pretty new to this and it can be difficult that's why this summer i'm going to try a teaching course because a lot of schools are looking for this.

I'm in kinda the same boat. I am in Krakow now, I will take the CELTA in July back in England, my local college does it for very very cheap.

How do you prepare your lessons jesse? Which resources and materials have you been using

i'm finding flash cards very useful they are sold in either small packs or large and on 1 side it has something in English for instance Happy birthday and in polish on the other side (it also helps me with my polish) i will show them the polish side and ask them what it is in English if some things they don't know i will show them, usually they know when they see it and then i will ask them to tell me about their last birthday or what ever the topic is, i have fun with it because there are so many different topic's to choose from, also English magazine are helpful we pick out something to talk about, i also enjoy the lesson this way and it doesn't seem so much like "teaching" : )

Thank you, Seanus. :)

I wouldn’t want my words to deter anyone from pursuing their dreams and desires or exploring their talents. Rather, everyone should just keep in mind what they are fit to do, beyond just their personal motivations.

Some jobs, like teaching, are too important to be compromised by external interests. There is already enough of that.

Perhaps the person who started this thread will make a wonderful teacher? By what they wrote, it just seemed to me that their primary motive was their own income.

It's good when you get that latitude. The best teaching comes when you create your own lesson plans and have a vision for the lesson. I have some pre-prepared classes which is fine for when you are pushed for time but it's better to use your own imagination. Tutoring is good in this respect, it gives you more leeway.

it makes it more fun for you and your student, i have a laugh with mine and it makes them more relaxed so English comes to them more easier when they are relaxed, I know the feeling when trying to learn a new language and you are nervous you get mind block.

Precisely, you want a lesson to be memorable for them. Light-hearted lessons make them come back for more. I'd happily sacrifice achieving well in pedantic criteria for striking a chord with your group and maintaining their interest. I'm lucky enough to do both but I put it down to experience, nothing special, just exp.

You seem to have a good and suited disposition, Seanus. I bet you make a fine teacher. Provided you withhold the Liberalism, of course… Lol… ;)

Yes you put it like that I can see that lawyers and rocket scientists have it easy when compared with a language teacher. So why would a student who isn't keen on learning the language approach you to pay 50+ zloty an hour for English practice? Or are you talking about forcing groups of children through language classes they would rather not do?


Good on you man. Just choose your book and you're away. Ask the punter (sorry Seanus - recipient of the catalysation experience) if they have a book they use already, head down the book shop and off you go. Later on when you get to know them better you can try fishing articles and stuff off the internet and you'll pick up a few ideas as you go. Some of the best classes I've done were before I went on training courses...sigh...

Remember to have a chat (sorry again Seanus - pre course needs analysis / placement interview) about why they want to learn English, what their interests are, what they don't want to do and stuff like that.


No, I've spent the last decade in a hut in a small village in Poland listening to Disco Polo and doing English for cows. You?

Liberalism doesn't creep into my teaching, at least I don't think it does ;)

Good advice. These people are paying you so its important to know what they want to get out of the classes and to remember that as you continue the classes. Its actually much easier to teach higher level students (at least for me) as they don't require grammar. I have a degree and background in business so I mainly teach high level corporate students. I don't use books but current event exercises and articles from the economist for the most part. Try your best to keep the classes interesting and entertaining. Coffee and tea helps the students stay interested. The first class is a meet and greet so find out some things about them and their interests so you know what direction to focus your teaching and have some general exercises to go through. Some type of aptitude test is good as well. Maybe have some entertaining story about your life to tell. Its good to be a bit nervous. It means that you care. If your knowledge of grammar is poor, then you can advertise yourself as a conversational English teacher.

Having a degree in business helps. My management degree has helped out in private lessons.

As a native speaker, having a chat is key. Without it, they may feel cheated.

Polish students charge 30-35 zl per English lesson and I would rather go for a native speaker. Even not having qualifications, you MUST be better than they are. Chin up and give it a go.

Yeah, it may be the start of something really positive. You may really like it.

Unless your students tell you they want your lessons only because they fancy you.. That really can et you down.

The key is not to get into that position ;)

And let’s not forget that one should be fluent in Polish in order to teach English to Polanders.
There was some debate here about this requirement before, but I still do not believe one can be an effective teacher if they cannot communicate with and answer the questions of their students.

disagree......not the case at all.

here in UK i sometimes have as many as 7 or 8 different language speakers in the same class.

Should I be fluent in Chinese Korean Japanese Spanish Italian Hungarian AND POlish>>>?

I agree with that. If I didn't know Polish, I can think of a fair few situations which would've been quite a bit trickier. You are a perceptive lad Randal.

Sorry, if you are dealing with only one nationality as I do now, it is a definite plus to KNOW Polish. I use it sparingly as they are not there to hear it. The occasional joke is very much appreciated.

Being a Polish speaker is a minus. Very often it's the parents who are paying and there is snob value on having an English native who speaks little Polish.

yeh true...it must help....

I disagree, Wrocław. I keep it latent for the most part, holding it in reserve for opportune moments. This could take the form of humour, cultural understanding or linguistic nuances.

Native speakers are there to maximise STT (in most schools). Knowing Polish has helped me immeasurably though I do encourage students to express things in different ways until I understand them in English.

Snob value is not the issue, effective teaching is.

Non-Polish teachers of English in Poland should know Polish for a number reasons.

The biggest is that without it, they're at the mercy of their employers and colleagues and if they're not working in an all-English school (and most don't) they'll be locked out of what's going on except for whatever their colleagues wish to tell them (which might not be enough).

Also, the question is: If this person can't learn a language then why should I believe they can teach one?

abslolutely 100 percent agree