Has anyone had experience of teaching with Berlitz Poland?

Hi,
I recently had some interviews with Berlitz Poland(Katowice branch) via Skype. They seem very professional and friendly. I have no university degree or teaching experience but I do speak many languages including an advanced level of Polish. I am from Canada by the way. Basically I've read some very negative things and very positive things. I haven't heard anything about Berlitz Katowice in particular though. I want to get into the language industry somehow(Teaching, translating, interpreting) and I feel as though this would be a good opportunity. They are offering me 18.7Zł(with raises every few months) net per lesson with 60-100 lessons in the low season or 110-150 lessons a month in the high season. The thing I am worried about is the rate of pay because I'm not sure it's enough to live on my own in my own apartment in Katowice. I may be able to stay with relatives rent free possibly but I'd prefer my own place. So basically I'm just wondering does anyone have experience teaching with Berlitz Poland? Also, are these wages enough to live off of in this city? I appreciate any responses you may have for me=)

Berlitz is NOTORIOUSLY cheap. The normal rate at better schools is more than double that, even triple, so what they are offering is just plain atrocious. Forget about it and look elsewhere.

As a rule, though, there are not to many opportunities for non-EU citizens. It's much easier to hire people from the UK and Ireland. You'd be lucky to find work in the lousier schools like Callan, Avalon or Direct Method schools and Berlitz, where the wages are low and working conditions are poor.

Sorry, but the opportunities for teaching in Poland for unqualified non-EU citizens have long dried up. That ship has long sailed. Even for EU citizens, it is less attractive because wages have stagnated while the cost of living has continued to rise.


Probably not. You will almost certainly be expected to contribute for your room and board. About 1500 PLN would be fair. Poles do not abide parasites or freeloaders.


Not by a long shot.

Please write and tell them to stick it. Ten years ago I was paying Polish teachers 50PLN/hr. The rate they offered you is an insult. People stacking shelves are paid more.


It's not enough to share a garage with illegals.
Contact translation agencies instead.

Not even close. In fact, 60 lessons a month at 18.77 is below legal minimum wage. People flipping burgers at McDonalds make more than 2,000zl a month.


A liveable one-room (not one bedroom, one room) will start at at least 1,400zl per month plus bills, i.e. more than you entire minimum salary.


I know that most of the better schools simply won't hire anybody who used to work at Berlitz. I also know somebody who left Berlitz because their 'team teaching' partner was fired for passing out drunk in a lesson twice in one week.


You'd do better to work on getting your Polish reading skills up to native speaker level and then trying to get into translating texts (into English, you'd have a distinct advantage).

1st of all the minimum wage in Poland works out at around 11 pln an hour. So it's more than people flipping burgers are earning. However, for an English teacher this is terrible and I really struggle to believe how they can justify paying this. I reckon you'll find better paying work once you're hear and if you've got somewhere to stay for a few weeks then plan to spend a week or two going around and dropping off your CV. As long as you're communicative and well-presented you'll find something. I live here and Americans and English find teaching work easily. Maybe not full-time at first; it takes few months to build up your network. You'll easily charge around 50 pln an hour

It's not easy for Americans and Canadians to fine work unless they already have a residency permit and can work as independent contractors on "garbage" contracts. You can't get a residency permit without a real full-time work contract, and few employers are willing these days to go through the hassle of applying for a work permit, especially for an unqualified and inexperienced non-EU citizen.

And translation work is probably out of the question, too. Without a college degree and experience in an area of specialty, they have little to offer besides the fact they are a native speak who knows Polish. I can't see any agency going through the trouble of hiring them full-time for generic, non-specialist translating.

Xerxes2: Sorry but life is different from what you believe! ;). In order to work in Poland, non EU-citizens need work permits, which are issued (through employers) only when no local/reisdents can do the job. Considering the fact that there are zillions of native English-speakers from UK, Ireland, already in Poland, and some of whom are qualified and experienced, why should any prospective employer want to go through the hassle of applying for a work permit for an unqualified/unexprienced Canadian all the more as the said work permit shall NOT be issued.

As to translating, you must be kidding! Translating is not just translating word by word but implies high skills. Who's is going to employ an unqualified Canadian Citizen in Poland and of course diplomas are demanded.

Sorry, but your messages full of non sense don't help. To help people is to give them the real facts not a bunch of lies.

Well that's my point. At least Berlitz will get me the permit and it is a step in the right direction because I really want to enter the language field. I have one year of university and no degree and would love to also experience living in Europe! I'm thinking after some time I could get something better, maybe take a TEFL course while I'm there.

I can work part-time at McDonalds since I'll have the permit=P

No you can't work at McDonald's: your work permit will be specific to Berlitz only.

Seriously? It doesn't work like that here...you have a work permit you work wherever

What about this "Poland has a signed Youth Mobility Agreements with New Zealand, and Canada, the scheme allows young people aged between 18 and 35 years to visit Poland for a maximum of one year, they may do temporary work to finance their holiday in Poland."

might as well apply for that instead then

Work permits in Poland are only good for a specific job at a specific employer. You need a separate one for each employer. You're even supposed to get a new one if you get a different job at the same employer or move to a different region to do the same job for the same employer (but nobody ever does).

Thank-you for the info! It is very helpful

Berlitz-US used to hire exclusively native-born and educated teachers. Now, they'll even hire teachers with accents and questionable grammar!!

How the mighty have fallen:-)

Happy to help. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll have a look at that working holiday scheme thing.

This school is not good...after I sent them all the required documents ( I spent 150 for new EU passport) and sent them the signed contract they decided they were.not.interested.in.cooperation anymore and.rejected my application..and I have given notice for my apartment in Canada and bought the plane ticket. Avoid these people!!

The thing is Nancy, Berlitz is just a name; the schools called this are franchises. cashing in on the famous name.

You have had a narrow escape. You will land on your feet after a short while, avoid method teaching, and make far more money by not working for those jokers.

And their administration turn over seems pretty high, every time I would call them, there would be another person dealing with my application, stating that the previous administrator "moved" to Krakow...yeah right. You are right Dougpol1, complete jokers.

The pay they offer is a pittance, to be given a wide berth. They quote me 28 pln for 45 min without a dzialnosc and 45 for 45 with a dzialnosc in Warsaw a few years ago. Either way, ****.

thats because u r INGLIS TICHUR! ! !