Teaching Mandarin in Poland

Hi guys, I wonder if anyone knows of opportunity to teach mandarin chinese in Poland, either as a private tutor or in language school.

So far I've heard it's quite tricky.

Advice appreciated :)

@satomoto

As a student, you are unlikely to earn more than beer money by giving lessons in Mandarin. Certainly not enough to contribute seriously toward funding your studies and living expenses. In fact, you are highly unlikely to find any type of paid work that would do so. If you need to earn money to finance your studies and stay, then Poland is not the country for you. Make your plans on the very safe assumption that you will never be able to earn a single penny during your stay in Poland.

Yes, there is some small demand for Mandarin instructors in Poland. However, whatever need there is is likely already largely satisfied by Chinese nationals already in the country, particularly those with permanent residency or citizenship. It's a classic case of supply exceeding demand.

Most of the larger language schools in the main cities have someone to call for languages like this. The most likely scenario is that schools will take your name and add it to the bottom of the call list, and occasionally call you when no one higher up on the list is available. Which could well be never.

As for private lessons, that is difficult enough with English, which is highly in demand. You may be able to find an occasional student or two, but that would provide for little more than beer money. The few people who do teach Chinese for a living have spent an enormous amount of time, energy and effort building up their clientele and establishing a reputation for themselves.

I'd imagine there'd be a considerable market in the major cities and/or universities. Wonder what the call would be in China for Polish:-) If anything, Russian would I'd imagine be the bigger draw!

Contact the major firms in your area of interest (with an interpreter preferrably) and see what they say. I think if you cast your net wide enough, you may actually catch something.

Best of luck,
tarsape@gmail

That depends on the exact location, you'd like to work at. Sometime ago I've heard about one language school focusing on Asian languages, that was actually recruiting new teachers. Chinese speakers were needed the most, as far as I remember, so if you live/intend to live nearby, then you might give it a go :)

And Polish teachers of Mandarin (I've known a few) and Taiwanese sent by their government (also known a few)

Although most will prefer to use English when dealing with either China or Taiwan, the smart ones will do their level best to learn at least "survival" Chinese, above all the business language of China, Mandarin:-)

@DominicB

Thanks for the elaborated reply. Beer money sounds good sometimes :) Am not doing this for an income or to fund my studies, I'd love to travel around and Poland is high on the list (if not the highest), and being able to teach gives me a purpose, I can't be visiting museums for a few months. ;) Another is to take courses in a university in the country which I am at.

@Lyzko

There's always a niche demand for Polish in China, though the overwhelming drive is to learn English in China. Having said, there are linguistic schools that teach it I believe.

@ktoś

Interesting. Out of curiosity, do you know it's possible to teach Chinese in English, or do I have to know Polish to be effective. Thanks

Most chinese teachers either in my university or in other places i heard of didn't speak polish at all. They were teaching us in english. Knowledge of polish will help though.

I can imagine! How could you even understand their English filtered through your Polish accent?

They do seem less likely than Japanese or Koreans (much less Vietnamese!) to learn much Polish. I think also one aim is to switch to as much Chinese as possbile as early as possible (I knew one who spoke nothing but Chinese by the second year - though they did know Polish well enough).