News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

After my trip to Poland last summer a guy at work asked me there was indoor plumbing, electricity, and cars in Poland. He has never been outside the US. When I showed him photos of Warsaw and Gdansk all he said was "oh".

Work / Any TEFL teachers in Poland out there? [28]

Not yet but I'm taking my CELTA in Warsaw next month then it's off to Gdansk to find a job.

Work / Any TEFL teachers in Poland out there? [28]

CELTA at Bell in Warsaw is 4990 zl plus 1000 zl for a studio flat near the school for the month. Not bad, I think. I have an American friend in Gdansk who has been teaching there for four years. He tells me that he has interviewed with a number of schools during the school year and they all told him him that if he had his CELTA they would hire him on the spot. Sounds promising, but I'll find out for sure when I get there in early September.

Work / Any TEFL teachers in Poland out there? [28]

It means I will pay 1000zl plus 200zl for utilities etc for the flat and a total of 4990zl for the CELTA. I have a friend in Warsaw who took the CELTA from Bell four years ago. He knows the flat and said it's decent and he also said the price was fair.

I'll be there in 3 1/2 weeks.

Work / Any TEFL teachers in Poland out there? [28]

I sent a 300zl deposit when it was 3 zl to the US dollar, so US $100. Today it is 2.75zl to the dollar so that is $1490. I Google currency exchange rates and find out the daily rates. I didn't convert zl to Euros or punds so you'll have to do that yourself. I'm not interested in what a pound is worth as it will be a while before I decide if I want to visit England. All I care about is being in Poland in three weeks no matter what the exchange rate is at that time. And since I'll be paid in zl it won't really matter for a while.

Keatsgray, my teacher friends in Warsaw and Gdansk told me that 3000zl gross plus free accomodations is pretty good. They augment that with private lessons but don't count on the income because they say it can be sketchy at times. I guess I'll find that out for myself pretty soon. And good luck to you!

Work / Any TEFL teachers in Poland out there? [28]

Good advice Michal. EMPIK and a few other schools I would work for do not do that. In addition to working for a school I want to teach business English so I will contact some companies in Gdansk.

And believe me, the CELTA in Poland including air fare and a flat is much cheaper than in the US, plus I'll be in Poland so I can work on my language skills while I'm there.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

Michal is the only poster on this thread who knows what he's talking about. Wages are terrible. I had to pay my school to hire me and I pay them every month for the privilege of teaching there. I ran out of my savings so I've been sleeping in the streets. Right.

I did my CELTA last summer at Bell in Warsaw and found a job with them in Gdansk. It was cheaper to do the CELTA in Poland than in the US, including airfare, so that was a no brainer and I wanted to take the course in the country where I wanted to work. As a first year teacher I make 2400 zl a month (that's on a contract-I teach 22-24 hours a week)) and another 125 zl for every Saturday I teach. Saturday class is three hours-I included that in my total weekly hours. I live in a small flat about five minutes from school and Old Town. Rent is 700 zl plus utilities, phone, internet, etc. It comes to about 1100 or so every month. I got a good deal on the rent because while the location is primo the school has had a contract with the owner for some time so he doesn't raise the rent, and that's happening everywhere in Old Town. The school also helped me with my application for a residency card-invaluable. The salary increases as you get more experience. Seems fair to me.

I have met teachers at other schools in Gdansk who make more than I do without any qualifications. It's possible. I've gotten calls from other schools asking me to teach various classes such as business English-I already do that through my school-but there's always been a time conflict. I'm a whole lot older than the rest of you good folks here and my experience in sales and sales management has led to a couple of fun in-company jobs teaching management-all through my school. I love teaching and I love being in Poland, especially here in Gdansk.

That's my experience so far. Just my 2 gz.

The school also helped me with the application for my residency card.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

I figured I'd hear from you about this Harry. The reason I posted this is because no one else has mentioned how much they make and I thought the OP deserved at least one real life example.

I don't know about Bell ten years ago so I can;t address either the salary issues or whether Bell has raised its prices. As I mentioned, i know teachers at other schools who make more money, most by working at two schools. That's fine. I chose Bell because of their excellent resources and incredible support in every area I've neded. When my young American friend left for Thailand a couple of weks ago-before his contract ended-the DOS (who had taught in Thailand helped him locate a school and let him use school facilities to fax some necessary documents. He also paid him for his end of contract bonus.

BTW, I'm on a contract so I'm not paid by the hour. When we had a two week Christmas break followed by a two week semester break in January, I still got my base monthly salary, and because I taught some in-company classes durong the semester break I earned extra money. As I said, base is 2400, actual with Saturdays is about 3000 zl.

I've read some pretty negative comments about Bell both here on and eslcafe. Maybe they were true then, but not now, except for the relatively low salary which will invrease in time. It's better than some schools, worse than others. I guess we all have to choose what it is we're looking for in a school.

Harry, if you personally know of other schools in Gdansk which pay more, would you name them?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Yes, I love it. I have great students, all highly motivated. We just finished the first semester and critiques from my students indicate they like me. I had a review with my DOS on Friday-he does too and told me there's probably be going to be some in-company work here in the summer. Good news because except for a short vacation I want to stay here during the summer. He also wants me to return next fall, and no, Harry, it's not because he doesn't have to pay me much. I'll actually get more money next year.

lowfunk99, if you'd like to ask more questions feel free to email. Adress is in profile.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

Thanks for the info, Harry. When I said the salary will go up I meant mine next year. My DOS and I have already discussed it.

Work / International House - Kracow school - any chances of being offered a job there [59]

None that I know of here in Gdansk. Bell offers CELTA courses in Warsaw during the summer. One thing about CELTA: it's a CELTA wherever you get it. We've got teachers at my school who have done the course in a lot of countries. Good luck.

Travel / How much is a cab: Warsaw airport to the bus station? [27]

In August I paid 30 zl from the airport to my friend's flat near the station-metered cab. The guy who approached me inside the airport wanted 200 zl! Just go outside to the taxi stand. At least those guys were honest and had reasonable prices.

Travel / Visiting Gdansk - looking for ex-pat bars... [21]

Try Absinthe in the theater building next to the Armory. Best bar in Old Town for my zl.

Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]

I teach English. I'm an American so of course I don't sound like I'm British, and my students like that since they see so many American films. I know the difference between British and American English. My course books come from the UK so I point out the differences when I find them, though there really aren't that many.

English is spoken in a lot of countries around the world and it's all a little different, but in the end it's still English, and none of them is better than another. But recognizing that British English is more common in Europe, I teach that.

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

lbright, you should have no trouble finding a job here, although you'll find it easier if you have a CELTA. And you don't need to have a job before you come here. I didn't but found one in Gdansk shortly after finishing my CELTA in Warsaw. There are more job opportunities in Warsaw and the salaries are higher, but so is the cost of living. Still, even though you won't live high on the hog, you'll do all right.

As an American like me, when you arrive in Poland you'll have 90 days on your tourist visa. We're not citizens of an EU country. To stay longer you'll have to apply for a residency card, and you need 45 or more days left on your visa to do that. Good schools will help you with this and on your own it's a nightmare of a process. Poland signed the Schengen zone treaty in December limiting the time non EU citizens can stay here and I knew a couple of Amreicans who had long overstayed their visas. The subsequent hassles with the authorities weren't pleasant but at least they weren't banned from reentering the country which has happened to some people.

To get a residency card you'll have to provide a copy of your birth certificate, university degree, rental agreement, work contract, a statement from the IRS that says you don't owe any taxes, and a police report from your city to prove that you're not a criminal. I didn't have the last two, but this is Poland and they accecpted my statement that I wasn't an axe murderer and didn't owe any taxes. Oh, they wanted a copy of my CELTA also. Anyway, I got the card even though it took five months for them to process the paperwork. Again, this is Poland and that's not unusual.

Good luck and welcome to Poland in advance. It's a wonderful country and SO different from the US. I love it here.

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

google CELTA. It's a certificate for teaching English, and I've forgotten exactly what it stands for, but think of it as your worldwide passport to teaching jobs. Give me a couple of minutes while I did up my certificate and i'll have a more complete answer for you.

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

CELTA. Certificate in English language teaching to adults. It's offered worldwide and is under the aegis of Cambridge university so no matter where you do it you get the same piece of paper.

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

telefonitika and Poor Edward, may I ask where you're from?

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

Simply out of curiosity. Thanks for the replies, and if you guys are ever in Gdansk I'll take you to the best pus, which we call a bar in the US, and buy you a beer.

Poor Edward, I'm outgoing by nature and am only truly extroverted in the classroom. Strangely enough my students like it and I've made some good friends there.

Work / Easiest way for native English speaker to get a job in Poland? [35]

That was a typo. I thought I had edited it to pub. Oh well. Besides, my friends call me Wujek Scottie because of my age!

Language / I'm gonna learn Polish in a month! [86]

Yeah, I've got that book too. Shortly after I arrived in Poland last year I was in a Chinese restaurant in Gdansk with the book on the table as I was eating, and a guy came in, looked at the title, and said Polish in 4 weeks. It's not possible. If you have the CD that goes with book you know what I mean.

The next week I was talking with one of the owners and he told me that he had moved to Germany without a word in German. He said the first two years were difficult but but after 22 years years there he now considers German his first language, and he's Polish. He told me Polish is easy. The only hard part is the first 20 years!

There's hope for me yet.

Work / Would previous experience be necessary to teach english in poznan [22]

Harry's right. Trinity and CELTA are the way to go. I did my CELTA at Bell in Warsaw, much cheaper than in the US including accomodation, and I had a job six days after I finished the course. I had no teaching experience then, just a lot of real world business stuff. It didn't matter. A lot of the better schools want one or the other, unless you want to teach Callan. No thanks.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Poland and Holland don't rhyme.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

I understand.

Work / I'm interested in teaching in Poland and I need some help. [33]

welshguyinpola
There mistakes is plane to sea. Whats rong wif dat? But seriously, I know what you mean.

Food / Your all time favourite Polish Dishes! [108]

Golabki is great, pierogi is boring. I love bigos and golonka.

Work / Are there any Americans teachers left in Poland? [38]

I'm an American teaching English at Bell in Gdansk. I've been here for two years. I love it and I'm going to stay here for the rest of my life. I didn't come here because of a woman. I came to experience life in Gdansk.

Having said that, I'm going to get married nest next to a wonderful Polish woman I met before I moved here. I've known her for five years, but she's not the reason I came to Gdansk.

There's another American teacher at my school. He's been in Poland for six years. I know of several other Americans who teach here, so to answer the question posed in the title of this thread, yes, there are still a few of us around.

Interestingly enough, my students tell me that they prefer American English to British because it's easier to understand. Whatever. I use books written by Brits and know the difference between flat and apartment, pavement and sidewalk, etc. I teach both.

Work / Are there any Americans teachers left in Poland? [38]


Yes, I have a CELTA.

Michal, someday you'll understand what you read. In this case, obviously you didn't. Let me say it again for your benefit. I didn't come here because of a woman. What part of that don't you understand?

Work / Are there any Americans teachers left in Poland? [38]


Michal, you are so far off base that it's not even funny. It's apparent that you judge everyone by your own misguided perceptions and self conceived realities. After all, you're the guy who thought that Sopot only had one train station. Get a grip, man. You don't even know your own country any more, and based on your opinionated posts I doubt that you know very much about people. I feel sorry for you.

Work / Are there any Americans teachers left in Poland? [38]

Sopot Wyscigi, Sopot, and Sopot Kamienny Potok. That's three.