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Posts by Bolle  

Joined: 29 Apr 2010 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 16 Dec 2010
Threads: 1
Posts: 144 		From: warsaw/wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: fairly well

Displayed posts: 145 / page 4 of 5
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Bolle   
14 Nov 2010
Work / What qualifications are needed for English teachers in Poland? [49]

ok, I promise I'll be nice - I would like to find out what qualifications or certifications one needs to have to be an English teacher in Poland. I'll be sincerely grateful for any serious replies.

A university degree is a minimum - many schools want teachers to have a CELTA as well. Since your husband is polish, you might find it easier to find ESL work without the CELTA.

Dont expect much from it.

The lifestyle of a typical ESL teacher in poland is much like a university student. Teaching english also gets boring rather quickly - my experience.

since you're from Texas, too, and I'm guessing must have some knowledge about how schools work in Poland.

She's a pole living in texas. I don't think she knows anything about teaching english in PL.

To be honest with you I sincerely don't advise you come back to Poland. Many people starts to miss "the old country" when they are too long abroad but when they come back they start to remind themselves why they moved out from Poland. They are not happy about their decission to return. Live in Poland is not so easy as in the USA. You must take it into consideration.

Spot on. Life in the US is much better in almost every aspect. If you don't have a good job in the US right now, then look into going back to school.

this is how it is. the best qualified gets a foot in the door and then is offered the smallest wage possible. if u don't accept it the next guy will.

This is what it's like for first timers. After you get some experience it can be better though.

However, you have one advantage - your husband is Polish. This will make it easier to find ESL work.
Bolle   
14 Nov 2010
Life / Where did the books of British Council go to [10]

Well PF.com is more of an online british expat club than a Polish forum. There are better places to ask that question, but this site isn't a terrible start.
Bolle   
14 Nov 2010
History / POLES NOT KEEN ON REPRODUCING? WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GERMANS AND RUSSIANS? [67]

Maybe the partitions had an affect on demographics - i'm sure a lot of poles were germanified/russified during this time, maybe they even had less kids...

I read an article once about a rather large number of poles (in the 100000's) packing up and leaving poland for the ruhr region of germany in the early 1800s.
Bolle   
14 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]

You know, real Poles doing real work - not Plastic Poles hiding in America.

And you're a brit hiding in Poland. Why don't you go back to the struggling UK to work there to make your country a better place?

There's nothing more Plastic and Fake than a person who doesn't speak Polish, proclaiming themselves to be Polish.

Once again you don't understand the US.
Polish-Americans are Polish americans - they know this, but when people ask about their backgrounds they will say polish - it doesn't mean they are polish, just of polish descent. Same thing goes for italian-americans, scottish-americans, mexican americans etc. If they are of mixed heritage, they will say "I am polish, german, chinese and ....." They will always say they are american until someone asks about their ancestry. A lot of people in the US are just aware of where they came from.

Simple as that.
Bolle   
14 Nov 2010
Work / What qualifications are needed for English teachers in Poland? [49]

Only for those without an imagination.

Well maybe you're new to teaching:) I did it for years and it started feeling like an assembly line summer job i once had back in high school. I've recently moved on (thank god!!) and found work in a company where i have more diverse tasks - and opportunities for different jobs within the company and beyond.

Of course, if you're only fit to teach Callan, then of course it'll be boring.

Callan is boring, but I only taught it for 2 months.
Bolle   
15 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]

I hope that eventually Delph can be less bitter about us in America. He may have met or read something ignorant by someone in America, but it is so unfair to judge us all adversely.

He hates the USA - simple as that. I think he is also jealous of the US and jealous of Poles who have found success there as well.
Bolle   
17 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]

It is difficult for new immigrants in the US (or anywhere really) in the beginning, especially since many don't speak english well and even some refuse to learn/assimilate. Chicago, for instance, is full of Polaks that stay within the polonia and don't learn english. They then complain that life in the US is terrible! Hey whiner, get the **** out of the polonia and assimilate into the american culture. And get an education while you're at it too because your degree in polonistyka is worth **** all.

Many are also there illegally and this coupled with the ****** economy makes it difficult to find decent work!

If you're american and can't find work, then it's probably time to go back to school / get retrained.

I have friends that have government jobs in the US and they live fairly well. Your mom is doing something wrong.

Bottom line: life in the US is much better than in Poland. This is why Poles (in poland) think every american is rich!

The only thing poles don't understand is that you have to work hard to get financially well off in the US, wealth is not handed out like candy on halloween (like poles seem to think).
Bolle   
17 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]

Heh, you don't even have to work particularly hard.

Well it's not easy. Immigrants need to learn english and quite often have to be prepared to do menial work before finding something better. Poles think you can come to the US and people will hand you a great job so you can live the american dream right away.
Bolle   
17 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]

I see youve been nicely brainwashed too.

I don't think it's brainwashing. He's simply adopted the US as his new home.

Where's your allegiance (you're a brit living in poland right?)?
Bolle   
17 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]

You fcuking yanks are all the same, allegiance my ass.

Whoa, simmer down buddy. I was just asking out of curiosity. Do you feel this way because things in the UK aren't like they used to be?
Bolle   
21 Nov 2010
Law / Would be an honor to serve in Poland. Can an American pilot transfer to the Polish Airforce? [14]

I am an American citizen, and a Polish-American. I want to start a career in soldiering but do not want to join the American Army. As a member of the Polish diaspora, the obvious alternative was the Polish Army. As a member of Polonia without Polish citizenship, can I join the Polish Army? And if I can, what steps do I take to get to that point and to join?

If you have at least one grandparent with polish citizenship, you can get PL citizenship as well. Might make things easier. Just saying.

Also learn polish (if you can't already speak).

Then move to Poland and get yourself zameldowany.
Bolle   
21 Nov 2010
Work / Doing my course in Krakow, working in EFL in Poland (newbie questions) [43]

- How easy is it to find EFL work in Kraków, is it already saturated?

I live in wroclaw but i hear from people teaching esl in krakow that the market there is saturated. It's worth a try though.

- How good or bad is February for finding work?

The summer is the best time to look for work. Finding work in February will be tougher.

- How about other cities, do you know the situation in Poznan, Gdansk, Warsaw, etc?

I taught esl in wroclaw for a few years (got out of it this year) and IMO there's still room for esl teachers here.

- Should I go to a satellite or smaller cities instead?

If you can't find work in the bigger cities, then yes try the smaller towns. There are more jobs there for natives speakers but generally speaking smaller towns in poland are not as fun as the larger cities.

- What is the pay like over there? All I want really is a small flat and enough to eat and maybe go for a weekend drink..

Hard to say, but i'd say not more than 3k PLN / month.

- survivable polish.

Knowing some Polish will also make it easier to find work, at least in my experience.
Bolle   
22 Nov 2010
USA, Canada / PolAm style Thanksgiving? [35]

Yeah, let's celebrate the Red Indians (sorry, native Americans) for being the dumbest people on the planet and helping out the English colonists in their hour of need.

Dumb indians? What do you have to say about your country who decided to slaughter fellow human being senselessly (much like the nazis)??
Bolle   
22 Nov 2010
Love / Sexual diseases! Please tell me how I go about getting tested in Poland? [103]

if you post your address, i'll send you a box of condoms... get some brains, geez....
go get blood tests... you can do it in a private clinic...

You do realise that condoms are not 100% effective at protecting against STDs, right??

For instance, STDs (ie herpes) are spread by skin to skin contact - condoms don't cover the whole cawk as the base of it can come into contact with the vag!

I think it's time for you to get "some brains." If i had to point out all the stupidity in your posts, i think i would develop a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Polish girls don't have no STDs, maybe prostitutes

lol, funny.
Bolle   
22 Nov 2010
Study / Eastern European Studies internship/ job [10]

eastern euro studies degree

Polish is limited

not good enough for business

I think teaching English may be your only options in Poland in terms of job opportunities.
Bolle   
22 Nov 2010
Work / Doing my course in Krakow, working in EFL in Poland (newbie questions) [43]

Thanks very much for your help, though I have to admit I am a bit surprised by your less than optimistic replies. I wonder if this is a general trend for TEFL in Europe...

Well you have to be aware that it will not be easy, but not too difficult. You just have to try because you may have a hidden skill for teaching - that's all it takes to get a teaching job in PL (or anywhere really). If you take your job seriously and don;t drink like there's no tomorrow (like many esl teachers do unfortunately) then you won't have to worry about being unemployed.

You also have to be aware of delphiandomine as he tends to put ESL teaching on a pedestal. He thinks its some kind of elite job that puts one into a superior position in society. He might also be trying to discourage more people from entering the "profession" to limit competition.

Finding esl teaching jobs in asia is much easier FYI.
Bolle   
23 Nov 2010
Language / Pronunciation of vowels at the end of a word [28]

It's funny about the small "p" at the start of "przepraszam" because I'd already spent a while listening to that word and told myself it must be a silent letter, hehe.

took me ages to hear the small "p" sound at the start of przepraszam

So you can't hear the difference between "przepraszam" and "rzepraszam"??

come on now...
Bolle   
23 Nov 2010
Work / Doing my course in Krakow, working in EFL in Poland (newbie questions) [43]

In fact, the biggest threat to most ESL teachers in Poland is from useless American "native speakers" who only want beer money while they study medicine or similar.

What about brits in their 20s who come to poland to teach english for beer money and to bang polish women??? They are better for esl teachers than "useless" american med students?

Another example of you being an american hater.

@ bolle and everyone else - from what you say, it seems like this, "you can do it if you really want to - don't expect it to be a party and for people to run after you - but if you really want it you can get it, and enjoy doing it." - right?

Yes.

You might also get lucky and land some french lessons (school or private). French isnt really popular but i've met some people learning it for fun.
Bolle   
23 Nov 2010
Work / Doing my course in Krakow, working in EFL in Poland (newbie questions) [43]

At least the Brits know the language

So do americans. Aside from differences in accents (which not only vary within the US but also in the UK) and a few barely noticeable differences in grammar/spelling, the languages are basically the same. US english is more common around the world thanks to (unfortunately) hollywood/US pop culture.

they rely on the teaching money to live, so despite being drunkards, they at least perform in the classroom.

And americans are all millionaires that come to poland and teach just for shits and giggles because they don't need money to live?? Show me some proof that brits are more reliable teachers?? That's like saying white people are better employees than blacks - which is BS.

You are one hateful and grumpy brit, you know that?
Bolle   
23 Nov 2010
Love / Sexual diseases! Please tell me how I go about getting tested in Poland? [103]

anarchic irresponsible behavior.

Having multiple sexual partners at the same time can be considered "anarchic irresponsible behavior."

But having several sexual partners over the course of one's life is not. Believe it or not, but there are some people out there that - for whatever reason - have not been able to find the right person on the first try!
Bolle   
23 Nov 2010
Work / Doing my course in Krakow, working in EFL in Poland (newbie questions) [43]

programme (which they spell 'program'

Oh my god, what a huge difference! Those 2 extra letters really threw me off! /sarcasm

The biggest threat is from people who've met and married a Polish spouse in UK or Ireland, come to Poland, and need some work without much knowledge of the Polish language (or English grammar, teaching methodology, heuristics etc). They are often desperate for work (or are renting out their property back home and don't need to earn much), are easy prey for cheapskate language school owners, and saturate the bottom end of the market.

There, finally an intelligent post. Applies to any anglophone really, not just the brits/irish.

Too bad Delphi is incapable of coming up with such a post because it doesn't attack americans.