Teaching or Working in Europe

[Amanda v]

Hi there!

I am leaving San Francisco next month (March) to travel Europe and ultimately find a job to stay out there ;D. With the issues of Visas, I am assuming I will only be able to teach english or work under the table at a bar or restaurant that would emply me. Is there any 'better' time to take the TEFL course or to hunt for a teaching job? Also, how easy is it to find an apartment and what is the average cost? Thanks so much!!!!

Amanda

[BigRay]

Hi Amanda,

In western Europe, finding any kind of employment as an American will be extremely tough. Working under the table at a bar or restaurant presents a number of problems. First, if you don't speak the language, then just about any customer interaction would have to be ruled out. Secondly, there is no benefit to an employer of hiring someone under the table, unless it is for extremely low wages (read "unlivable").

Teaching english can also present some difficulties. In the EU, you will not find many legal Americans teaching English. Getting a work visa in the EU is very tough, as it means that if you are working, you are taking a job away from an EU national. It's not impossible, though, as I believe the EU laws are still just a tad more lenient than the laws in the US.

As for teaching elsewhere, it depends on the level of English in the particular country. When I arrived in Prague almost a year ago, there were plenty of opportunities, but this has dried up a little bit. Companies have been cutting costs and there are quite a number of teachers here already. I guess it's still relatively easy to find work anytime, but I think your best bet would be to look at the beginning of the school year: end of August through the end of September. Language schools hire the bulk of the people to begin at this time to meet the demand for the upcoming school year.

So... as for taking the TEFL course, I would recommend taking it so it ends about this time to give you the most opportunites. Bear in mind, though, that I pretty much did the opposite and I am still here working. Also, my experience only relates to Prague and not elsewhere, though I did do a lot of research in regards to places and visas before choosing Prague. Another tricky thing happening now is that 10 new countries will officially join the EU on May 1. I don't think anyone knows how this will affect ex-pats living in these eastern european countries.

As for an apartment (again, I can only speak for Prague), I found it relatively easy. I used an apartment agency and signed a year lease within ten days of being in the country. Many people take the housing option provided by the TEFL program. This way, you have some time and an opportunity to meet people in your class and possibly share a place with them. Most English teachers I know in Prague live with at least one other roommate.

As for costs, if you are living in Prague and have one or more roommates, you can get a place (furnished) for somewhere between $200 and $300. Coming from San Francisco, I know this sounds ridiculously cheap, but things change when you decide to teach English and can only pull in between $600 and $800 a month. This can give you a pretty comfortable lifestyle here, but doesn't help much when you decide to travel.

If you have any other questions, just let me know and I'll do my best to answer.

Good luck,
Ray