By Anne-Louise van Rensburg
Travelling in a foreign country is one thing, living there for an extended period of time is quite another experience, especially one where English is hardly spoken.
I spent nine fascinating months in Poland working as an English foreign language teacher and survived to tell the tale.
When you think of working overseas, you usually picture cultural hubs, sleepy villages or bustling cosmopolitan centres. Not me. I decided industrial is better and opted for Katowice, a town in the middle of Silesia, the heart of Poland's coalmines and steelworks. There was method to this towering-headgear and billowing-smokestack madness; this is not a town for tourists, making the experience of Polish culture so much more authentic.
Actually, I'm lying. I chose Katowice because the school at which I worked, International House Katowice, has a very good reputation and it is famous for easing inexperienced teachers into the world of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) without too much of a shock.
They provided weekly training sessions and had a mentor system for new teachers. Believe me, this is important, because if your initial teaching experience is bad, then the rest of it will probably follow suit.
My nine-month stay started in April with winter in its death throes and the green of spring just-just getting the upper hand. I was so taken with the vividness of the new growth that I didn't really notice that the appearance of my new flat was true communist-chic - grey. Fortunately the inside was much better, even though the furniture was limited to ten shades of brown.
The first thing that struck me about my new apartment was the toilet. It had an extremely shallow bowl, possibly for easy bowel-movement inspection. Whatever the reason, I never quite got used to it. Luckily I moved to another flat where the lavatory was up to urban South African standards.
All teachers' flats are fully furnished, which includes everything except a dishwasher, microwave, tumble dryer and electrical can opener. Poland is also the home of the sleeper-couch and I did not see one house without this symbol of space conservation.
My accommodation was paid for by the school, which left me responsible for my utilities such as water, gas, electricity, telephone and cable TV. Not only is cable TV cheap, but it is also a source of great alcoholic entertainment.
A favourite among teachers was a TV-related drinking game; every time you understood a word in Polish, you would take a swig. Of course many feigned the extent of their Polish vocabulary for the sake of another mouthful of whatever.
A normal teaching schedule was 20 hours per week. This excluded time spent preparing lessons or correcting homework. My timetable consisted mostly of teaching business classes, which meant early mornings and formal dress.
Fortunately the school paid my taxi fare, making getting around in a raging blizzard somewhat easier. The other advantage of teaching business classes was the great espresso my executive students were so eager to dish out. I also taught Saturday morning classes, which meant free Mondays and the advantage of a two-and-a-half day weekend - plenty of time for travelling.
Katowice may be an industrial town, but one of its great advantages is its central location. It forms the hub of a very cheap and efficient railway system. Many of my travels were spur-of-the-moment and required the minimum of planning, as there were always trains to somewhere and friendly locals eager to put up a stammering foreigner for a little extra money.
Compared to South African earnings, my salary seemed small, but it was more than enough to afford me an easy middle-class lifestyle. I could buy red meat and imported fruit, plus have money left over to travel.
Shopping was a different matter though as carrying a supply of groceries on a crowded bus was sheer hell. Private students supplemented my income. I had three, saw them once a week, and made enough money to cover my living expenses, plus the occasional taxi fare.
The teaching staff was a motley crew of adventurous travellers, assembled from around the world. The advantage of having an international bunch of friends is that it makes future travelling so much easier.
That said, it's important to make friends outside of your group of English-speaking colleagues, and any language barrier is easily overcome by simple gestures, a bilingual dictionary and an absolute lack of embarrassment. If having such a rich experience so far from home means I have to make a clown out of myself, then I am on my way to don my red nose and wild orange wig.
THE FACTS:
You have just completed matric or your university degree, but the South African job market is not exactly welcoming you with open arms. The world on the other hand is beckoning, but how do you get there?
Teaching abroad might be the answer.
The first fear that many need to overcome is their fear of grammar. Bare infinitives, gerunds, present perfect continuous, all conjure up the most horrid of school nightmares.
Relax, you don't need to know the mechanics of English grammar when you step into this profession. If however you tend to say: "She have three brothers," then this job is probably not for you.
Speaking good English is only one of the tools you need. There are schools that require nothing more, but these are best avoided. Get yourself an internationally recognised Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) qualification.
The most highly regarded is the University of Cambridge's CELTA and Trinity College London's TESOL. Both courses are run worldwide full-time over a four-week period, with the possibility of doing it part time. The cost is about R8500.
The reason these courses are respected is their strong emphasis on teaching practice; candidates start teaching from the second day of the course.
If you are planning on doing one of these courses, put your life on hold for the duration of your training because you will have written assignments and intricate lesson plans to complete. It is hectic, but worth all the blood, sweat and tears. When you are eventually thrown into the deep end of the English classroom, you will be able to swim.
When you acquire your smart-looking TEFL certificate, the next step is to choose where you want to teach. If you are not one of the lucky ones in possession of a European Union passport, you can forget about working in Western Europe.
Another difficult market to get into is the Middle East because they require their teachers to have at least a master's degree, and if you are a woman, possibilities are even more limited.
Generally speaking, to work in Asia, you need to be in possession of a degree.
This does not mean that all schools in the Far East have a high level of professionalism; there are many dubious language schools which look to employ native speakers as an advertising gimmick, while treating you as little more than an expendable commodity.
One of the best markets at present is Eastern Europe. Not overrun with tourists, it is brimming with culture and history, and there are many reputable schools providing a solid support base for new and experienced teachers alike.
South America is another option. Whereas most countries mentioned recruit teachers while still in their native country, in South America it is easier to find work if you are there in person. This means that you are not guaranteed a job when you leave South Africa.
Whichever country you decide upon, make sure you research your prospective employer thoroughly.
CHECK LIST
l Legal status: what kind of visa do you need, do you need a work permit, who is responsible for organising it (you or the company offering you the job)?
l The contract: Is the following stipulated: salary, method of payment, overtime, travel expenses, sick leave, holidays, teaching hours, breach of contract?
l Benefits: Do you get a travel allowance, who pays for accommodation, what is the condition of the accommodation, do you get health cover, do you have free internet access?
l Educational support: Will you be provided with lesson planning assistance, do your prospective employers have computers, photo copiers and audio-visual equipment? What kind of course books and supplementary material do they have, do they provide further teacher development?
l General timetable: What size and age will your classes be, do you have any business, conversation, younger learner or exam classes, do you have to work split shifts, do you have to work off-site?
ADVANTAGES
l You get to travel and learn a new language, since most schools provide free beginner-level lessons.
Where can you do CELTA?
l IH Language Lab, phone 011-339-1051
l The Shane Global Village English Centre, phone: 021-419-8524
l International House Durban, phone: 031-261-9445
USEFUL WEBSITES:
www.tefl.com
www.ihworld.com/recruitment
www.jobs.edunet.com
www.eslcafe.com
FURTHER READING:
Teaching English Abroad by Susan Griffiths (published by Vacation Work, sixth edition)
