Teaching English in Slovakia
Because people are often curious about what is necessary for teaching in “Eastern Europe”, I thought I’d share my knowledge and own experience with teaching in Slovakia.
As I started to organize my thoughts, I realized that there are many components that should to be mentioned:
- what kind of certification is needed to teach
- how does one go about finding a job
- is it possible to secure a position if you are still in your home country and haven’t left for Slovakia yet
- what is a “typical” salary in Bratislava and other parts of the county, and how does this compare with the cost of living
- what is the difference in salaries between public and private schools
- work visas and long-term stay visas: how to get them and how long is the process
- how does Slovakia’s membership into the Schengen Zone effect people who come to Slovakia with tourist visas hoping to find work while there.
I realize now that I can’t fit all of this information in one article so I will group some of them in separate posts and I’ll begin with certification for teaching and where to look for jobs.
For me, teaching was the clearest choice as a steady source of work in Slovakia. To prepare ahead of time, I got my certification to teach English as a second language (ESL) or sometimes also called English as a foreign language (EFL) from my local university where I lived in California. I studied in a year-long program but there are other institutions that provide certification. I met several English teachers in Slovakia and Czechia who attended a program in Prague that provides certification and training to teach ESL. I always thought that sounded like a nice idea if someone wanted to get the experience and training abroad.
Some schools will consider someone who does not have TEFL certification if the applicant can prove that he/she has relevant experience. This could mean that a person who has volunteered at a local school at home where English classes were being taught to non-English speaking people has an advantage if that person knows about lesson planning, and how to teach basic English grammar1.
So, with certification and/or experience in hand, where does one look for teaching jobs in Slovakia? Obviously, the Internet is going to be key. The Slovak Spectator, the only English-language newspaper in Slovakia, produces something called “Green Pages” which is a resource guide on the Internet that contains contact information for companies and organizations in Slovakia. They have a list of language schools, many of which have web and email addresses. Check out some of the websites to see if any are looking for teachers, or send resumes with a cover letter.
Additionally, check out some of the forums that discuss teaching abroad, particularly for Slovakia and its neighboring countries. In my opinion, one of the most useful is the job forum on ESL Café. People post all kinds of questions and concerns about making a living from teaching and what life is like in destination countries. Usually posts get several replies with useful information. Expat Blogs is another source of information written by expats all over the world.
Another Web site is Profesia. They are a job search engine and probably the largest in Slovakia. Importantly, the website has an English version. Do a search for “English teacher” or “Učiteľ/ka AJ”
Is it possible to secure a position if you are still in your home country and haven’t left for Slovakia yet? Yes it’s possible. But consider, a school would have to take a big leap of faith that you are worth it even though they haven’t met you. Some schools would rather hire locally. Also consider that if you are a non-EU citizen and your paperwork to work legally is going to be a huge investment of time for both you and the employer (and an investment of money on your part), then this is a risk for the applicant too.
That being said, I secured my first teaching job in Slovakia while still living in California, and all worked out well. I’m not saying the job was idyllic and I wouldn’t have had concerns if I visited the school ahead of time in person first, but for a one-year commitment it was basically fine. The main thing is to find a potential employer who will consider applicants from abroad. Many private schools in Slovakia are experienced with this.
Timing in applying for jobs is important and if you are not under time constraints to find a position, the better off you are to find something you’d potentially like. In my experience, schools usually like to have a teacher (or teachers) arranged for the coming school year secured with at least a commitment from the applicant by May. If a private language school is considering applicants from abroad, that means they begin searching for suitable applicants around March and April. Once a commitment is made, the person then has the next few months to collect the paperwork for work and living visas (more on that later) before arriving at the school in August. K-12 schools usually begin the academic year the first Monday in September. Universities use a different schedule.
In the next blog I’ll talk about typical teaching salaries and living costs, and the difference between salaries in public schools, for example, universities, versus private language schools.
1 Some of the most common English teaching books used in Slovakia are the Oxford University Press Headway series, and also Cambridge University Press Murphy basic grammar.
19 Comments on “Teaching English in Slovakia”
Hello Margarete, I really enjoy your website. Your blog and picture of Vianocka are great! What motivated you to teach English in Slovakia? I assume that it's what you are doing there. How have you been in Slovakia? Which part of Slovakia do you live at? Tess
March 19th, 2008 at 04:39 AM
Hi Tess, I lived in Slovakia for five years but have returned to my native California. I lived in the Nitra region of Slovakia and also in Bratislava. I always wanted to live in Slovakia after I visited there as a tourist when I was a teenager. After that visit I wanted to return and teaching seemed like the best way I could support myself while there. It was a good choice for me. My students helped me learn a lot about Slovak life and I enjoyed teaching.
Thanks for your questions and comments. I'm glad you like the site."
March 19th, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Hello ,Margarette. Great website. I have been reading alot about Slovakia and I came across your blogs. They are quite useful and I hope you are having a good time in this beautiful country.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Wow, Slovakia looks so nice. A buddy of mine was offered a job there but turned it down to remain teaching in S.Korea. Have you ever taught EFL in Asia? I've been in China for awhile. We've even started a small website for learning Chinese, if you're interested it's at http://www.zhongwenred.com It's not fancy or anything, but it's free (not counting the cost of being connected to the internet, of course.)
July 16th, 2008 at 03:46 AM
I INTEND STUDYING AT SLOVAKIA ITS IT POSIBLE TO WORK AND SUTDY AS A FOREIGNER,WITHOUT KNOWING SLOVAKIAN LANGUAGE
July 17th, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Andy, I wasn't sure if you were asking a question or not but still, you raise a good point. No, you don't have to know the Slovak language to live or work in Slovakia. Of course it helps--a lot--if you do, but I moved to Slovakia not speaking the language. If you are going to study in Slovakia the school will have its own policy for language and how much you need to know or study while you are there.
July 17th, 2008 at 05:05 PM
Your blog is interesting! Keep up the good work!
August 16th, 2008 at 06:44 AM
Does anyone know the name Tess in slovak????
August 24th, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Hey there Margarete. I am 22 years old and also from Cali (San Diego). I just came across your site half hour ago and it is so awesome and helpful. I will be finishing up college very soon with a degree in philosophy. I feel like I need to change the scene right now and it looks so beautiful there with a great culture and freindly people. I also have dual citizenship from Brittain and the U.S. Do schools take any of this under consideration when applying for teaching jobs or any other job for that matter in a smaller slovakian village?
February 14th, 2009 at 07:10 AM
Graham, Schools would definitely take a dual citizenship into consideration for the fact that it is easier to employ someone from the UK as they are EU citizens. The British have a definite advantage over Americans in this regard. If you have a certificate to teach or have teaching experience, you could find a position rather easily.
February 15th, 2009 at 07:03 PM
Hi there, perhaps my answer comes late, but English teachers are needed in our country very much. What could be a serious problem for them, their sallary is very poor. My friend from UK (working for British Council) was dedicated by Slovakia, he wanted to work here, but after finding out his sallary he decided to go to Kuwait :-) I like your page Margaret :-)
May 31st, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Hi Margarete, thanks for the great advice on teaching in Slovakia! I am an Australian with a Uni degree who is currently undertaking an online TESOL course. I have no prior teaching experience, so I was wondering how hard it would be for me to obtain a Visa/job? Or if you have any information on my chances in any other East European countries? My apologies I know this is mostly covered in your article. Just curious about my chances as neither a US or British citizen.
July 31st, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Hi Tom, I don't know of any reason why your chances wouldn't be equal to that of an American or Canadian when looking for a job, especially once you have your TESOL certification. So then the advice I provided in these teaching posts apply directly to you too :) Good luck!
August 1st, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Also, how much do you think one would need to earn to live reasonably well? How does this compare to the average teaching wage?
August 4th, 2009 at 06:42 PM
Tom, you pose a very difficult question. It depends on your definition of "reasonably well". It also depends on your goals. Would you rather work at a language school for a higher salary, versus working for one of the universities where the salary will be about half of that? I can't provide specific numbers because I haven't taught in Slovakia since 2005. At that time I saw jobs paying in Bratislava for about 25,000Skk a month (833 euro) for teaching at a private school. It also depends if you are looking in Bratislava or elsewhere. Last year I saw a job posting for a teaching position at a high school in Ruzomberok for 18,000Skk a month (600 euro) but this included housing. To me that would sound more desirable.
August 7th, 2009 at 04:00 AM
Hello Margarete! I love your website, I have to show it to my husband...he is American and I am Slovak and there is a lot of great very useful info. We live in CA now, but are thinking of moving to Slovakia for a period of time. I was just wondering how easy it was for you to get working permit, insurance, job...was it easier because your husband is Slovak national? Thanks
September 25th, 2009 at 12:05 AM
Eva, I didn't get married until several years after I lived in Slovakia so having a Slovak husband didn't help then ;) The biggest help was through my work. The schools I worked at had admins who knew exactly how to apply and what papers I needed. That was the trick!
September 28th, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Hi Margarete, do you know if there are many jobs available outside of the usual hiring season (like for instance, through the middle of the school year)? I am considering leaving in March 2010 but am unsure whether I want to wait until August/September to start a job (this is based on the presumption that I will have to apply for jobs within Slovakia). I noticed you said that it can take a few months to wait for a working visa to be approved and thus, for the job to start. Does that mean some go months without working? Also, is a long-stay visa completely separate from a working visa? If i intend to reside in Slovakia for any length of time, is the long-stay visa something I have to apply for well in advance of leaving my home country? Apologies for all the questions but unfortunately for you, your help has become somewhat invaluable :)
October 9th, 2009 at 05:40 PM
Hi Tom, I think I'm going to have to write a separate post just to answer your specific questions. You have about 5 questions there that will need more space than in the comments section. Let me think about this and I'll reply with your answers. Thanks.
October 11th, 2009 at 10:44 PM