The Foreigner's Guide to Slovakia

Over the moths I’ve received some additional questions about living and teaching in Slovakia. I’m posting some of these questions and my answers below them:

Did you have any experience with the language before arriving in Slovakia? From my understanding, apart from Bratislava, English is not a well-known language, so of course it is probably very difficult to get around without knowing at least the basics. Did you take any classes to learn Slovak or did you have any difficulties getting around without knowing much of the language?

I didn’t have any experience with the Slovak language when I moved there, other than a handful of words I learned on my own ahead of time. If you eventually find a teaching job in Bratislava, then yes, it is possible to take Slovak language classes and I totally recommend them. I took some myself and they were very helpful. They are mostly offered by the university for foreign students who come from different parts of the world. If you end up in a smaller town where you won’t be able to take a class, then your other option is to self study or get your own personal tutor :) There are pros and cons to being in Bratislava versus being in a small country town. You’ll have to decide what you would like to do.

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 would say that there are two different kinds of schools: those that function on a school-year schedule, such as a high school or university; and then language schools that run the same schedule year-round, something like a Berlitz-type of school. High schools, universities and private language schools that are closed during the summer do their hiring in the spring. For other language schools that hire year-round, it doesn’t make a difference when you go to Slovakia. If I had to make a recommendation as to when to go to Slovakia to look for a teaching job, I’d say go in the spring.

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?

No, but it can mean that you have signed a contract to work and you begin teaching, but you won’t get paid until your paperwork is all official. I have had this experience.

Is a long-stay visa completely separate from a working visa?

Yes, the long-stay visa and the working visa are two separate things that are interdependent on one another. You can’t get a long-term stay visa unless you have a reason to be in Slovakia (such as a job), and you can’t get a work permit unless you have a long-term stay visa or are in the process of getting one. Also, the work permit is good only for one employer at a time. You can’t get a work permit for working at one school and then just decide that you want to teach somewhere else.

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?

You have 90 days to live in Slovakia without paperwork with a ‘tourist’ visa. The count of those 90 days begin when your passport is stamped upon entrance to the EU. Should you apply for a long-term stay visa before you come to Slovakia? You can only apply for one if you have a reason for applying. In otherwords, simply wanting to work in Slovakia is not a reason you can apply for a long-term stay visa, you need to actually have a job in hand. Therefore unless you’ve already been made an offer, I don’t think you can apply in advance.

Since I am working full time, I need to find an on-line program that would be acceptable to the Slovak work force. There are numerous online programs and I want to pick one that would be useful in Slovakia. CELTA seems to be the most popular. But they do not have an online program. I was wondering if I took the class in Prague in July if that would give me the time I needed to apply for work the following school year? Or would an online program be acceptable?

Getting certified to be a teacher of English as a foreign language is pretty important. Yes, schools are looking to see that you have some kind of certificate, but really the education is for you. You will need to know how to explain complex grammar questions and sooner or later you will get a student who asks you a question such as “Why is the future perfect case used in this sentence rather than the simple future?” and you want to be able to know what they are referring to and how to explain. Your education is important and that’s why I wouldn’t recommend an online course to someone who doesn’t have experience teaching English. However, if you really have no other choice but to look for something online, then look for something that is really going to teach you something and is not simply a two-week course aimed at taking your money in exchange for a bogus certificate. That’s the only advice I can give about that. I really don’t have any experience with which is the best site to go with.

Certainly if you are willing to commit to going to Prague for a summer course, that would fill your requirements. Many Americans go this route. I’m not sure about the timing, though. If you complete the course in July that might not give you a lot of time to find a teaching job in Slovakia. I do know that people who finish the course in Prague can usually find teaching opportunities in Prague right away.

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