Seeing it has been almost 2 years since I moved to teach English as a foreign language as a missionary in Poland for 8 months, I figure I could share my 2￠
on my experience; summing it up for myself and giving anyone else interested in this option an idea of what to expect--especially as a non-EU citizen.
First, my situation:
As a missionary/volunteer, I received a monthly stipend of 1,400 PLN (yes, that was extremely low). Any full-time position starting salary is 2,000-2,500 PLN/month. I found this out much later.
With 1,400 PLN, I paid for rent (utilities were included), non-work-related transportation (work-related transportation was reimbursed), my prepaid phone, and food.
I lived in an apartment with another girl for the first month. In the second month, another girl joined us for the rest of our 8-month-stay.
I barely traveled except for work (I used to teach at another private language school once a week in a bigger town nearby).
Since I knew I wanted to take the CELTA course, I (really) started saving from December for the June/July course. I managed to collect 1,800 PLN in about 5-7 months. It was tough, but I did it.
We were supposed to teach 80 hours per month. I averaged at around 90-100 hrs/month. I took on over-time gladly--and was paid for it at 20 PLN/hr. That also helped me fund my savings (which was enough to pay my rent during the CELTA course).
I taught many 1-to-1 lessons, but a few small groups (2-3 students), and 2 larger groups (one had 12, the other had 6-8). Most were middle/high school students, some were professionals. One was retired, and one of my group classes was with 10-12-year-olds.
My schedule varied each day. I may teach an 8 am class one week and have it canceled the next week because of the student's change in work schedule. The latest I ever finished was 18:30.
Some classes had a textbook, others didn't. I usually recycled content from one class and used it in another one or four.
Living in a touristy city, there were plenty of things to do. However, I needed to really watch my money. On average, I ate out about once or twice a month. Fortunately, the Baltic Sea was about a 20-minute-walk from my place. There were 2 beaches I could walk to and a couple of parks I could stroll around in. I mostly keep to myself, so this was perfectly fine with me.
Now the question: Would I go back to teach and live in Poland?
YES.
True, my paycheck was much less than desirable. However, if I returned, I'd teach for a school/language institute as a full-time employee with the visa that reflects that. I'd go to where I am paid well, have over-time opportunities, receive sweet benefits, and can advance further and further in my career.
Why don't I?
Most Poles study British English--which is logical. The UK is much closer than The States or Canada and is much more influential there.
Another major problem is that I'm not an EU citizen. Poland is part of the EU and highly prefers to hire EU citizens to teach English. Of course! There's a lot more red tape to go through if they were to hire someone who's not an EU citizen (namely proving why the non-EU national is necessary for a position that an EU national could fill). Besides, there are non-Native English speakers in several EU countries (i.e., Dutch, Scandinavians, etc.) whose English is second to none. However, there are a few schools that do hire Americans/Canadians, so not all hope is lost.
Would I recommend teaching EFL in Poland to others?
Depends on what they like and want.
There are many opportunities to teach in Poland (again, especially if you have EU citizenship), mostly in language schools/institutes. Some teach children, others adults, most both. You may have split-shifts or teach from the afternoon to the evening. Weekend classes are not completely out of the question. Neither are private lessons in students' homes. Or yours.
Class sizes tend to be either one-to-one (or up to one-to-four) or in groups of < 20 students. Most of my teen students were motivated, or at least interested. The kids can be rowdy (let's face it, kids are kids everywhere). Adults were my favorite students by far. They were motivated, interested, curious, and open to discuss (almost) every topic possible.
The people may seem cold and mean, but give them some time. Once you get to know them, you'll see how warm and kind they really are.
Housing may or may not be provided. I'm pretty sure they don't provide a housing allowance like Korea. Check with the school. Commuting time always depends on where you are and where your next class is (which may change per week/day). Work-related travel costs may or may not be reimbursed.
Food-wise, cook to save money. Eating out does not have to be expensive (just go where the university students go to eat--can't go wrong there!), but it will be if you go out often enough. The meals usually consist of some kind of meat, potatoes, and soup/other vegetables. Quite hearty. It is possible to find vegetarian restaurants--even vegan--, but they will probably be more expensive.
I think it's a little harder being vegan in Poland than in Korea. Dairy products are not all that popular in Korean cuisine. You can find milk alternatives (soy, rice, almond, etc.) easy enough in Korea, but not so in Poland (you can, but not as easily).
The Poles love their vegetables so it might be a little easier to be a vegetarian in Poland than in Korea, although Korea has a TON of vegetable dishes (or vegetables in their dishes) too.
You will definitely not earn as much in Poland as in Korea, nor will you be able to save as much--if your goal is to pay off student loans or other massive debt. Say you just want to live in Poland, then you should be able to live comfortably and save a bit each month.
Remember, Poland's currency is the Złoty. It takes roughly 4 Złoty to equal 1 Euro. It's essential to keep that in mind if you want to travel in Western Europe.
But no worries. Poland has PLENTY to offer. It has beautiful nature, bustling cities, engaging culture, tasty cuisine, and fascinating history. On top of this, the people are just as intriguing, if you give them a chance.
Does this sound good to you? Then start looking for TEFL jobs in Poland. If not, then make sure to visit Poland when you get the chance. You are truly missing out on an underestimated gem if you don't.
