Teach English In Germany, ESL Jobs, German culture

TEACH ENGLISH IN GERMANY

Thinking of Germany? “It was a great place to teach since we could travel so easily throughout Europe. The culture was interesting and I met some close friends and learned to speak German fairly well. I didn’t save a lot since I traveled so much and tax is a little high. But overall, I recommend it as a great place to teach and travel.” Kim, USA

“A bit hard at first to get to know people but after I settled in I found locals very friendly and sincere. It was a very tolerant place as well, accepting eccentricity very well.” Mark, Canada

Add Your Testimony

Germany can be fascinating for sure with a very old culture and centrally located within Europe it provides an excellent starting point for travel to surrounding countries. Personally I would love to live and teach in Berlin for a year. Just to get to know Germany and experience its food, music, culture and meet and talk with locals. If you are thinking of Germany you may want to research as much as possible. We offer a brief over view and hope to provide more in depth information as time goes on. Personal testimony added to this site and face to face interviews provide much of the information on Germany.

The general consensusss seems to be quite positive with like most new experiences, a bit difficult to get used to, depending to your own personal adaptability and ability to live and teach abroad. You may not find locals jumping up at you to greet you with large open smiles and arms straight away, but there aren’t too many places in this world that are like this. Once you get to meet people, you will find a very real and decent sincerity, friendliness and a general interest of many locals of the outside world, current events, etc.

If you are going with a friend or partner this can help you feel more comfortable in a new environment. It can also make it sometimes more difficult to meet new people as you may tend to stick together not bothering to introduce yourself to others, as many tend to do when traveling or moving to a new location on one’s own.

Living costs such as food and transportation may be relatively cheap, but tax can be higher than many countries. Freelance teachers tend to pay more tax and it is a good idea to work full time for a school or company, though freelance jobs tend to be more in abundance.

Qualifications

A University degree in any field, though English, linguistics and or a teaching degree will be more desirable, but not needed.

TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate is highly recommended and most schools will want this. Some schools may offer an in house certificate course.

Speaking some or adequate German is viewed by many schools, especially companies, as an excellent qualification and these candidates have a higher chance of employment.

Teachers are expected to be professional, courteous and well prepared for teaching lessons.

Visas

Checklist for Work Visa

The application MUST contain ALL of the following: (Please do not staple the documents)

1) 2 fully completed and signed application forms.

2) 2 declarations “Visa 1”

3) 2 photographs (not older than 3 months, with a frontal view of the face, white background)

4) valid national passport (valid for at least three months after the planned journey, has at least two blank pages and must not be older than 10 years at the moment of the visa request) + 2 copies

5) employment contract or letter of intent from your future employer in Germany indicating the salary (in German language including full address of employer); for self-employment: all information regarding the company and financing (e.g. location offer, business plan, credit and financial information, business contacts in Germany) + 2 copies 6) proof of housing in Germany (e.g. renting contract, hotel reservation, invitation letter in case of private accommodation) + 2 copies

7) proof of your home country or German travel health insurance coverage for the first 3 months including benefits (to be provided after approval of visa) + copy

8) flight reservation (to be provided after approval of visa) + copy

9) visa fee (appr.: 100,- $USD, cash only)

Please note:

- do not purchase the ticket before visa approval is granted.
- in individual cases you may be required to provide additional documents

Sources: http://embassy-finder.com/germany_embassies

http://www.toronto.diplo.de/

General Benefits & Remuneration Overview

The following is to be used as a general guide for average and typical ESL employment throughout Germany

Monthly Salary: 1,100 - 2,400 EUR Cost of living: the average cost of living is 700 - 1,000 EUR

Accommodations: Some employers will arrange accommodation or help you to find. Housing is not usually included in the teaching contract.

Airfare: Not usually included.

Health Care: Partially included by employer

Peak Hiring Season: September but private schools may hire throughout the year. Teaching Hours per Week: 20 -30+ Typical Contract: Freelance though contracts are available for teaching ESL in Germany. Holidays: Usually paid, should be specified within the teaching contract.

Teaching Job Types:

Private language schools: General English, Conversation English, Business English

In-company: General English, Conversation English, Business English, Other

Adult education colleges: General English, Conversation English, Cambridge PET/FCE/CAE

Dom’s Cafe - The #1 Resource for ESL Jobs and Information in Korea and Asia