Teaching English In Greece Things To Consider

T he employment situation          teaching theory, knowledge of      can be quite uncertain for      English grammar (let's face it,    newcomers to Greece and         many of us have never formally     therefore many people choose to       studied English grammar in any     try teaching English as a foreign     great depth, even though we speak  language, on a full or part-time      and write English everyday) and    basis. Even if it is not want you     give you some valuable experience  want to do on a permanent basis,      of teaching in a classroom, since  it can be useful way of earning       this is included in most courses.  some income until your preferred                                         career choice pans out.                                                                                        Something to be aware of is that   There are many language schools       the pay and conditions offered by  or "frontistiria" in Athens and       language schools will vary         all over Greece, to which you         enormously, so it is important to  could apply for work. In order to     check these out in detail first    get a job in one of these             before accepting a contract. As    schools, it is still not strictly     with other types of employment,    necessary to have a formal            think carefully beforehand if you  teaching qualification such as        are asked to work a "trial         TEFL. Often all that is required      period" for no pay. If time is on  is a university degree (in any        your side, it may be worth         subject) from a UK or US              speaking to several schools        university. That said, if you are     before taking a job. Also, if you  uncertain about your ability to       work in a "frontistirio" it is     teach English and want to ensure      quite likely that you will be      that you start off in this line       working mainly in the afternoons   of work with the necessary            and evenings, since this is when   skills, a course would be useful.     children and adults are free to    It would provide you with some        take their lessons. Teaching       English as a foreign language         and advertise the fact that you    jobs are widely advertised in         do private English lessons, on a   newspapers and on the Internet        one-to-one basis. I myself do      all year round and most often         English lessons of this type. It   from August to October. It does       can be difficult to get the first  not matter if you do not speak a      few lessons, but then through      lot of Greek. Native English          word of mouth, you'll get more if  speakers are often valued for         you do a good job - that great     other reasons such as having what     social network of mums and dads    is seen as having a "proper"          on the school run can work         accent. Many people also swear by     wonders! The University of         the approach of not speaking to       Cambridge ESOL (English for        your students' language, so that      Speakers of Other Languages) exam  they hear only English being          system seems to be the most        spoken from the beginning to the      widely known and respected in      end of the lesson. You will find      Greece. It is worth familiarising  ways to make yourself understood.     yourself with the system - there   In my experience of language          is an enormous amount of free      teaching, it can even be              information on the Internet,       counter-productive if your            including lesson plans, tips,      students know that you speak          exam practice etc. The exams       their language well, because they     which are most commonly sat by     may be too tempted to speak to        students are the "First            you in Greek when they find it        Certificate in English" (which     hard going.                           many people still refer to by its                                        old name: "Lower", "Certificate    I have heard several people           of Proficiency in English" (known  suggest that working in a             as "Proficiency"), and             language school for a few months      "Certificate in Advanced English"  is a good way to meet students        (commonly referred to as           "Advanced").                          with a word on advertising. My                                           experience has been that I have    What students will want from you      paid out money for two newspaper   varies a great deal. Some may         ads, which got back zero replies!  just want a conversation class,       What has worked well for me is     others may just be starting on        local advertising - you need to    the Cambridge examinations path       use your imagination. I put a      and there will be some who are        card in local shops and a small    already at a very high level and      notice in the back window of my    may need detailed coaching on         car and you can see people         specific grammar points or on         reading it at every traffic        vocabulary for a particular           light! Just beware of getting      purpose e.g. business English.        calls on your mobile while you're  And given these differences, the      driving - not good! As I said      amount of preparation required on     before, word of mouth should kick  your part and the fee per hour        in too once you have your first    you are able to charge will           couple of lessons.                 probably vary too. I'll finish         About the Author: Emmanuel Mendonca is the webmaster and publisher of Greece Travel Articles at http://www.athensroom.com/greece_travel_guide.html - a source of interesting articles and other information on visiting, living and working in Greece. Source: www.isnare.com