Church in St. Petersburg
Teach English in Russia
The world’s new “Wild West” and land of opportunity. If you teach English in Russia, you will find wages to be modest, but you can live reasonably well on the local economy.
Formalities
Employers tend to prefer that you have a bachelor’s degree, previous teaching experience and a TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours. They also prefer that your passport be from the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa or New Zealand. As with most countries, things get more flexible out in the countryside.
Wages and Benefits
Wages tend to be modest, even as low as 400-500 euros, but the cost of living is low and Russia is one of the few European countries where you can likely get hired from abroad and might have your airfare reimbursed. Accommodation assistance is provided and that can range from helping you find an apartment to having one provided free (though sharing it with another teacher is likely). Check here for the current exchange rate for the Russian ruble.
Job Responsibilities
Depending on your employer you can expect to teach about 25-30 hours per week, both children and adults unless you have a specialty. Some schools will want you to participate in extracurricular activities with your students (sports, outings, etc.).
Hiring Season
The best time to look for work is August and September for the start of the school year in September/October. The rest of the year can be slow, but there are still opportunities available. Contracts of less than a full year are possible, but benefits then become more negotiable.
Fair Warning
Some teachers report being paid late and that negotiated terms of employment are sometimes not consistently taken care of. Be sure to do a bit of due diligence when offered a position and ask to interview at least one or two teachers currently at the school. Listen carefully to what they have to say.
Teach English in Russia
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