"Mom, I've decided to sell everything, quit my job, and move to Europe."

I had heard of some other people who went to Japan to teach English; friends of friends, that kind of thing. I cruised around the net and was lucky enough to find Dave's ESl Cafe my first time out. (BTW: this is a great link to post questions and find information.) Someone from the job forum recommended the book, "Teach English Abroad" by Susan Griffith, Vacation Works publisher. I bought it right away and spent the evening reading. The book gave me some facts which helped me realize that teaching English overseas could actually be a reality for me!

I made a couple of decisions early on...

  1. I want to work in Europe.
  2. I will earn some kind of certificate, because I don't want to leap into teaching unprepared.
I settled on Poland because the country is hiring English teachers like crazy. Also, its practically impossible for Americans to get work permits for countries in the European Economic Union. Poland is not a member yet! (Neither are Slovakia, Ukraine, and Russia...) I'm also more than a little bit Polish, and wanted to find out more about my heritage. No, I don't speak Polish, but I have been studying a phrasebook and from language tapes. I will take lessons as soon as I arrive in Krakow.

A Map Of Poland!

The book recommended the Cambridge RSA CELTA certificate. Unfortunately there isn't a school that offers the course in Seattle, WA. I registered for the only TEFL course in Seattle, The School of Teaching ESL at Seattle University. It was a $100 deposit for the summer four-week intensive course. In the mean time, I talked to some people and looked into a couple of commercial job placement agencies. I was worried about the prospects of job hunting in Poland from Seattle. As scary as it sounds, actually flying to the country where you want to work and job hunting in person may be the best solution. I withdrew my application after I registered with International House.

I found out about International House on the Internet. They offer the RSA CETLA course in Krakow and will help with job placement too! They have schools in over 40 countries. To apply for the course I completed an English Task Questionaire (on basic English grammar), took some cheap passport photos, and made a notorized copy of my college diploma. One month later, I had a telephone interview with the head of teacher training. The process took over two months, but I got accepted into the course and I leave for Krakow in three weeks! I mailed in a £200 deposit last week, and I'll pay the balance of tuition (£365) upon arrival. Someone from IH will meet me at the Krakow train station when I arrive and they have arranged a shared flat with another student for an additional £150 fee.

Airfare prices can be heart stopping! A travel agent suggested that I buy a student identification card so that I would qualify for all sorts of discounts. I tried to buy an ISIC card, but didn't qualify because I'm not attending a "degree granting institution" and I'm over the age of 26. I ended up getting an International Student Exchange card instead for $18. The card offers some benefits like medical coverage and a toll-free emergency number, in addition to standard discounts. I am flying into Frankfurt, Germany because the prices are cheaper and its more centrally located than Warsaw. I'm also planning to purchase an Adult Hostel Card which costs $25. Finally, I bought an Eagle Creek Solo Journey pack from Eagle Creek to carry me through my trip.

I have many more ESL, travel, and camping links listed in my hotlist. Or go BACK to my main page.