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Finland Forum • View topic - English teaching jobs in Finland?
Hi,
I'm a native English speaker (American) who has been teaching English in Shanghai for 2 years now.
I was wondering what opportunities are avalible as an English teacher in Finland?
Thanks in advance,
Joe
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There are 4 million+ English-speakers in Finland.
At a guess, I'd say 2 million+ of them have tertiary qualifications...
And they are ALL fluent in Finnish as well.
Many of them are also fluent in Swedish, Russian or German.
Are you qualified as a teacher?
Not that it's likely to make a huge difference to the answer, I'm afraid.
You might just manage to get private work doing workplace skills in English (as an example if you can teach formal English for business writing) but it's a niche market and unless you ALSO have fluent Finnish (which all your competitors will have) your chances are extremely, extremely remote.
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There's info on the teacher's qualifications issues here:
http://www.oph.fi/info/recognition ->
Recognition of foreign qualifications in Finland ->
Eligibility to work as a teacher
Then again, I'm not exactly sure as how the "private" sector (e.g.
Commercial language schools & the few international schools) are obliged to follow these rules.
Probably they have their own requirements.
Any experience of that, anyone?
In any case, the "private" sector in the field of education is quite small in Finland.
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Lets say the entry-level market isn't there, even prepping kids for the exams its cheaper to send them to Benidorm for the summer.
Personal coaching for middle management and further, and "business English" is a possibility.
Then if you read a few topics here, there is a shock and horror the Finnish kids, let alone teachers speak with an American twang, horror for the limeys there precious will loose the geordie spoken at home, but alas, such is life.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
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Wow, sounds pretty bleak
Fluent Finnish?
I don't speak a word!
I'm getting pretty tired of working in China, maybe I'll check out the Philippines or South America....
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East & Central Europe maybe a possibility as well - You can though forget about the Nordic countries, we have pretty much the same educational levels and English almost as a 2nd language despite what every politician says.
= People don't want to pay you to learn it to be able to immigrate to the US or UK
Oh, as Raamv once requested me to be less obscure, here is the definition of "Nordic Countries":
Last edited by Hank W.
On Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
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The private language schools in Helsinki use EFL trainers on a freelance basis.
Basically this means that when they sell a course they will contact one of the teachers on their books and offer the course to them.
That person says yes or no based on his availability etc.
I was teaching about 16 h a week last year like that and the previous year I was hovering around 24h week.
I turned down courses that involved too much travel or didn't suit my schedule (I like to be home before the kids finish school).
There was plenty of work available.
(BTW I have an honours degree in business and a TEFL cert from London University but I think my finance background was more important than the diplomas in getting me the work.)
So, the problem for foreigners looking for teaching work in Finland is that if you are non EU then you need a visa.
You can't get a visa without a job.
And the language schools won't give you a contract.
The only solution is to find a school (probably a university or polytechnic) that can offer you a full-time position.
But unlikely in the private sector.
I believe there is a higher demand for EFL teachers in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and in central Europe (Hungary, Slovakia, Poland etc)
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Cool that might be fun.
I'm making about $20 (US) per hour teaching English over here.
What is the average pay-rate in Eastern & Central Europe?
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Private schools (IB) Ruoholahti is highly competitive, requiring M.A.s and previous experience in the IB circuit.
Students are EU/embassy kids, high tuition paid by corporations or embassies, extremely spoiled, pressured, and sometimes, severe behavior problems, and many swinging doors transient students.
But the reputation of the staff and the curriculum is the best, as far as international programs go.
Pay is excellent.
However, they have had serious accounting problems, and as a result, their program has not been able to expand, or at one point I believe, they even had to pay staff backpay for years of underpayment.
There is another IB in Vantaa, I believe, I know one teacher that worked there, but don't know much about the school.
Others, like The English School, require some kind of certification, but let's just say there is HUGE demand for WARM BODIES that are NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS with "teaching" experience (from the parents, not necessarily from the mostly Finnish staff).
It is a very FINNISH school in that the culture there is not to question the way a teacher manages the class or plans or doesn't plan lessons.
They figure, you are a teacher, you have a credential, so you must be doing fine, and no need for any kind of oversight, consistency, rules, or blanket policy.
So, there is a chance you can slip through the cracks and teach a subject that by law doesn't require certification.
This may end up being handwork or something.
Also, they get around the visa/non EU status by giving you a temporary contract each year.
Finnish helps, but certainly not necessary or required.
You would mainly need it for some of your colleagues, and the occasional stubborn student.
Another option is to "sub" for the gazillions of teachers on the mommy track that are endlessly on leave.
This doesn't require certification, but, you are not protected in your contract, as it is a sub position.
I.E. Mommy, as a tenured teacher, might decide she wants her (YOUR) summer pay, and so, you won't get it, even though she's been at home the past two years.
In some cases, your holiday pay won't be in full, and you don't have job security if you get attached to your subject or class.
Other option is paivakotis.
Again, HUGE demand for native speakers that have the patience to work with young kids in long hours immersion programs.
For the most part, crap pay, lots of illegal stuff going on, especially with foreigners, and long hours, bad working conditions for someone who went to a university or actually has previous teaching experience in a structured classroom.
Lots of committed ppl and some great families and kids, but equally high number of anal prima donnas that will condescend and shred your confidence about the most basic of tasks.
These same ppl seem to take coffee break for four hours while you literally dress 40 children (2x a day) on your hands and knees.
There are options.
You just have to get creative, and you have to push your way in, and want it bad enough, and be willing to earn your stripes.
If you are ambitious enough, you could go far very quickly, as there are many in this field that are content with status quo and don't want to bother with any extra work.
Good luck.
Hope it doesn't sound too gritty, but these are all possibilities of what you would be getting into.
Megs
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Quote: : Private schools (IB) Ruoholahti is highly competitive, requiring M.A.s and previous experience in the IB circuit.
Students are EU/embassy kids, high tuition paid by corporations or embassies, extremely spoiled, pressured, and sometimes, severe behavior problems, and many swinging doors transient students.
But the reputation of the staff and the curriculum is the best, as far as international programs go.
Pay is excellent.
However, they have had serious accounting problems, and as a result, their program has not been able to expand, or at one point I believe, they even had to pay staff backpay for years of underpayment.
There is another IB in Vantaa, I believe, I know one teacher that worked there, but don't know much about the school.
Others, like The English School, require some kind of certification, but let's just say there is HUGE demand for WARM BODIES that are NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS with "teaching" experience (from the parents, not necessarily from the mostly Finnish staff).
It is a very FINNISH school in that the culture there is not to question the way a teacher manages the class or plans or doesn't plan lessons.
They figure, you are a teacher, you have a credential, so you must be doing fine, and no need for any kind of oversight, consistency, rules, or blanket policy.
So, there is a chance you can slip through the cracks and teach a subject that by law doesn't require certification.
This may end up being handwork or something.
Also, they get around the visa/non EU status by giving you a temporary contract each year.
Finnish helps, but certainly not necessary or required.
You would mainly need it for some of your colleagues, and the occasional stubborn student.
Another option is to "sub" for the gazillions of teachers on the mommy track that are endlessly on leave.
This doesn't require certification, but, you are not protected in your contract, as it is a sub position.
I.E. Mommy, as a tenured teacher, might decide she wants her (YOUR) summer pay, and so, you won't get it, even though she's been at home the past two years.
In some cases, your holiday pay won't be in full, and you don't have job security if you get attached to your subject or class.
Other option is paivakotis.
Again, HUGE demand for native speakers that have the patience to work with young kids in long hours immersion programs.
For the most part, crap pay, lots of illegal stuff going on, especially with foreigners, and long hours, bad working conditions for someone who went to a university or actually has previous teaching experience in a structured classroom.
Lots of committed ppl and some great families and kids, but equally high number of anal prima donnas that will condescend and shred your confidence about the most basic of tasks.
These same ppl seem to take coffee break for four hours while you literally dress 40 children (2x a day) on your hands and knees.
There are options.
You just have to get creative, and you have to push your way in, and want it bad enough, and be willing to earn your stripes.
If you are ambitious enough, you could go far very quickly, as there are many in this field that are content with status quo and don't want to bother with any extra work.
Good luck.
Hope it doesn't sound too gritty, but these are all possibilities of what you would be getting into.
I take it this is just an educated guess...
Get in there...
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Yeah. don't mind me, just postulatin', Blanche Megs
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Quote: : yeah. don't mind me, just postulatin', Blanche
oh, please don't call me that...
Despite the reference to mr Williams, whenever you say that name, I always think of this Blanche...
Get in there...
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Vivien Leigh's a lot purtier....even though she's not a real Southerner, she sure fooled all the Yankees.
Megs
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Quote: : Vivien Leigh's a lot purtier....even though she's not a real Southerner, she sure fooled all the Yankees.
and the flow of consciousness brought this like to my twisted mind: "you surely got a purdy mouff..." Get in there...
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