Looking for an opportunity as an English language teacher in Germany

Hi,

How r u doing?

I am planning to work and stay permanently in Germany as an English language teacher as I have a master's degree in English and I am a Cambridge CELTA certified trainer with 12 years of experience.

Can you share your experiences in Germany?

Can you share contact details of an English language teacher from Pakistan / India in Germany?

Thanks,

Kamran

Hi,
I'm not sure what experiences your looking for..asking particular questions are more helpful. You can look at other questions in the forum. Germany is a country of bureaucracy, rules, and they love paperwork. Finding a flat can be very competitive. You cannot expect them to speak to you in English. Learning a few sentences in German is very helpful and when you go to the government offices do your research beforehand.

There are many language institutes. They all require a certificate and a degree, so your in good hands.  I would suggest reaching out to them.

My Indian friends have told me the same as I stated above. In addition, they have stated that there are Indian stores here however you will not find everything you are looking for (obviously).

Hi

I am actually looking for first hand experiences of non native plus non EU English language teachers in Germany so I could prepare myself accordingly.

Your first response is highly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kamran

I would recommend that you have a good level of German. All the English teachers I know are of at least B1 level in German.

SimCityAT wrote:

I would recommend that you have a good level of German. All the English teachers I know are of at least B1 level in German.


This is very important since teaching at the schools and or private offices there are so many teachers competing. However, if you were to become a teacher at someone's home you may not need German to teach.

As a non-EU-citizen, you need a work visa to teach here, which is only available for full-time employed jobs.
Thus freelancing or part-time options, which are very common in teaching, are closed for you.

Thanks dear.

For the full-time job hunting in Germany, I need to have contact details of some language schools in different cities / regions so I can keep myself in touch with the owners or HR guys for initial online interview / screening before I arrive in Germany on a visit visa.

I have been told that a visit visa can be changed into a work visa if an employer issues a job offer in Germany.

Thanks dear.

I agree with you and I will have to learn German to excel in the profession.

Kamran ESL wrote:

For the full-time job hunting in Germany, I need to have contact details of some language schools in different cities / regions so I can keep myself in touch with the owners or HR guys for initial online interview / screening before I arrive in Germany on a visit visa.


Yes, you need to do as much research and networking as possible!
Good luck!

Kamran ESL wrote:

I have been told that a visit visa can be changed into a work visa if an employer issues a job offer in Germany.


Are you sure?

Good luck. You seem to have experience and certifications but there are 2 difficulties. One is that language institutes generally prefer native speakers. Having a strong Pakistani accent for example would not be a plus. The other is that many do not pay well enough to make a living. They rarely offer enough classes or hours to be considered fulltime. And then one needs to see what benefits they qualify for if considered pastime. And it can be that such teachers are not considered employees of an institute or firm but private contractors. This again can mean a lack of benefits including healthcare which one would then have to pay themselves. And there are often enough highly qualified native speakers willing to work part time that schools don't have to offer better conditions.

But best to contact firms and language institutes on your own to get initial information. Just use Google. Also, from what you have posted so far, it sounds like you might be confused about the difference between a Job Seeker's visa and a tourist visa.  A job seeker's visa can be converted into a work visa; that is the whole purpose. One could theoretically line up a job while on a tourist visa but one would have to return home and then apply for the work visa; it cannot just be converted.