Voices from Teachers in Central Europe

What would you gain by teaching English in Central Europe?
Slovakia has an interesting history, which is still quite fresh in the minds of the people here. It is not difficult to find yourself in conversation about the last 80 or 800 years as well as talking about the crossroads at which Slovaks currently find themselves. If listening to people is one of your interests, you will find much to hear.

Slovakia is beautiful. There are endless hiking and biking trails, forest paths to lose your way in, winding cobblestone streets, and plenty of other distinctly European attractions to charm you. Other European cities and landmarks are within easy reach, though you will need extra money for this. Teaching in Slovakia is something to be remembered. For one used to the American educational system, there is much insight, as well as fun, to be gained by devoting yourself here for a year or two. You will find the students, faculty, and indeed the entire system pleasantly challenging. Finally, an experience such as this should be made if only to challenge your entire perspective on the world. While many aspects of life in Slovakia can be uncomfortably foreign, they can inspire the self-reflection and examination one needs as a member of a privileged society and in order to live responsibly in this world.

--Volunteer English Teacher, Bratislava

Consider becoming a volunteer English teacher in Central Europe if many of these statements describe you:

You’re excited about books and reading.
You’re fascinated by language and words.
You look forward to being in a room with bright, high-energy teenagers.
Living in the heart of central Europe is an appealing adventure.
You love to see students excited about a story, poem, or play.
A highlight of your day could be seeing a student write a better paragraph than he has ever written before, or making her first really interesting comment in a discussion.
You have a good basic knowledge of English grammar, and American and English literature.
Helping a new generation of Central Europeans gain skills in reading, writing, and speaking English seems like an exciting challenge.
You are willing to fit into an existing system of education in creative ways.
You are eager to examine contemporary culture from the perspective of Christian faith.

--Volunteer English Teacher, Bratislava

The Gymnazium (high school) is two years old, and it is named after a famous leader of the Slovak Lutheran Church: Juraj Tranovsky. People call him the “Slovak Martin Luther.” It is both a Lutheran High School and a “state” school. Many students come in from surrounding villages to attend the school and stay in dorms during the week. They have to pass tests to be admitted, and speak English at various levels. Currently, there are 100 students at the high school with more to be admitted next year. The school is currently trying to find a solution to adding more students in an already full school. The students are eager to learn and appreciate all the help we can give. All of our colleagues are wonderful and very capable. The school has an excellent reputation in the area, due to an excellent principal and active teachers. Most of the teachers speak some English, and many of them speak it very well. We are meeting with some of them to help them prepare class lessons, as they will be teaching classes in English next year. So far, my husband and I are teaching the only classes in English, besides two other classes to improve the students’ English grammar. We teach Conversation and Social Studies. During Conversation classes, we have discussions, writing assignments, and we read together as a class. We are teaching American Social Studies this semester and British Social Studies next semester. We teach about 20 hours a week, six classes of different levels. Four of the classes are freshman level, and they are separated according to how well they speak English.

If you are considering coming to Liptovsky Mikulas, keep in mind that it is a very beautiful place. It doesn’t have the same big-city culture that Bratislava and Kosice have, but that has its advantages. People live simply here. If you love nature and simple living, this is a wonderful place.

--Volunteer English Teachers, Liptovsky Mikulas