An English Teacher Abroad: So, you want to teach in Russia?

If you are interested in teaching in a country that is full of history, culture, natural beauty and quirky people, then Russia could be the destination for you. Maybe you're fascinated in the brutal past of this country, or maybe you're a huge fan of Tolstoy, Pushkin, or the other heavyweights of Russian literature. Perhaps you've already visited Russia before and you were enthralled by its people and customs. Whatever, the reason, Russia is an interesting place to live and work. And, if you don't mind extremely cold winters and humid summers, and a bit of bureaucracy, then this could be the place for you.

Stalin was a bad man. A very bad man.

Russian Twerk Team...twerking their twerky stuff

It gets very, very cold in the winter

Go on Pushkin!!

Just some of the reasons to come to Russia: lashings of brutal history, lots of ice and snow in the winter, a wealth of literature and The Russian Twerk Team. I've only mentioned a few. The list is much longer and it would most definitely include vodka.

But, if there was one reason to come to Russia, just one out of so many, I would say: the Russian people. As I've mentioned in previous posts I think this is what makes Russia such a great country. For an English teacher abroad Russian adults and children are fantastic to teach. See previous posts for more details.

Preparing to teach in Russia

So, if you have decided to make the big move to Mother Russia, here are some tips about preparation:

1. If you haven't got a CELTA/Trinity teaching qualification, then I would strongly suggest that you get yourself enrolled onto a course. You can either opt for full-time (4 weeks intensive) or part-time (16 weeks and still intensive if you have a daytime job). The cost is in the region of £1,300. Expensive perhaps, but extremely worthwhile. CELTA and Trinity qualifications open doors.

2. Once you have the right qualifications, then it's time to apply and secure yourself an interview, which will more than likely be conducted on Skype. Here are 2 websites that advertise teaching posts all year round:

www.tefl.com www.eslcafe.com

And make sure your CV is up-to-date which highlights any teaching experience, including your CELTA/Trinity training. If you use tefl.com to apply for jobs, you will have to create an online CV which is then saved to your account. Letters of applications through the website are usually short, so make sure you keep it succinct and appealing to your potential employer. And whatever you do at this stage, make sure you check your spelling. Nobody wants to employ an English language teacher who can't get the fundamentals right.

Interviews are nerve-wracking at the best of times. Even a Skype interview can have your stomach in knots. To reduce any anxiety and potential problems before the interview begins, I would strongly suggest that you prepare for a variety of questions. If you know someone who is currently abroad working as an English language teacher, please ask for advice on this matter. And also, if you have never, or rarely used Skype before, it is a really good idea to practice with a friend and check everything works. I can tell you from my own experience it is really embarrassing when you start the interview and they can't hear you because your audio settings are switched off.

3. The Russian Visa. You cannot enter Russia without a valid visa. So, once you have secured a position, then it's time for the merry dance that is getting a Russian visa. Firstly, you'll need your letter of invitation from your future employer. They will send that to you, possibly by courier. And you will need to have a letter from your doctor stating that you are free from HIV/AIDS. In order to do this you will have to book an appointment at your local sexual health clinic and have a blood test. Once that is done it will take 10 working days for the results to come back. Your doctor may charge a fee for the letter which carries your HIV status. For me it cost £50. While you are waiting for your results make sure you have some passport-size photos for your application. When you have gathered all the relevant documentation, it will then be time to fill in your application online through a visa agency. For an initial 3 month visa this will cost around £100. The application is a pain because of the level of detail, but once you have completed it, signed it and attached a photo and payment (with your passport), you will then realise how much closer you are to coming to Russia - and the ball-ache is over. Within a week of posting your application, you should receive your passport back, complete with your Russian visa.

This is the visa agency I used: http://www.visitrussia.org.uk/

4. Contract - you should receive a contract from your new employer, either by courier, pdf or fax. Waiting for it by normal post takes too long (at least 4 weeks from Russia to the UK). And once you do receive it, check it carefully. It should be in at least English. Some contracts are written in both languages.

5. Flights - now that you have your visa and contract, it is time to book your flight to Russia. To get to Saint Petersburg from Manchester I flew with Finnair. A one-way ticket cost me £207. If you are flying to Moscow you may be fortunate to buy a ticket on a budget airline, such as Easy Jet, which run flights from the UK to the Russian capital at bargain prices. Total flight time from Manchester to Saint Petersburg is around five and a half hours.

NB: Approximate time between accepting a post and arriving is two months.

What to do and what not to do

Do it!

Do:

1. Bring enough clothes for a very cold winter, lots of wet weather and a humid summer. Please note that the price of clothes in Russia is very high compared to the UK. And bring sturdy boots or shoes. That is absolutely essential.

2. Bring a laptop. This will be your outside line to friends and family back home. It will also be your source of entertainment during those long, dark evenings alone.

3. Learn some Russian. At least learn the Cyrillic alphabet before you arrive as this will make learning Russian so much easier...a little easier at least. Be prepared - Russian is a hard language!

4. Bring some reading material, preferably on an e-reader.

5. Bring some Russian currency with you for those initial purchases, which will include the essentials such as food, drink, toilet paper and vodka. And the metro too. You may also want to save some money before you arrive for a deposit and first-month's rent.

Don't:

1. Expect a lot of smiles on arrival, either from the lady at the border control, or outside on the streets. If you smile at a stranger, they will think you are mad, insincere, or both. Smiles will come later...I promise.

2. Expect much choice for vegetarians/vegans. This is still a meat-loving nation.

3. Talk about politics; especially about anything to do with Putin and Russia, unless you know the person.

4. Wave your new smart phone about in public. There are people (criminals) ready to swipe it off you. Be alert when you do have to get your phone out on the street.

Phone-jacker picks on the wrong woman in a metro subway

5. (i) Approach the police, unless you really have to.

(ii) Go near any protests where there are neo-nazis present. You are a foreigner and they hate foreigners.

(iii) Go near near any ex-VDV (paratroopers) on VDV Day (2nd August) - they are not keen on foreigners either.

Russian neo-Nazis

6. Let your guard down. Just like in any city, you should always be careful when walking on the streets alone at night. As it is the same in any British city, the same applies in Russia.

Please don't let the above six points put you off from coming to Russia to teach. Some of this advice was passed on to me. I haven't seen any neo-nazis. I have not been assaulted by any street robbers. But you do have to be cautious at times, especially on the underground. I have been pick-pocketed once. I wish I had been more careful at the time and had kept my wallet in my jacket, rather than in my trouser pocket.

If you have made the decision to come to Russia to teach, then you will have some really great experiences. Russia has its own charm. But the most charming element, as I have repeated on numerous occasions, is the people. Be prepared for some wackiness!