Teaching English in Poland

Travel and Teach

There is a wealth of EFL opportunities for teachers at every stage of their career and positions are regularly advertised on TEFL jobs websites. There are also some voluntary organisations and agencies that recruit for Eastern Europe. These would be the place to look if you are a school teacher looking to be placed within the state sector. 

However, the private industry is thriving and the Polish term begins in October. A good way to immerse yourself into teaching and the Polish culture is to teach at one of the many summer camps, which have a lively ‘study-holiday’ atmosphere. 

But don’t travel there on spec. You will need to visit your Polish Consulate (see Useful Contacts for the UK one) and get all the documentation sorted before you leave for Poland. 

When looking for work in Poland, try the list of schools on the Useful Contacts tab first, or if you are in Poland, check out the British Council offices in Warsaw, which may hold a list of language schools locally. Meeting other teachers who can keep you up to date on current vacancies should not be too difficult in the big towns. Bear in mind that many Language School Directors may not speak fluent English, but it is still one of the easiest countries to find work quickly. 

Polish employers may want to interview you before offering a contract. Often this can’t practically take place in person, so you may have a telephone interview. You can also find information on how to succeed at your TESOL interview on the interview techniques page. They'll also want to see a CV, so you might find the guide to writing your CV on our site quite helpful here. 

The typical teaching timetable is around 24 hours per week (a 45 minute lesson often counts as one hour). Allowing for planning etc., this is regarded as a fairly full timetable. However some overtime and/or freelancing could be fitted in and may be necessary to supplement your salary. In common with much of Eastern Europe, finding good quality, affordable accommodation can be difficult. The cost of living is also rising. Despite this, working conditions are not exploitative and Poland’s people and culture should make for an enriching personal experience.

Our course recommendations for Poland are:

• the TESOL Advanced Course 150 hours for Europe
• the 30-hour Business TESOL for Italy as Business English is a useful addition
• add the 30-hour Teaching English to Young Learners course if you would like to work in summer camps, as it contains great ideas for teaching materials for youngsters
• you might also find the guide to writing your CV on our site quite helpful

All our Global English accredited courses now include online English teaching as standard, which is important, as post pandemic much teaching has gone online, and may stay that way in some form.

These courses will enable you to get one step ahead in the search for work, particularly in the buoyant freelance market, where many teachers supplement their earnings.