Teaching English in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

You only need to glance at the Prague Post to see that teachers are still in high demand around the two republics.

There are enough schools, both public and private, looking for teachers that you should be able to find a good position in a place suited to your needs, whether you’re seeking the environs of a city like Prague or an out-of-the-way town in Eastern Slovakia. The competition is greater in Prague and Bratislava, but these are attractive places because they offer lifestyles well matched to restless and rambunctious expat types. If you lack formal teaching credentials and teaching experience, your chances of finding a teaching position are better the further you get from Prague, and to a lesser degree from Bratislava. Nonetheless, a higher level of competition has not stopped many inexperienced teachers from finding work. So, if Prague is the place for you, you’ll just have to be more persistent and tenacious.

According to a teacher at one of the larger private schools in Prague, when asked what he saw as the future of English teaching:

“The demand itself will not change over the next several years. It will remain high. However, the mode of offering classes will evolve. More small private schools will pop up, and there will be a greater need for private teachers. Studying English has already lost much of its novelty among Czech students, but that doesn’t mean that the demand will fall. In fact, our teachers are being hired out to private companies in increasing numbers. Some have even been hired out as translators and proofreaders for television stations.”

As in the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, English-teaching positions are found under the following general situations:

Public Schools
Private Schools
Private Tutoring
Corporate Instruction
Other Opportunities