|  Overview
Legendary hospitality... ancient civilisation...superb
climate... islands and beaches... wonderful food... there
are as many answers as there are visitors to Greece. But
here are a few practical reasons to choose Greece.
• Ease of access: Athens is just three and a half
hours from London, and with the availability of cheap flights
it's an easy destination to reach.
• Exotic, but not alien: Greece is different enough
to be interesting, but not so strange that you'll suffer
from homesickness and culture shock.
• EU member: As Greece is a member of the European
Union, there are no restrictions on travel, residence and
employment for British and Irish citizens.
• Experience not essential: Many positions are open
to any graduate.
Salary and hours
Hours of work are normally between three and ten p.m. Monday
to Friday. Some schools also have classes in the mornings,
especially the larger schools in the big cities, which cater
for older students, and it is possible that you might be
required to work on Saturdays. You would normally teach
for about twenty-five hours per week.
In addition to the hours spent teaching, you will also have
to spend the proportionate amount of time planning lessons
and correcting written work. This varies according to the
kind of teaching, but 25 hours teaching generally equates
to a total working week of around 40 hours.
• For the academic year 2006 - 2007, the usual (minimum)
hourly rate of pay is 8.54 euros gross, minus 15.89% for
your National Insurance contribution, leaving a net balance
of 7.18. At current exchange rates, this is about four pounds
eighty.
• Your employer will be responsible for making National
Insurance contributions on your behalf. In addition to your
contribution of 15.89%, your employer contributes a further
27.97%.
Type of teaching
The majority of the English Language schools in Greece are
small and privately owned. The pupils attend the local state
school in the morning, and so the English schools operate
in the afternoon and evening. Attendance at such a school
is the norm for children from all kinds of social backgrounds.
They usually begin at the age of eight, and continue until
they are at least fifteen.
You would not normally expect to teach the youngest children,
unless you happen to speak Greek, but you might teach children
of ten upwards. Classes last for one or sometimes two hours,
and for the older pupils there is a strong orientation towards
exams such as the Cambridge FCE and CPE. Depending on their
age and level, most classes have lessons for a total of
three or four hours per week, so you would be teaching several
different classes.
Most of the children are enthusiastic learners and classes
are usually reasonably small, with perhaps ten or twelve
members, so conditions are good, and discipline is not usually
a problem. However. like teenagers everywhere, our students
can sometimes be boisterous, and so you will need classroom
management skills. You can expect to work with a high standard
of materials and equipment.
You won't generally need to create your own materials,
as each class will be working with a course book that provides
all the activities and exercises for the lessons. The bulk
of your preparation will consist of studying the materials
in the course book and the accompanying teacher's guide,
and planning how to do the lesson according to the needs
of each group of students. You may also like to create your
own supplementary materials occasionally, and in many schools
you will be required to devise additional exercises, such
as vocabulary quizzes based on the course book.
Accommodation
In many cases, employers provide furnished accommodation,
and you pay only for utilities (electricity & water).
Even if you’re paying your own rent, the school will
normally provide accommodation, or at least help you find
it. Accommodation provided by schools is normally a small
self-contained flat within easy walking distance of the
school. You wouldn’t normally share accommodation.
Start of school year/ best time to look for work
Most contracts with private language schools begin in September
and run through to May or June. January is also a good time
to look for work.
Red Tape
After arriving in Greece you will be required to
co-operate with two formalities which are stipulated by
the Greek Ministry of Education:
Your employer will arrange for you to have a medical examination
at the local hospital. This consists of a chest x-ray and
a blood test. You will then be required to pass before the
local health committee.
You will need to bring with you to Greece either an authenticated
(notarised) copy of your degree certificate or the original
certificate. Either Anglo-Hellenic or your employer will
then obtain the official translation required by the Ministry.
Miscellaneous advice
There are teaching jobs in locations throughout
Greece, and a great variety between these locations, ranging
from Athens, home to half the population of Greece, to small
rural villages and islands. Do some research, and give some
careful thought to the kind of place where you’ll
be happy.
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