Istanbul. I am considering accepting a teaching job in Istan...

Hi Danielle,
I´ve just accepted a teaching position in Istanbul. A friend of mine worked there for 3 years and loved it. He said the people and food there are amazing. However, he stressed not to trust the people there in the beginning because they will try to cheat you out of everything. Not the schools, but if you go shopping, dining, excursion tours etc.....Always travel with someone, because it will be less stressful. With that said, I´m looking forward to the new experience. By the way, the contract offered to me is very good! Where in Istanbul will you be working?
Joan

Hello Joan. I was actually thinking about Turkey but was having second thoughts. Do they need anyone else where you will be? My uncle who in the past traveled and lived temporarily with his company went to many parts of the world and he also had good things to say about Turkey. Thanks for the comment. I will give it a second thought! Daisy

Hello All.
I have received an offer from English Time in Turkey. I can´t seem to get an answer about the pay or the hours. I would really like to go there, but the riders about not to planning to sight see and the implications that it is a 7 day a week job are not exactly attractive. Does anyone have some concrete information or experience to share?
Thanks
Mel

Have you read my comments above about working in Turkey? I reccommend you do before you decide.

The newspaper ´The Daily Zaman´ has an ´Ex-pat´ section where you can get even more information about the current state of affairs here. The website can be found at www.todayszaman.com
There are a lot of changes happening in the country right now and it is good to stay informed.

Good luck everyone!
Ms. Z.A.Manevi

PS English Time seems to be a very popular ´dersane´ and there was recently an article in the ´Zaman´ about it.

ENGLISH TIME: NOT!

These guys do NOT know what they are doing. Because they are growing so fast, they are hiring teachers who cannot teach and they are providing materials that are not complete.
Examples:
1. Books full of typographical errors (I counted six on page three of the Level four textbook alone and then gave up!)
2. The teacher´s books have no relation to the textbooks for the same level and so you are on your own about what the answers might be or what the objectives are for the lessons.
3. The tests for the various levels are out-dated and irrelevant to the text materials.
4. The Syllabus that I was given to follow was two years old (December 2006) and had been written for a book that was no longer being used. !?!

If you want a lot of stress in your life, this is the place to choose!

Sadly, I had heard good things about them and so I applied and was hired and then fired two days later because there is a photo of me on the Internet dancing in a full-length, velvet dress that completely covered all of my body but my wrists and complete with headscarf, as a ´Belly Dancer´. I was told that I was: ´Too big a risk´ to work there. I have been wracking my brains to try and come up with a scenario that would put my students ´at risk´ if I were to enter the classroom. Any ideas? I can´t figure it out and the company won´t explain it.
Hey, I thought that Belly Dancers came from Turkey...what gives here???

Too poorly managed...don´t take a chance here.

I lived and taught in Istanbul from 1990-2001 and loved every minute of it. I taught in private high schools and part time once in a while in language schools (dershane).

My best advice before going any where in the world is to -

+ research the country and the local hiring practices
+ get a new Fodor´s guide and Berlitz phrase book with mini dictionary
+ bring your lap top
+ bring your own basic teaching resource and reference materials
+ learn the language

NEVER trust that a school will be equipped. I´m in a new uni in the richest country in the world and they lied about having resources for their teachers. They had nothing.

A contract is only as good as the people signing it. Once you´re informed, then you can make the best decision for yourself.

If in doubt, do exactly what you´re doing now as well as checking other EFL websites. Even do a websearch of your own for the school it self.

I´ve just finished my contract here in Abu Dhabi and I´m ready to go back to Turkey in a flash. Life in the UAE is way too restrictive. Maybe I´ll see you around town!

Iyi chanslar! (good luck)

I am considering accepting an offer from NurOrda International School in Kazakhstan. Any advice, cautions or experience?

my work permit came through, so I´ll be in Istanbul August 10th...excited!!!

Good on you! Go and have fun! Just do your homework on the cost of things, shop and eat in the same places every day and learn some basic polite phrases. You won´t get ripped off shopping in proper businesses and your school should sort flat utilities for you. Get the Fodors Guide for Turkey, go to Tom Brosnahan´s Turkey website. You will be fine.

I was cheated by a College in Prague, CZ out of more than $2,500 plus they doubled the rent on a bedsit for me. If I hadn´t run into the landlord by chance I´d never have known. In Prague everyone and I mean everyone was out to get you. Capitalism was use and abuse others for their gain. We have no money (lie) so you have none.

So go, be an informed traveller, use all the good common sense you would living in any big city and enjoy! I was just hired by a new private high school in Karamanmaras in the Med region and I can´t wait to get there on the 15th. If you´d like to keep in touch, please do.

P.S I´m also a dual national - having US