How to Teach English in Germany

If you're interested in teaching English in Germany, you are not alone. Germany is right in the middle of Europe and gets a lot of traffic from business travelers, educators, and people who come to the nation for all sorts of different reasons. Teaching English in Germany can be a fulfilling, memorable experience.

How easy is it to find a position teaching English in Germany?

There is a fairly high demand for English teachers in Germany. This is due to the strong business connections with western countries, as well as the abundance of educated people and available universities in Germany. There is a high demand for people who natively speak English and are able to teach the language, particularly if they are from an English-speaking country such as the UK. To start your job search you can check out English jobs in Germany on a niche career site Teacher Hit.

What qualifications are necessary for one of these teaching positions?

The qualifications that you need to teach English in Germany consist of the following: you need to be a native English speaker and possess a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. You also need to be able to commit to living in Germany for at least a year. As long as you satisfy all of these conditions, you are ready to start looking for a job in Germany. Because there is a high demand for English teachers in Germany, it is easier to get a job there than in most European countries.

What kind of pay rate can I expect as an English teacher?

You will be paid quite well as an English teacher in Germany. However, you should be aware that the tax rate in Germany is very high; it can be as high as 15-45%. Although you will likely be making the equivalent of about about €15-€20 per hour, you would not actually get to keep anything close to that amount. Before you make a commitment, you should do your homework and work with your prospective employer in order to figure out how much money you will need for your living expenses. A common problem for English teachers in Germany is that they are not prepared for the amount of taxes they have to pay and expect that they will be able to keep a lot more than money than they actually are. As a result, they do not have enough money to support themselves and pay for their living expenses while in Germany.

What benefits are included, other than the salary?

Although you will most likely have to pay for your living accommodations and airfare, your employer will typically include health care in your benefits package. You will also most likely have paid holidays.

Are there available positions where I would not have to pay such high taxes?

If you are a full-time teacher, you can circumvent the tax situation somewhat. A lot of English teachers in Germany work as freelance teachers, and this situation leads to them having to pay the very high taxes. Even if you have a contract with the school as a freelancer, you will likely have to pay very large taxes unless the school is willing to put you on their payroll as a full-time employee officially.

What are the visa requirements for one of these positions in Germany?

After you have gotten a job offer, what you should do is make sure to secure it in writing and then go to your local registration office. There, you can get a three month visa to be able to stay in Germany. If you are from the UK, you just need a residency permit to be able to work in Germany legally. To get this, you will need to be able to present proof of employment, health insurance, and your planned German address. You will also need to provide proof of payment into a pension fund. The way it would work is that you would use your three-month visa in order to get these items, and then you would go back to the registration office to obtain your residency permit.

Are there certain locations in Germany that have more available positions?

It is typically easier to find a teaching job in smaller cities. In big cities, there are going to be less schools that have a need for English teachers. Also, these cities will be much more expensive to live in even after you are hired.

Hi Im Vickie Talsma and Im a travel-addict turned English teacher and social marketing maven. I teach in Germany and enjoys sharing tips & tricks to follow in a similar teaching - traveling lifestyle. Learn more about how to teach English in Germany. Visit: http://teachenglishingermany.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/teaching-jobs-in-germany-everything-you-should-know/ and http://englishgermany.weebly.com/