Everything You Need To Know About Teaching English In Russia

Russia’s drive for international trade has led to a booming market in teaching business English, both through language centres and direct with companies. Either way, you’ll normally be expected to deliver lessons to employees on a company’s premises. If you’re working with more than one company, this can require travel between several locations in a day.

You can earn around $1,500 per month teaching business English classes and teaching on-site can give you a brilliant insight into Russian business life. However, you’re unlikely to get benefits such as accommodation or insurance and the travel between locations can be time-consuming, so make sure you factor this in if you’re weighing up different options.

There is also a big demand for teaching private English lessons in Russia. This can be relatively lucrative, with experienced tutors charging between $25 to $35 per hour. It’s common for students at language centres to approach their English teachers for private tuition. However, make sure that you check the terms of your contract first, as many employers ban teachers from working privately.

Russia is one of the more lenient countries when it comes to teaching English in Europe. Both candidates from a “native English speaking” country and those from Europe can legally find work (and employers to sponsor their visas). There have also been cases of other passport holders being able to find work in Russia.

A Bachelor’s degree is not essential to teach English in Russia but you can expect candidates with a degree to be given preference by employers. The essential qualifications to teach in Russia are a TEFL certificate and a strong command of the English language.

One of the biggest challenges you’ll encounter on a day-to-day basis in Russia is communication. Most Russians speak very few foreign languages and, even in the cities, signs tend to only be in Russian. St Petersburg is the main exception, where both menus and metro signs have English translations. Even here however, it’s definitely worth investing in Russian language classes and a good phrase book. If you’re up for a challenge, you could even try to conquer the Russian alphabet!

Another challenge TEFL teachers face is the extremes of Russian weather. While most people have heard about the super-freezing temperatures in winter, you can never really prepare for minus 30 until you experience it. New teachers can also get caught out by heat of the summer, which can rise to over 30 degrees in Moscow – making those woolly hats feel a bit out of place!

Finally, make sure you pack bags of patience to cope with the bureaucracy. While it’s not quite as bad as its reputation, be ready to have multiple forms stamped for pretty much anything you want to do.

You should earn enough teaching English in Russia to cover your living costs and may even be able to save a little if you live outside the main cities.

Having said that, Moscow is expensive. In fact, if you have to pay for your own accommodation, you could easily use up your wages on this alone. The simple way around this is to look for one of the many TEFL positions that offers housing as part of the package. If this isn’t possible, try to find shared accommodation to keep your costs down.

Apart from the high housing prices in Moscow, costs are not particularly steep. Transport around the main cities is easy to use and cheap. A simple meal in a mid-range restaurant will set you back around $10 to $15 and a local beer costs around $2. Just make sure you steer clear of western style restaurants, as these will charge you a premium.

Simply saying the name ‘Russia’ evokes images of grand arts, tumultuous history and political conspiracies – all cloaked by a certain enigmatic obscurity.

In reality, Russia is overwhelmingly welcoming. The cities are packed full of stunning architecture, with walled fortresses, spiralling towers and grand palaces galore. In vivid contrast, the magnificent vast swathes of outback encompass both centuries old traditional living and adrenaline fuelled adventures from trekking up active volcanos in the bear-inhabited region of Kamchatka to ski-ing down the stupendous Caucasus mountains.

And then there’s the layer upon layer of culture and history – from Tolstoy and Pushkin to the Tsars and the Russian Revolution. Leave your prejudgements at home – Russia is a country truly worth exploring.

Russia spans two continents and nine time zones, so it’s hardly surprising that there’s a huge diversity in culture across this gigantic country. The European cities offer a fairly westernised, modern approach to life while territories such as Siberia and Mongolia provide a tougher, though incredibly worthwhile, challenge for western English teachers.

One big concern of many newly arrived English teachers is that the political environment is wildly different from the west. In practice however, you should be as safe teaching English in Moscow or St Petersburg as in any city in the west. While it’s sensible to avoid bringing political debate into your English lessons, most people you come across won’t think too deeply about politics on a day-to-day basis.

In general, Russian classrooms tend to be fairly laid back rather than super-controlled. Although it’s important to remain professional, you can normally dress relatively casually and encourage your students to interact during lessons.

Russia is not known for its high cuisine. It’s more of a hearty meal sort of a place – with plenty of broth and dumplings on the menu. That’s not to say you can’t find tasty dishes to sample. Borsht is a perfect example – a rich vegetable (often beetroot) soup topped with dill and sour cream, which can be the perfect antidote to struggling through the bitter winter cold after a solid day’s teaching.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then you’ll be delighted with the selection of cakes and pastries that you’ll find piled high in cafes across the country. Even better, teachers will often share sweet treats in the staff room. Just remember to bring in your own to offer too!

And finally, we can’t talk about Russia without mentioning vodka. It’s everywhere and comes in a huge range of flavours and sizes. You won’t get away without sampling a shot or two, so grin and bear it – after all, it’s part of the culture!

Accommodation is expensive in Russian cities, particularly in Moscow. If at all possible, try to find an employer who will include housing as part of your wage package – your monthly budget will be severely dented if you have to pay for your own apartment. If all else fails, try looking outside of the city and/or share with fellow ex-pats to keep costs down.

Outside of the main cities, living conditions are likely to be more basic than you’re used to. This is not to say that you can’t live comfortably – but do adjust your expectations before you go.

The weather in Russia can be extreme and the winter is most definitely cold. Between November and March, both Moscow and St Petersburg are covered in snow and have an average temperature of minus ten degrees. That feels positively warm however, when compared to Oymaykon. Officially the coldest inhabited place on earth, this chilly town averages a distinctly frosty minus 60 degrees in winter!

Russia does warm up over the summer months however, with temperatures in Moscow and St Petersburg rising to the mid-twenties and sometimes even higher.

Please note: The information in this guide is accurate as of the time of writing. However, the laws and requirements to teach abroad can often change. Make sure to check the latest advice from the local authority of the country you plan to work in.