FAQ

General questions about Language Link's Teacher Intern Certification Programme

  • Where does the Initial (one month) Training Programme (ITP) take place?

    Regardless of where you are assigned to teach, the Language Link Initial Training Programme is held in Moscow at our Central School.
  • How long does the Teacher Intern Certification Programme last?

    The length of the programme is 1 academic year, i.e. 36 teaching weeks following completion of the four-week Initial Teacher Training Programme.
  • How much does the Teacher Intern Certification Programme cost?

    Language Link's four-week Teacher Intern Certification Programme is provided free of charge by Language Link in exchange for commiting to and completing the full nine month programme. On arrival in Russia, course participants must however pay US$ 550 to cover his/her accommodation during the ITP, programme registration and administration, materials and the pre-programme networking function. Teachers who rent their own accommodation during the ITP are eligible to waive USD 400 of the initial fee.
  • What does the Programme consist of?

    The teacher Intern Certification Programme begins with the Initial Teacher Training Programme (ITP), which is one month of classroom-based EFL training. On completion of the ITP, the teacher intern is assigned classes to teach. Throughout the programme, Teacher Interns receive input and guidance from Teacher Trainers and are observed by Academic Managers.

  • Do Teacher Interns receive a teaching contract?

    Yes. Prior to the start of the Teacher Intern Training Programme, each Teacher Intern is required to sign an employment contract with Language Link.
  • How are pay rises granted to Teacher Interns?

    Teacher Interns will be evaluated twice in an academic year. These evaluations will be in the form of Performance Reviews which are conducted by an Academic Manager. During a Performance Review a Teacher Intern is evaluated on his/ her teaching performance, attitude, participation, observation results and attendance at mock exams and workshops. Should a Teacher Intern's classroom performance and/or teaching standards be less than acceptable, the Teacher Intern may be ineligible for a pay rise and also may be placed on probation until such time as his or her classroom performance improves to the point of meriting status reconsideration.
  • Do Teacher Interns receive a Teaching Certificate?

    Yes. Upon completing the nine-month Teacher Intern Certification Programme, teachers receive a Language Link Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language attesting to the fact that they have completed both an on-the-job training programme and a practical teaching experience component.

  • Which nationalities are eligible for the Teacher Intern Certification Programme?

    Your participation depends on Language Link's ability to issue you with a visa invitation. To be an EFL teacher, you must be British, American, Irish, Canadian, Australian, South African or a New Zealander. If your nationality doesn't figure in this short list even if you are a native English speaker, then Language Link may not be able to offer you employment. If you're asking "Why is this so?" the answer is that companies with permission to invite and employ 'foreign specialists' are usually limited to a given number of countries from which they may do so. To see if you are eligible the Teacher Intern Training Programme, please contact us.
  • What kind of classes will I be asked to teach?

    Teacher Interns teach in schools, companies and on client premises, and occasionally may be asked to teach in an English Camp for short periods. Teaching may involve instruction in any of the following areas: tuition of General English to adults and/or young learners, Conversation courses, Business English, English for Special Purposes and/or Examination preparation classes. Our clients range from 3 years old to 70+ with 60% of our students being young learners and teenagers.
  • What holidays will I have during the Teacher Intern Certification Programme?

    Teacher Interns are entitled to all public holidays as paid time off and may take an additional one week of unpaid holiday.
  • How and when can I apply?

    You can apply 2 - 12 months before you wish to join the Teacher Intern Certification Programme. The first step in the application process is to complete and submit an online application form. Once we receive it, we will contact your nominated referees for recommendations. Provided two favourable references are returned and a pre-interview task is completed successfully, we will then invite you to a Skype or messaging app interview.  Following the interview you will be notified by email as to whether or not you have been accepted onto the Teacher Intern Certification Programme.

Academic Questions about Language Link's Teacher Intern Certification Programme

  • What is required from me as a Teacher Intern?

    During the initial one month ITP, Teacher Interns are required to attend daily intensive training sessions and conduct peer and student practice teaching. Following the ITP, Teacher Interns are required to complete nine months of classroom teaching, attend mandatory workshops, meetings and mock exams, attend tutorials with Academic Managers and be observed by Academic Managers regularly.

  • How often do I have to attend seminars and workshops?

    Workshops are held throughtout the programme. Workshop attendance is optional, unless otherwise specified. If a workshop or meeting is specified as “Mandatory”, absence from said workshop without a valid excuse will result in a pay deduction.  It should be noted that while workshops not specified as “Mandatory” are indeed optional, attendance at said workshops will increase your chances of a pay rise based on your Performance Evaluations.  
  • What are Mock Exams and how often am I required to attend?

    Language Link offers exam preparation for Cambridge Exams (i.e. FCE, CAE, etc.). As a testing center, we also offer “mock” exams to allow some exam practice for those who wish take the Cambridge exam at a later date. For these mock exams, native speaking teachers are needed for exam invigilation and assessment.  Interns are required to attend and work as a mock exam invigilators/assessors to a maximum of 3 mock exams during the academic year.
  • How is the course assessed?

    The Initial (one month) Training Programme (ITP) has an end-of-course test.  Performance and attitude during the training programme, punctuality, teaching results, and contribution during input sessions are also among the factors that are taken into consideration.

Questions about Life in Russia

  • How expensive is life in Russia? Will I earn enough to cover living costs? How much will my salary be?

    The money you earn as a Teacher Intern should cover your living costs in Russia, although this does depend on how often you like to go out and whether you plan to make lots of trips and excursions. Provided you avoid expat hang-outs in Moscow, the cost of living here is in general lower than any major western metropolis.


  • What will my accommodation be like?

    The standard accommodation for Teacher Interns is a shared apartment, though in some cases it may be home-stay accommodation. Shared apartments are typically Russian style, with a single bedroom for each person living there, and a kitchen, bathroom and toilet which you share with a colleague. All apartments are furnished and equipped with the necessary basics, including a fridge/freezer, stove, pots and pans, washing machine and bedding. Your accommodation will be located within walking distance (20 minutes max) of a metro station if you are based in Moscow, but it may be in any area of the city. Once you are assigned classes, we try to accommodate you as close as possible to your place of work, with commuting time averaging from 30 minutes to an hour or more. Since the ITP takes place in the Moscow Central School, Teacher Interns may have long commutes during the training period.

    A home-stay option is available if you are particularly keen to live with a Russian family, but may require payment of a supplement.

  • What's the social life like at Language Link?

    Language Link's teaching staff (qualified teachers, teachers-in-training, Work-Study Participants and Volunteers) form a close-knit community, and social life is very much alive. Most nights after work there is the opportunity to meet up with colleagues in one of the various cities' bars to catch up on the latest events and gossip. Teachers often arrange trips to other cities and towns.
  • What are the schools and facilities like where I'll be teaching?

    Teacher Interns are usually assigned to one of Language Link's main centres in Moscow (and Moscow region), St Petersburg (and neighbouring Pushkin or Petergof) and Volgograd, though Language Link also has many other centres where Teacher Interns may be placed.

    Normally, the classrooms are equipped with whiteboards, and you will have access to CD players. Most schools will have some facilities for teachers like photocopier and computer access and/or Wi-Fi. You will be provided with coursebooks and some locations have EFL recourse libraries

  • Is it safe to live in Russia?

    Is it safe to live in New York or London? Moscow and St Petersburg are neither safer nor more dangerous than any other large cities.  It's all just a question of common sense.  Wherever you live, it’s important to always use common sense, avoid reckless behaviour, and remember that you are in a foreign country.

  • Just how cold does it actually get in Russia?

    Russia can certainly guarantee you a 'real' winter, with plenty of snow and temperatures that remain below freezing for at least 3 months of the year. However, the climate is not as extreme as certain stereotypes would have you believe. In non-Siberian centres, first snow generally falls in late November, and the average temperature in December, January and February is minus 5 to minus 10 degrees Celsius. If you're reading this in California or Sydney that probably sounds cold, but with a big warm coat, hat and scarf, it's really not so bad. The most extreme cold you could be expected to face would be minus 30, but such temperatures usually only occur for a few days each winter, if at all. The colder temperatures may persist for longer in Siberia. St Petersburg is probably the coldest of the non-Siberian centres, as its proximity to the sea make the climate windier and damper than Moscow's. Volgograd's climate is the mildest, with average temperatures about 10 degrees higher than in Moscow.

    What many people tend to forget is that Russia (including Siberia) has a summer too. From May until the end of September, the weather can be lovely, and certainly sunnier and drier than the UK. July and August are the hottest months, when temperatures regularly rise above 30 degrees Celsius.



  • What will it be like arriving in Russia?

    Most people arrive at one of Moscow's three international airports, Sheremetevo, Domodedovo or Vnukova. After exiting the plane (generally directly into the airport building) you should follow the signs to passport control. There you will hand over your passport for inspection.  Once satisfied that your visa is in order, passport control will ask you to sign two copies of a migration card, one side of which s/he will retain with the other being placed into your passport.  Thereafter, you will go through to baggage collection and customs. Find the appropriate baggage conveyor belt for your flight and when your bag has been retrieved, go through customs.  Most likely you will go through the green channel (nothing to declare) in customs. Only if you are travelling with a large amount of money in cash (more than 10,000 USD) do you need to go through the red channel, where you will need to fill out a customs declaration form

    You will walk through to the exit, where people are waiting to meet the arrivals. It is here, on one side or the other that you will see someone with a 'Language Link' sign, who will welcome you to Russia and take you to your accommodation. If, by chance, you do not see someone with a sign, continue to the end of the 'aisle' and wait. Perhaps you missed him or possibly your plane was early. Do not worry: you will be met.

     

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