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A Unique Opportunity

Dale's friend Zarema has a unique opportunity for somebody interested in an experience living in her lovely city of Bishkek for awhile. This sounds like a real adventure for the right person! Following in her own words...

I am very glad that I have somebody who can help me with a website. I think I will start doing that a bit later because  in April-June I have tight schedule preparing students to enter  the university.
 
As for  teaching in Bishkek, I  would appreciate it very much if somebody gets interested in working in my small school thanks to you.
 
Here is  some information about the school and city if  somebody wants to know some of the details.
 
The school's name is  "Educational Center for Foreign Languages." It was founded in 1995. It is a small private school located in the center of Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. Its purpose is to provide high-quality teaching, research and service to its students.
 
The ECFL  Programs of Study are:
 
- TOEFL, TWE, GRE, GMAT, IELTS;
- Every Day American English; Idioms;
- Professional English (medicine,banking,hotel service, computer science, etc).
 
At the beginning of each course, new students are tested to be placed in one of the six levels.
 
The size of group is 3-8, occasionally 10. There are also one-on-one classes.
 
For a native English-speaking teacher the length of one class is 60 minutes. Each group meets five times per week,  Monday through Friday. The pay for is $5 per class hour. If there are four groups this means $400 per month. This is net, as the foreign teacher will not be required to pay taxes.
 
In addition, the foreign teacher will be provided a rent-free apartment in the center of the city. The only expense for this will be for electricity. Normally this is about $2 per month, but can be higher with  abnormal use of appliances such as video players.
 
For something to compare all this with:
 
The average salary per month in Kyrgyzstan is $25-$50 for 160 hour month
 
The currency is Som. $1 is 49 soms.
 
The expenses for food and transportation for one person  $30-50 per month.
 
Outdoor food:
Lunch In  a cafe  -  $2-5;
Lunch in an expensive restaurant - $5-10;
 
One can also buy food in many different shops and market, for preparation of meals at the apartment.

Visa:                   
 
The school will pay for visa extensions or a work visa after the teacher arrives. The teacher must get his/her own tourist visa to get here in the first place. The school will provide necessary documentation for the visa application.
 
Transportation:
 
The school will pay for one way air fare from anywhere to Bishkek, up to a maximum of $1000.
 
Requirements:
- preferably one or two years of experience as an ESL teacher
- a certificate for teaching ESL would be helpful
- one year commitment
- American native speaker (caucasian)
- 25-55 years old
 
Family with one child is OK.
The weather is continental, with average winter temperature highs of -4 to -1C - 25 to 30F and lows of  -10 to -8C - 14-20F
Average summer temperature highs are 30 to 35C - 86 to 95F and lows are 15 to 20C - 58 to 68F.
The humidity is very low.
 
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
The population of Bishkek is 800,000 people representing more than 80 nations and ethnic groups.
 
Kyrgyzstan is well-known for its magnificent mountains, lakes and untouched nature.
 
There are two official languages - Kyrgyz and Russian. Most people speak Russian. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in learning Russian.
 
Thanks again.
 
Zarema

Monday, May 20, 2001