The complete official name is the Former
Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). It is a
small landlocked country that shares a border with
Greece and gained its independence from Yugoslavia
in 1992. There is a dispute with Greece over the
name Macedonia and they have been using the FYROM
temporarily until that issue is resolved.
Is it safe to live in Macedonia?
That is, "Is there anything to worry about in
terms of the wars of Yugoslavia (with Bosnia,
Croatia etc.)? " Macedonia separated peacefully
from Yugoslavia in 1992. With the separation, the
military went to Serbia in the bargain. While they
are developing their own military, the United
Nations has a protection force UNPREDEP (United
Nations PREventive DEPloyment force) in place
here. They are scheduled to be here until their
current mandate expires this summer. There is
speculation that their mandate may be extended by
the UN. Recently, there have been some problems
(demonstrations, crackdowns, fighting, raids etc.)
in the Serbian province of Kosovo (20 km from
here). The problems are between the Serbian police
and the Albanian majority in the region (90% of
the total population) who want the return of their
autonomy, which was revoked by Serbia in 1989.
There is speculation that if there are no measures
to stop the conflict soon that there could be
another Balkan war. As Kosovo is just over the
mountains from Skopje (the capital), some people
believe that any war would eventually involve
Macedonia as well, especially as the population
here is 20% Albanian also. Other people believe
that the situation will not escalate any further
and that if it does, Macedonia will stay out of
it. At the moment, there has been no fighting or
conflict on the Macedonian side of the border,
other than an Albanian demonstration to show
solidarity with their Kosovo counterparts. You
will have to determine for yourself whether the
risks are worth taking or not, based on your own
feelings and the status of the situation at the
time that you are making the decision about
whether or not to go.
How do I get to Macedonia?
Unless you work for a private school, you will
probably have to pay your own airfare, in whole or
in part. Connections to Skopje can be difficult to
find as it is a small city with only a very
recently opened airport, unless you are flying
from major U.S. hubs such as New York or L.A.. You
may find you need two or three different
connecting flights to land in Skopje. As well, you
cannot fly in through or from Greece. (As a result
of the dispute between the two countries over the
name, there are no flights to or from Macedonia
allowed in Greek airspace.) Sofia, Bulgaria is a
good place to connect and then take the bus (a
half day ride) from there. The cost of a one way
ticket from the U.S. is approximately $750 USD
(last fall).
What is the exchange rate?
As with anywhere, the rate fluctuates daily.
However, it is usually 53 to 56 Macedonian denars
to one American dollar. Money changers are
everywhere so check for the best rate before you
change.
How much money can I make if I teach English in
Macedonia?
If you work for a language company the rate is
about $10 to $15 USD per hour. Soros hires
teachers also but, because they are a non-profit
foundation, the pay is less (though they do
provide housing, which most language companies
will not). You can make a decent salary if you
work in a private school (some start at about
$20,000 USD). It is also fairly easy to supplement
your income through private lessons on your own
time if you wish.
Will I be able to save any money there?
Rent is fairly cheap in Macedonia (around $200 to
$300 dollars/month). Other things, however, can be
fairly expensive (fresh produce, meat, personal
products). Transportation (bus or taxi) is quite
cheap. If you do not live extravagantly, you can
save a good portion of your salary.
What are the employment opportunities, job
requirements, etc. for people who want to teach
English in Macedonia?
Macedonia is a mecca for language companies and
more and more are opening all the time. Private
schools are more rare but a few are slowly
starting to open up, particularly in the capital
(Skopje). Many language companies will hire you
simply because you are a native speaker. Others
(and private schools) want a degree of some kind,
though not necessarily a teaching degree or an
English degree.
Do I need to be able to speak Greek or
Macedonian?
Macedonia has no formal ties with Greece so nobody
speaks Greek. You can manage easily without
speaking any Macedonian. Many people, especially
younger ones, speak at least a little English.
Many of the older generation speak German or
French. Macedonian is from the Serbo-Croatian
Bulgarian family of languages and you will need to
learn the Cyrrilic alphabet. Once you have done
so, you can read everything, even if you don't
understand it, as Macedonian is a phonetic
language. It shares many words in common with both
Serbian and Bulgarian.
What is the school calendar?
Classes begin in late August and run until late
June, for a total of 180 teaching days. There are
three weeks off for Christmas and one week off at
Easter. Both American and Macedonian holidays are
celebrated.
What are students like?
In language companies, there will be students off
all ages but most will be adults and many will be
business people. In private schools, many of the
students will be the children of foreign
businessmen and diplomats. Many (though not all)
are excellent, well behaved students. From grade
one to grade eight, Macedonian children MUST
attend Macedonian schools so you will likely not
be working with them. Macedonian high school
students (grades 9 to 12) are allowed to attend
private schools. Many of them are somewhat on the
lazy and inattentive side. Cheating seems to be
the norm so they will need to be taught the
Western standards as far as that is concerned.
What about curriculum?
All schools and companies will have their own
curriculum for you to use but how well developed
it will be depends on the school/company and its
resources. You may find yourself doing a great
deal of curriculum development on your own as well
as making up your own assignments, visuals, props
etc. Most private schools will have a Western
curriculum with Western books etc. This may not be
true of locally run schools.
What about getting a visa?
When you arrive, you will need to get a 3 month
tourist visa, free of charge at the border.
Afterwards, depending on many factors, you will
either get a work visa (which your employer should
pay for, at least partially) or you may have to go
to the nearest border, cross over and cross back
to get another tourist visa every three months. In
most places, there will be little problem getting
a work permit.
Would I get housing/insurance through the
school?
Many private schools will supply or at least help
pay for housing. Most language companies will not.
Insurance plans are rare. Most apartments are
furnished, which generally means just the basics,
though some places are very well stocked, you just
have to find them. Be careful that you are very
clear about your privacy if renting from a private
individual rather than a leasing company. Be sure
that you can change the locks so that they do not
have a key.
What is the lifestyle/standard of living like?
Macedonia is a former communist country and the
standard of living and lifestyle is accordingly
different. There is not great poverty (except
among the gypsies) but few people are very wealthy
either. The lifestyle of the foreigner will be
better than that of a local because of the
differences in salary. Pollution is a problem
here, though not to the degree that is often found
in Asia. Environmental awareness is only just
beginning.
How easy or hard is it to get along with the
people (especially, with my employer)?
As with anywhere, it depends on the employer and
the people you meet. Macedonians do tend to keep
to themselves, unless they have had some kind of
previous contact with Western Influence. (For
example, many have been on exchange programs with
foreign colleges.)
What about weather/food/recreation?
Summer is very warm. Humidity is low because
Macedonia is landlocked and mountainous. Winter is
grey and misty. It can be cool but it is not
generally bitterly cold (minus 10 Celcius) and
there is a moderate amount of snow. Food is very
much like Greek food and there are many preserves
made in the fall to eat through the winter.
Produce in winter is limited but plentiful in
summer. You can buy many groceries to cook your
own Western style meals. There are some imported
American or Greek products available, but they are
costly. Outdoor pursuits are the main recreation:
hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
There are café/bars all over in the summer and
plenty of dessert places too. There are also
movies available in English but they are about 6
months behind what is on in theaters in North
America and have Macedonian subtitles.
What should I bring with me?
Some suggestions:
English reading material, tapes of movies, TV etc,
and music for yourself
Any teaching resources you think would be useful
Things to entertain yourself (games, cards, puzzle
books etc)
A laptop computer if you have it
Any prescription drugs you need for the course of
the year
Any over the counter pain relievers/cold medicine
etc. you might use (nothing is available here)
Any favorite dry food products you like (granola
bars, oatmeal, dried fruit etc.)
What about communication with the outside
world?
Post is slow and expensive, especially overseas.
They will not send anything airmail that weighs
more than 20 grams. You will have to send it
registered, which is costly. It take can 2 or 3
weeks for your post to arrive from or get to home
(if at all). Parcels take a minimum of 3 months or
so. Sometimes, you will have to pay when you pick
up a parcel, even though postage was paid in the
country of origin.
Telephone is cheap locally but quite expensive
long distance. It is relatively easy to get a good
connection though.
Internet (and therefore e-mail) is available
through some carriers but it is very slow,
sometimes difficult to get a connection and then
the connection is easily broken.
English newspapers are available only in the
centers of the large cities and only some of the
time. English TV is limited and the news you do
get is very Europe-centered, so there is very
little about North American news.
Any other suggestions?
If you can, get in touch with somebody who has
worked or is working at the school or company you
are interested in and ask them some questions.
Then take everything with a grain if salt.
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