# TEFL in Egypt



## elrasho

Hi,

I am seriously considering doing a TEFL course which will be a month long course in Alexandria. The accommodation is in al-Agami and is described as "Each apartment has a furnished sitting room, a bathroom with hot water and a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a cooker, and cooking utensils. All apartments are clean, comfortable and adequately furnished, but you'll need to bring sheets and towels. Optional free cleaning services are available once per week upon request."

Now I've googled as much as I can and cannot find any more information or pictures of the apartments. Has anyone done this course and stayed in these apartments? What are they like?

Hopefully once I have completed the course I want to find work as an English teacher in school in Alexandria or Cairo. Is there still demand for English teaches from native English speaking countries like there was about 5 years ago? Is anyone here doing this or are also planning to do this? What is the average salary for an English teacher, will it allow to me live comfortably in a decent apartment?

I plan to live in Alexandria or Cairo long term and would like to know the following. Is the Internet readily available everywhere and is it fast? Are there many gyms about if not can I buy my own gym equipment? I hope my questions don't sound too low key its just that I have limited knowledge about living in Alexandria and Cairo.

I've been doing research on this subject for the past week and more I find out the more I want to go. Any advice or insight on what to expect would be greatly appreciated

Thanks


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am seriously considering doing a TEFL course which will be a month long course in Alexandria. The accommodation is in al-Agami and is described as "Each apartment has a furnished sitting room, a bathroom with hot water and a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a cooker, and cooking utensils. All apartments are clean, comfortable and adequately furnished, but you'll need to bring sheets and towels. Optional free cleaning services are available once per week upon request."
> 
> Now I've googled as much as I can and cannot find any more information or pictures of the apartments. Has anyone done this course and stayed in these apartments? What are they like?
> 
> Hopefully once I have completed the course I want to find work as an English teacher in school in Alexandria or Cairo. Is there still demand for English teaches from native English speaking countries like there was about 5 years ago? Is anyone here doing this or are also planning to do this? What is the average salary for an English teacher, will it allow to me live comfortably in a decent apartment?
> 
> I plan to live in Alexandria or Cairo long term and would like to know the following. Is the Internet readily available everywhere and is it fast? Are there many gyms about if not can I buy my own gym equipment? I hope my questions don't sound too low key its just that I have limited knowledge about living in Alexandria and Cairo.
> 
> I've been doing research on this subject for the past week and more I find out the more I want to go. Any advice or insight on what to expect would be greatly appreciated
> 
> Thanks


Hi

I have a friend who did a TEFL course in Egypt although I am not sure whether she was based in Alexandria or Cairo for the actual course as she has lived in both locations over the years.

After she completed the course, she taught English in a language school - I think she was earning about £400 sterling - it was enough to live on but obviously not in huge comfort. However she stuggled to find further teaching work after her year in Alexandria and she came back to the UK recently - she was offered some teaching work in Cairo but it was either very low paid or the hours she was expected to work were quite intensive. My impression is that the market for TEFL teachers is not quite as buoyant as it use to be - I suppose it will depend on how much you want to earn and how flexible you are. It is possible to live quite cheaply in Egypt if you are prepared to live a more Egyptian lifestyle i.e. not shop in western supermarkets, drink in western bars etc. However one of the great things about Egypt is the chance to spend free time in locations like Sharm, Dahab, Luxor, Hurghada etc so if you want to travel then obviously you might struggle on that sort of salary.

In terms of apartments - I don't know the apartments you are referring to. The only thing I will say is that the standard of student accomodation tends to be quite basic but it is usually habitable!

The internet is readily available - am not sure if you mean in apartments or in cafes etc. Most of the western coffee chains either have free or relatively cheap internet access.

There are also quite a few gyms and dance/fitness studios in Cairo and I have found the ones I have used to be quite good.

Finally, I would say it's a big move but I have loved the time I spent in Cairo and am planning on going back later this year. 

Hope this helps


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## elrasho

Thanks for the information Beatle 

Do you know which agency she did the TEFL course with? Im expecting some phone calls tomorrow from a few but the thing is I don't know which ones a reputable. I found one agency that had four different names and websites! Surly their trying to cover something up right?

I'm thinking of going to Alexandria or Cairo depending on which agency seems legit to me. So £400 a month wage, take off say £250 for rent and your left with £150 to spend on food, clothes etc.... I can see I'm going to have to live a "basic" lifestyle but that's cool with me, I'm going for the experience and to learn teaching and the Egyptian culture.

Can anyone recommend some good websites I can look at that can give me a better understanding of living in Cairo or Alexandria. If anyone has a blog that would be awesome if you don't mind me reading it


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Thanks for the information Beatle
> 
> Do you know which agency she did the TEFL course with? Im expecting some phone calls tomorrow from a few but the thing is I don't know which ones a reputable. I found one agency that had four different names and websites! Surly their trying to cover something up right?
> 
> I'm thinking of going to Alexandria or Cairo depending on which agency seems legit to me. So £400 a month wage, take off say £250 for rent and your left with £150 to spend on food, clothes etc.... I can see I'm going to have to live a "basic" lifestyle but that's cool with me, I'm going for the experience and to learn teaching and the Egyptian culture.
> 
> Can anyone recommend some good websites I can look at that can give me a better understanding of living in Cairo or Alexandria. If anyone has a blog that would be awesome if you don't mind me reading it


I will ask her - have you thought about taking the celta course which is taught by the British Council in Cairo (I think this is the course she took) - it is well-recognised as a qualification and if you then wanted to work in a different country after Egypt, I believe you could do so with a celta qualification. It is expensive though. 

It should be possible to get a decent flatshare in Cairo for less than £250. I have taken a few Arabic courses in Cairo and have rented a room in a flat with other students on a short-term basis (which can obviously make the rent more expensive) - I paid between US$350- 375 which was to be honest overpriced as it was arranged through the college - I am sure you could get cheaper. I have a good friend who rents a one bedroom appartment in downtown Cairo for far less (although I wouldn't be able to stand living in downtown Cairo!)

I don't know about blogs etc but the book I always use when I am in Cairo is "Cairo: The Practical Guide" by Lesley Lababidi - I guess though you need to decide where you want to be based. Both Alex and Cairo have their pros and cons - Cairo tends to be a place that people either love or hate!


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## elrasho

Thanks Beatle 

I've had a look at the British Councils website, the next CELTA course in Cairo isn't until October, and to be honest I will go mental if I had to carry on working until October.... I want to go to Cairo/Alexandria now damn it! lol

Having done alot of research it appears CELTA is the best teaching English course you can do, however, its expensive and very intensive. Also competition is very fierce. My plan was to complete the TEFL in Egypt then get some work and if I like it and feel I can make a career out of this then I would enrol in the CELTA. That sounds ok right?

I'm hoping whichever agency I go with they will help me settle in as I don't know anyone in Egypt and it will be all new for me


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## MaidenScotland

Hi Elrasho and welcome in Egypt as we say here.

I can understand your frustration at not being able to start your course now.. but honestly it may be for the best as the summer is here and the temperature is climbing daily. Alex would be cooler but of course apartments will be at a premium as everyone who can leaves Cairo for the summer in Alex or by the red sea.
Ramadan is in August this year and that will make for more difficulties.

Maiden


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Thanks Beatle
> 
> I've had a look at the British Councils website, the next CELTA course in Cairo isn't until October, and to be honest I will go mental if I had to carry on working until October.... I want to go to Cairo/Alexandria now damn it! lol
> 
> Having done alot of research it appears CELTA is the best teaching English course you can do, however, its expensive and very intensive. Also competition is very fierce. My plan was to complete the TEFL in Egypt then get some work and if I like it and feel I can make a career out of this then I would enrol in the CELTA. That sounds ok right?
> 
> I'm hoping whichever agency I go with they will help me settle in as I don't know anyone in Egypt and it will be all new for me


Hi

I had a look at TEFL courses a few months ago as although I work in a completely different field, I am planning on coming back to Cairo in a few months time to continue with my Arabic studies and therefore wondered if I could teach English as a way of earning some additional income. Friends who have taught English in Egypt have told me that CELTA is the best qualification to have (aside of course from having a PGCE/experience of teaching English in the UK) - I am not sure how easy it would be to get teaching work at a language school with other qualifications - I guess one way for you to find out would be for you to look at what language schools look for as a minimum qualification.

As with any country, obviously there can be a problem with "rogue" courses/qualifications so you would have to be careful when choosing your course. Most of us have horror stories about how we got cheated etc when we first arrived in Egypt! It's a great country but you definitely need to gather as much information in advance to avoid being ripped off!

You can of course take CELTA courses in the UK (the expense remains the same but you can do it part-time at some locations and the course is available all over the country and seems to be repeated on a regular basis). I am presuming that you are in the UK but believe that you can take CELTA courses in many countries

I am not sure what the cost is of taking the CELTA course in Egypt but the exchange rate of sterling to Egyptian pounds is not great compared with a couple of years ago - you may need to factor that into your calculations. I imagine that it would be difficult to earn the fees for the CELTA course though if TEFL wages are low.

I have never had a problem meeting people in Cairo - there is a huge group of foreign students/teachers/people doing voluntary work - you tend to cling on to those people for dear life when you first arrive!

If you make a couple more posts, I can then send you a pm with further information


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> Hi Elrasho and welcome in Egypt as we say here.
> 
> I can understand your frustration at not being able to start your course now.. but honestly it may be for the best as the summer is here and the temperature is climbing daily. Alex would be cooler but of course apartments will be at a premium as everyone who can leaves Cairo for the summer in Alex or by the red sea.
> Ramadan is in August this year and that will make for more difficulties.
> 
> Maiden


MS is right. The cost of renting apartments in the summer can also be a problem in Cairo due to the number of Gulf Arabs that arrive as it is meant to be cooler than the Gulf (it is cooler but any advantage is outweighed by the pollution in Cairo when it gets hot!)


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## elrasho

OK so you recommend the best time for me to go would be after Ramadan? say September?

It looks like I have three options:

1. Take an 140 hour online TEFL course with 20 hours classroom experience (this is with other TEFL students, not actual students). Then apply for jobs in Egypt.

2. Do a 4 week CELTA course/12 week part time CELTA course and then apply for jobs in Egypt.

3. Enrol on a 4 week course in Egypt. This is the most expensive and requires the most commitment as I will actually be living in Egypt. 

Right now Im leaning towards Option 1 as its the most flexible and means I can carry on my current job and earn some savings for when I'm there. Hopefully I'll ha done the course by September and maybe get some teaching volunteer work in there too.

I still need to do more research on actually living in Cairo/Alexandria, things like the health care system, paying bills, taxes etc.... basically the things I need to do here in the UK. Im waiting for a callback from an agency that offers the 4 week placement course in Alexandria to complete a TEFL course..... I have soooo many questions to ask them better put my mobile phone on charge in case the battery runs out lol


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> OK so you recommend the best time for me to go would be after Ramadan? say September?
> 
> It looks like I have three options:
> 
> 1. Take an 140 hour online TEFL course with 20 hours classroom experience (this is with other TEFL students, not actual students). Then apply for jobs in Egypt.
> 
> 2. Do a 4 week CELTA course/12 week part time CELTA course and then apply for jobs in Egypt.
> 
> 3. Enrol on a 4 week course in Egypt. This is the most expensive and requires the most commitment as I will actually be living in Egypt.
> 
> Right now Im leaning towards Option 1 as its the most flexible and means I can carry on my current job and earn some savings for when I'm there. Hopefully I'll ha done the course by September and maybe get some teaching volunteer work in there too.
> 
> I still need to do more research on actually living in Cairo/Alexandria, things like the health care system, paying bills, taxes etc.... basically the things I need to do here in the UK. Im waiting for a callback from an agency that offers the 4 week placement course in Alexandria to complete a TEFL course..... I have soooo many questions to ask them better put my mobile phone on charge in case the battery runs out lol


I think it's quite interesting to be in Egypt during Ramdan (or at least towards the end of it) but it will be very hot.

I asked my friend where she had studied and she said that she took a TEFL course in Alexandria but that she wished that she had done a CELTA course as it would have provided her with a better chance of getting teaching work in Egypt. Her opinion is consistent with advice given to me by other friends who teach in Egypt. 

I am not sure whether option 1 involves you paying an Egyptian agency up front? In which case, I would be cautious if I was you.

The book I previously recommended is helpful regarding practical tips - people on this website may also be able to help if you have specific questions.

Have you visited Cairo or Alexandria before?


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## countess

Hello Elrasho - I live in Hurghada and did my TEFL online. Surfed the net looking for a good deal and 2 of us did the course for the price of one + additional business english course free. It was pretty good - my tutor was english guy living in Thailand!

I teach english privately here and get between 40 & 60 egyptian pounds per hour - about £5-7.50. Don't do a lot of it as I don't really need the money but if you can get a few regulars it is more than adequate to live on - I have one friend who has been teaching German here for many years and she generates 4-5000LE per month. 

Living in Cairo I am sure you could generate more than this - but of course your living costs there will be higher.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do


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## GM1

I don't understand why the living cost in Cairo are higher?!? At least the water is (almost) for free, unlike in Hurghada!


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## elrasho

I've never been to Egypt but looking at the way things are going, Im going to do the CELTA course in the UK OR try and get on that British Council course that do the CELTA in Egypt.

Im going to plan a weeks "holiday" to Cairo to see what its like first, I think that would be a sensible thing to do


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> I've never been to Egypt but looking at the way things are going, Im going to do the CELTA course in the UK OR try and get on that British Council course that do the CELTA in Egypt.
> 
> Im going to plan a weeks "holiday" to Cairo to see what its like first, I think that would be a sensible thing to do


I think that it's a good idea to visit Cairo for a week - I have met quite a few people who visited the city and decided to make plans to come back for a longer period. But I have also met a couple of people who visited and hated it - one was studying Egyptology in the US and the other was meant to be studying Middle Eastern studies at the American University in Cairo - both changed their degrees after visiting Cairo....

I discussed the CELTA course with my friend again today and she said she was unable to get teaching work with the British Council or the AUC as she didn't have the CELTA qualification.


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## elrasho

Beatle said:


> I discussed the CELTA course with my friend again today and she said she was unable to get teaching work with the British Council or the AUC as she didn't have the CELTA qualification.


The British Council offer a CELTA course in Cairo dont they?

CELTA - British Council - Egypt


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## elrasho

OK so heres my plan, in the beginning of June I plat to stay in Cairo for 5 days to get to know the place and get to grips with living there. Im going to make some contacts in the real estate sector so If I do indeed get a job in Cairo I will have people to go to when I need to look for flats/apartments.

Im also going to see if I can visit some schools and see how the education system works there. Will 5 days be enough to do all this?


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> The British Council offer a CELTA course in Cairo dont they?
> 
> CELTA - British Council - Egypt


Yes they do. Sorry I meant it as a further example of how celta seems to be better recognised but looks like you are already convinced!


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## MaidenScotland

elrasho said:


> OK so heres my plan, in the beginning of June I plat to stay in Cairo for 5 days to get to know the place and get to grips with living there. Im going to make some contacts in the real estate sector so If I do indeed get a job in Cairo I will have people to go to when I need to look for flats/apartments.
> 
> Im also going to see if I can visit some schools and see how the education system works there. Will 5 days be enough to do all this?




Yes 5 days is long enough to go visit real estate etc but not to get to grips with living here.. I have lived here for years and still getting to grips with it 
I would suggest you do not visit the big real estate offices.. the properties there will be too expensive, you best bet is to find an area you want to live in and have a wonder round and ask the boabs how much properties are going for, be aware if someone offers to take you to look at a property he will expect payment even if you do not take the property plus if you do take it he will expect commission.
Schools will be closed in June.. and those that are open will only be open for exams so I suspect they will not welcome visitors at exam time.
The British Council is in El Agouza .

maiden


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## elrasho

erm whats a boab?


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## MaidenScotland

elrasho said:


> erm whats a boab?



A doorman who looks after the building and or does oddjobs/shopping etc.
Every building has one.


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> OK so heres my plan, in the beginning of June I plat to stay in Cairo for 5 days to get to know the place and get to grips with living there. Im going to make some contacts in the real estate sector so If I do indeed get a job in Cairo I will have people to go to when I need to look for flats/apartments.
> 
> Im also going to see if I can visit some schools and see how the education system works there. Will 5 days be enough to do all this?


Cairo is quite intense so I think 5 days will give you a good idea but you may not make any meaningful contacts at that time. When booking your stay, you may need to bear in mind that Friday/Saturday is the weekend out there (I am not actually sure which days the schools are closed in Egypt).

I don't think I have ever achieved anything in Egypt by going through official routes! Many of my friends have found accomodation/work etc through word of mouth. If you enrol on the celta course in Cairo, it will be an excellent opportunity for you to meet people and find out about job vacancies. I am not sure that you will necessarily achieve much in practical terms in your 5 days but it will give you a good idea of what awaits you!

Good luck


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> Cairo is quite intense so I think 5 days will give you a good idea but you may not make any meaningful contacts at that time. When booking your stay, you may need to bear in mind that Friday/Saturday is the weekend out there (I am not actually sure which days the schools are closed in Egypt).
> 
> I don't think I have ever achieved anything in Egypt by going through official routes! Many of my friends have found accomodation/work etc through word of mouth. If you enrol on the celta course in Cairo, it will be an excellent opportunity for you to meet people and find out about job vacancies. I am not sure that you will necessarily achieve much in practical terms in your 5 days but it will give you a good idea of what awaits you!
> 
> Good luck


Private schools are closed on Friday and Saturday.. state schools are open Saturday but of course you will not want to work for a state school and as I previously said schools will be closed after the examinations.

maiden


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## GM1

some Christian/Catholic/German schools are closed on Friday and Sunday. I think international schools stay open a bit longer (for example El Gouna school till the third week of June), because they have more holidays in between and have to make up for the lost of these days.


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## elrasho

I've applied to do a Tesol course in Alexandria. It will cost £1100 including accommodation. The thing that worries me is that I seem to have been accepted onto the course without doing some sort of test!? All I did was give them by details and confirm I am a native English speaker and have a degree. Is this normal?


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## DeadGuy

elrasho said:


> I've applied to do a Tesol course in Alexandria. It will cost £1100 including accommodation. The thing that worries me is that I seem to have been accepted onto the course without doing some sort of test!? All I did was give them by details and confirm I am a native English speaker and have a degree. Is this normal?


Usually tests for courses in here are just a way to confirm the booking part! I've never heard of anyone who was not allowed to take any course after any preparing tests! (Not with AUC or the British council courses or similar organizations of course) But in local ones......

As long as you're gonna pay, they will accept you for sure....

Just check on how reliable the people you're paying your money for that's all I can say!

Good luck


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## elrasho

I went for a BBQ on the weekend and go speaking to a couple of guys who went to Egypt. One stayed in Cairo and was telling me how bad the traffic was and still is. But something that got me worried was when he said theres a shortage of meat (chicken, lamb) in the country, and everyone mostly eats fish as its local produce. Is this true? Im a BIG meat eater and do weight training so meat is essential to me


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## NZCowboy

Shortage of meat?? No ... the quality isn't what i'm used to, meat isn't cut into the cuts that we are used to in the west, mostly just hacked into chunks, which they stew but I'm from NZ. Pork is the only meat that is hard to obtain after they killed the pigs because of swine flu.


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## MaidenScotland

Your friend is telling you porkies... there is no shortage of meat but the quality is not what we in the western world are used to.. it is very fatty and tasteless, however you can buy imported beef from NZ.. expensive but worth it.


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## elrasho

I think my 5 day trip to Cairo is going to be the test to see if I could live there, I love food, i mean LOVE it. From the sounds of things I feel Im going to struggle to keep up my current regime of food intake and weight training in Cairo.


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## MaidenScotland

elrasho said:


> I think my 5 day trip to Cairo is going to be the test to see if I could live there, I love food, i mean LOVE it. From the sounds of things I feel Im going to struggle to keep up my current regime of food intake and weight training in Cairo.



Yes that is the best option.. use it as a test... but no if you are used to eating high quality meat daily then you will struggle here... unless of course you can afford to eat out in the 5* hotels.


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> I think my 5 day trip to Cairo is going to be the test to see if I could live there, I love food, i mean LOVE it. From the sounds of things I feel Im going to struggle to keep up my current regime of food intake and weight training in Cairo.


I don't think the quality of the meat is great but a lot of Egyptian guys at the gyms are into weight training, so presumably if you pop into a gym, you could get their views. The main problem I have encountered in Cairo is in doing cardio exercise as the air quality is poor.


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## elrasho

Im getting worried here, the internet connections are slow and unreliable, meat is poor quality, air quality is also poor.... why am I going to Egyt again? lol Gold Gym is meant to have some good cardio workouts Beatle: http://www.cairo360.com/article/399/

I suppose its the buzz of being there which cant be described, guess you gotta be there to feel it


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## Sofia Cooper

Beatle said:


> Cairo is quite intense so I think 5 days will give you a good idea but you may not make any meaningful contacts at that time. When booking your stay, you may need to bear in mind that Friday/Saturday is the weekend out there (I am not actually sure which days the schools are closed in Egypt).
> 
> I don't think I have ever achieved anything in Egypt by going through official routes! Many of my friends have found accomodation/work etc through word of mouth. If you enrol on the celta course in Cairo, it will be an excellent opportunity for you to meet people and find out about job vacancies. I am not sure that you will necessarily achieve much in practical terms in your 5 days but it will give you a good idea of what awaits you!
> 
> Good luck


Can i ask please what it the celta course and how do i find out about it , .. i was looking at doing the TEFL in Alex in a few months , travelling from the UK ....but i would much prefer a course in Cairo ,,...i take it the course in to do with teaching English as a second language ??


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## Beatle

Sofia Cooper said:


> Can i ask please what it the celta course and how do i find out about it , .. i was looking at doing the TEFL in Alex in a few months , travelling from the UK ....but i would much prefer a course in Cairo ,,...i take it the course in to do with teaching English as a second language ??


Yes it's the Cambridge board version of TEFL - the British Council offer the course in Cairo but the next few courses seem to be booked up. Check out the British Council website for details


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## Sofia Cooper

Beatle said:


> Yes it's the Cambridge board version of TEFL - the British Council offer the course in Cairo but the next few courses seem to be booked up. Check out the British Council website for details


Thanx for that, i did check the website of the British Counsil and couldnt find it, but i will recheck again 

Thanx again


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## Beatle

Sofia Cooper said:


> Thanx for that, i did check the website of the British Counsil and couldnt find it, but i will recheck again
> 
> Thanx again


Here's the link:

CELTA - British Council - Egypt

The course is also offered in centres in the UK which may work out cheaper as it looks like you will be hit by the relatively poor sterling/Egyptian pound exchange rate


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Im getting worried here, the internet connections are slow and unreliable, meat is poor quality, air quality is also poor.... why am I going to Egyt again? lol Gold Gym is meant to have some good cardio workouts Beatle: Gold's Gym Maadi, Maadi, Cairo - Health & Fitness
> 
> I suppose its the buzz of being there which cant be described, guess you gotta be there to feel it


thanks, just read this article - have never actually been in that gym but will check it out next time I am in Cairo. The problem is that I struggle with my cardio workouts as the air quality is so poor, I don't last very long on the treadmill!

The gyms I have been in are quite interesting though - there are so many men who look like they are on steroids and the women usually wear full make-up!


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> thanks, just read this article - have never actually been in that gym but will check it out next time I am in Cairo. The problem is that I struggle with my cardio workouts as the air quality is so poor, I don't last very long on the treadmill!
> 
> The gyms I have been in are quite interesting though - there are so many men who look like they are on steroids and the women usually wear full make-up!




and don't forget the mobile pinned to their ear whilst on the treadmill.


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> and don't forget the mobile pinned to their ear whilst on the treadmill.


LOL - I find it also disturbs the mood when the mobiles go off during pilates classes!


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## MaidenScotland

Mobile phones are NEVER switched off here, I was at the opera and 3 women sat in front of me showing each other photos on their phone".. I tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to move hehe.. but go to the cinema and its 
" ello ello how are you?, yes I am good, I am at the cinema watch a great movie all about".. then you get the scrip from the beginning .. up to the phone call.. " yes of course I will meet you, where?" then a conversation takes place with the friends on the best place to meet up... "ello ello yes we will meet you at such and such a place in an hour after the movie bye bye love you " " ohh tell me what did I miss when I was chatting to Ameera"


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> Mobile phones are NEVER switched off here, I was at the opera and 3 women sat in front of me showing each other photos on their phone".. I tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to move hehe.. but go to the cinema and its
> " ello ello how are you?, yes I am good, I am at the cinema watch a great movie all about".. then you get the scrip from the beginning .. up to the phone call.. " yes of course I will meet you, where?" then a conversation takes place with the friends on the best place to meet up... "ello ello yes we will meet you at such and such a place in an hour after the movie bye bye love you " " ohh tell me what did I miss when I was chatting to Ameera"


Or they are reading the arabic subtitles on the screen whilst chatting! Although I have to admit that whilst people don't speak on their phones in English cinemas these days, often all you can see is flickering screens whilst they send texts...


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## elrasho

Good news guys! I've been accepted onto the CELTA course in Cairo 

I'm one step closer to moving to Egypt woohoooo!


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Good news guys! I've been accepted onto the CELTA course in Cairo
> 
> I'm one step closer to moving to Egypt woohoooo!


That's great :clap2: When is the course due to start?

Let me know how you find it - I am still tempted by the thought of taking the course but I might try and take it in the UK


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## elrasho

Thanks Beatle, I start in October so Im planning to go to Egypt asap to see what its like in Cairo. I feel it would be foolish for me to commit to the course without visiting Cairo first. Also the British Council don't provide accommodation, so I need to sort that out too


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Thanks Beatle, I start in October so Im planning to go to Egypt asap to see what its like in Cairo. I feel it would be foolish for me to commit to the course without visiting Cairo first. Also the British Council don't provide accommodation, so I need to sort that out too


Good idea. Hopefully you should be able to get some teaching work with the British Council if you take the course there.


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## elrasho

Guys I'm getting anxious about living in Egypt, more the fact that I might do the course and become stranded there with no job! What are the chances of e finding a teaching job in November that pays enough to live comfortably? By comfortably I mean cover rent, food and other necessities. 

Im concerned that the schools start in September and so all the English teaching jobs will have been taken, i have got 5 years experience in he IT industry though... maybe I could find work there just in case? But my heart is set n teaching English though


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> Guys I'm getting anxious about living in Egypt, more the fact that I might do the course and become stranded there with no job! What are the chances of e finding a teaching job in November that pays enough to live comfortably? By comfortably I mean cover rent, food and other necessities.
> 
> Im concerned that the schools start in September and so all the English teaching jobs will have been taken, i have got 5 years experience in he IT industry though... maybe I could find work there just in case? But my heart is set n teaching English though


I don't know the answer to that. People in the teaching profession may be able to give you a better idea as to whether jobs come up sporadically. 

I would suggest that you have a small nest egg if possible. You might want to consider flatshares to save rent. What I have seen amongst my friends who moved to Egypt is that eventually they ended up working in the fields they wanted to work in but they did a few odd jobs until they got to that point. So you might have to look at IT jobs (or other types of work) until you secure teaching work.


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## elrasho

I thought that, it would kinda be like when I graduated and was looking for a computing job but had to do some horridly boring jobs for a few years until I got that. I really don't want to be in that same position when I finish the course in Egypt, it would be like going back to square one


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## Beatle

elrasho said:


> I thought that, it would kinda be like when I graduated and was looking for a computing job but had to do some horridly boring jobs for a few years until I got that. I really don't want to be in that same position when I finish the course in Egypt, it would be like going back to square one


I know exactly what you mean! But my friends took months rather than years to find what they wanted. It's as much about being in the country and making contacts/applications etc - it's obviously quite hard to do that from abroad unless you are looking for an expat package. I am in a similar position to you in that I can either look for an expat job in the profession I currently work in or I can do something completely different such as look for teaching work. If I go for the teaching option, I am just going to try and have a little money put aside in case I don't find teaching work immediately.


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## gw4khq

elrasho said:


> Guys I'm getting anxious about living in Egypt, more the fact that I might do the course and become stranded there with no job! What are the chances of e finding a teaching job in November that pays enough to live comfortably? By comfortably I mean cover rent, food and other necessities.
> 
> Im concerned that the schools start in September and so all the English teaching jobs will have been taken, i have got 5 years experience in he IT industry though... maybe I could find work there just in case? But my heart is set n teaching English though


I can't help with the teaching jobs but you could try this site for IT work.

Careers 

I think they are based in 6 October City about 40 k from Cairo.


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## adokhan

Hi there, I'm not sure where you are on your course search/decision...I've just read through a few posts......Anyway, I've done the TEFL course in Alex. (mine was through TEFL International) and they also put us up in 'basic' flats. I found it was a good experience overall, and not too expensive. They have courses that begin every monthy with an optional internship program afterwards. I did the whole program, including the internship; afterwards I moved to Cairo and sought teaching positions. So basically, yes it can be done and the salaries vary, but there are still lots of international schools looking for native speakers 

Please let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.


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## elrasho

adokhan said:


> Hi there, I'm not sure where you are on your course search/decision...I've just read through a few posts......Anyway, I've done the TEFL course in Alex. (mine was through TEFL International) and they also put us up in 'basic' flats. I found it was a good experience overall, and not too expensive. They have courses that begin every monthy with an optional internship program afterwards. I did the whole program, including the internship; afterwards I moved to Cairo and sought teaching positions. So basically, yes it can be done and the salaries vary, but there are still lots of international schools looking for native speakers
> 
> Please let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.


Hey there! That's some reassuring info certainly is!

I'm going in October to do the CELTA course in Cairo. I was thinking of doing the TEFL but after doing alot of research I felt the CELTA would give me a better chance of finding employment. You see I'm just an unlucky guy in general lol 

So I take you have found work? If you don't mind me asking are you living comfortably with what they are paying you? What are the hours like? This internship you did, what is that exactly?


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## Beatle

adokhan said:


> Hi there, I'm not sure where you are on your course search/decision...I've just read through a few posts......Anyway, I've done the TEFL course in Alex. (mine was through TEFL International) and they also put us up in 'basic' flats. I found it was a good experience overall, and not too expensive. They have courses that begin every monthy with an optional internship program afterwards. I did the whole program, including the internship; afterwards I moved to Cairo and sought teaching positions. So basically, yes it can be done and the salaries vary, but there are still lots of international schools looking for native speakers
> 
> Please let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.


That's great to know - what's the salary range and did you find that you can get teaching work at the international schools after the start of the academic year?


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