Teaching English in Georgia

The Republic of Georgia sits right at the border between Europe and Asia. It lies directly to the east of the Black Sea, and to the west of Azerbaijan. Georgia shares its southern border with Turkey and Armenia, and its northern border with Russia.

Teach and Learn with Georgia (TLG) is a program run by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The goal of this program is to bring English speakers from all over the world to Georgia. TLG teachers have an important impact on the education system of Georgia, increasing students’ ability to understand and speak English. Reach to Teach works in partnership with TLG to bring motivated and enthusiastic English teachers to Georgia.

Nope. Volunteering to teach English in Georgia is completely free. The only expenses that you will have are for the required documents, such as a criminal background check, and for your health check. Of course, you’ll also want to bring some money for additional expenditures that you might incur while you are in Georgia.

 
All teachers receive a stipend of 500 Georgian Lari (about $300US) per month. Of this stipend, you are expected to give 100 Lari to your host family each month, to cover the cost of meals.

As a point of reference, most Georgian teachers make 300 Georgia Lari a month. With your flights, accommodations, and food covered by TLG, your stipend of 500 Lari a month will be plenty to live on.  The cost of living in Georgia is much lower than in western countries. This is especially true if you are living outside of a city. Of course, your lifestyle will play a big role in how far that 500 Lari will go, but volunteers who are conscious of their finances are able to live comfortably, travel a bit on the weekends, and don’t have to dip into their personal savings.

TLG will pay for your flight from your home country to Georgia upfront. You’ll receive your return ticket at the end of your contract.

All teachers in Georgia receive free housing with a local host family. Your host family will provide you with meals.

Your round trip flights to and from Georgia will be paid for in advance by TLG.  If you teach for two semesters, you will also have a paid round-trip flight during your summer or winter vacation.

Upon arrival, all volunteers are given a week-long orientation session sponsored and paid for by the Ministry of Education. The cost of your hotel and your meals are included in orientation. You’ll also receive free Georgian language classes, teaching tips, and a chance to meet other volunteers.

All teachers are placed with a host family in Georgia. The family is expected to provide a private room, amenities such as electricity and hot water, and food.

Families are tight-knit in Georgia, and you will be considered part of the family. Many volunteers have been living independently for a number of years prior to coming to Georgia, and may find that living with a host family is a big adjustment. However, volunteers who are able to keep an open mind and sacrifice a little bit of their independence quickly find that being part of a Georgian family gives them a rich cultural exchange.

Applicants must have the following qualifications:

1. Speak English fluently
2. Possess a University Degree, College Diploma, or Associates Degree in any discipline
3. Nationalities: American, Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand, and South Africa residents are preferred. TLG accepts applicants from all over the world who speak English fluently.
4. Complete a medical assessment form that attests to your good health
5. Complete a background check
6. A teaching certificate or ESL certification is preferred, but not required
7. Teachers must be under 55 years of age

When you submit your application to Reach to Teach, you will need the following documents:

• A motivational letter explaining why you want to teach in Georgia
• Your resume
• A recent photo

You will also need to gather the following documents after your interview:

• A completed self-medical assessment form
• A country-wide criminal background check
• Two letters of recommendation
• A scanned copy of your University Degree, Associates Degree, or college Diploma, and your TEFL/CELTA/TESOL certificate if you have one
• A color scan of your passport
• A medical evaluation form filled out by a physician.  This can be done in your home country, or completed once you arrive in Georgia.

We place teachers at schools all throughout Georgia. Some locations are in the major cities, such as Tsbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. Other schools are located in smaller towns and villages.

Volunteers are only placed in areas that are known to be safe and secure. Conflict areas and hot spots, such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia, do not host volunteers.

Although location preferences are considered, teachers are placed according to where they are needed.

Teachers are placed at one school, and are not expected to travel to more than one teaching location during their contract.

You will be teaching children from Grade 1 through Grade 6. Which grades you teach will depend on the school that you are placed at, since different locations will have different needs.

You will have a 25-30 hour workweek. Your will be expected to work 5 to 6 hours a day from Monday through Friday. Volunteers have weekends off. Most of our volunteers report that they have a very flexible teaching schedule, with plenty of time off to enjoy other leisure activities.

During the school year, volunteers have about 20 holidays or festivals off from teaching. In addition, if you sign a two-semester contract, you will have either a summer or a winter vacation. During this break, TLG will pay for one round-trip flight.

Teachers from many countries can stay in Georgia up to 360 days without a visa. These countries include the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and all countries in the European Union. Visit this site for a full list of the countries whose citizens can stay in Georgia without a visa.

If you are a citizen of a country that does not have a visa-free stay in Georgia, Reach to Teach will help you navigate the visa process. TLG will also provide you with a letter of invitation to submit to the visa office. TLG will not, however, reimburse you for visa fees.

You should apply approximately 3-4 months before your intended start date.

The final deadline for submitting all of your documents to TLG is two weeks before your intended start date.  Getting your documents gathered and preparing yourself to move to Georgia can take a few weeks as well. Applicants should apply to Reach to Teach no later than five weeks before their intended start date.

Absolutely! We would be happy to review your application and get things started, so that you are ready to go when you graduate.  Keep in mind, though, that you will need a copy of your degree to submit to TLG.  Make sure that you will receive your official degree at least three weeks before you plan to arrive in Georgia.

As part of the program benefits, all volunteers are given health insurance. This insurance includes 24 hour medical assistance and consultation, as well as assistance with arranging any appointments or care that you need.

Although you will have health insurance, you should be aware that the health care system in Georgia is not the same as in western countries.  Especially outside of the major cities, access to health care may be limited. Reach To Teach recommends that you purchase additional health and travel insurance for your time in Georgia. We use and recommend World Nomads.

TLG accepts applicants on the 15^th and the 30^th of every month. However, there are only two contract end-dates throughout the year: one in mid-June, and the other in mid-December.

You have the option to choose a short contract or a long contract. Short contracts range from 3 to 8 months depending on when you arrive. Long contracts range from 8 to 14 months. The long contract option includes a fully-paid round-trip flight during your winter or summer vacation.

For the exact contract start and end dates in 2012, please see the following PDF file:

Teaching Term Options

Please note that you should expect to leave your home country 2-3 days before the official contract start date, so that you will be in Georgia and ready to go when your teaching term begins.

Your stipend of 500 Lari is calculated after taxes. During orientation, representatives from TLG will help you fill out all necessary tax forms, so that you don’t have to worry about it later on during your time in Georgia.

Georgia has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe. It is a very safe place for volunteers. Since the Rose Revolution, Georgia’s government and police have made major reforms that have reduced corruption and decreased instances of crime.

Please use your common sense and avoid traveling to remote locations alone, or traveling to regions known to have conflicts such as Abkhazia or South Ossetia.

For more information, check out our Teach in Georgia page. You can also find more information on our Georgia Country Guide. Finally, don’t miss out on our informative Community Teacher Blog, where we feature a number of interesting articles about travel and culture in Georgia.

We are always looking for enthusiastic, adventurous teachers to travel to Georgia.  If you meet the requirements listed above, then we would love to receive an application from you!  To apply, see the steps below:

1. Prepare a resume, a brief cover letter, and a photo.  Your photo should be a recent, casual/smiling photo.  Your cover letter should be addressed to TLG, and should explain your reasons for wanting to teach and live in Georgia.
2. Fill out an online application form: Apply to Teach in Georgia
3. Make sure that you submit your resume, cover letter, and photo with your online application.  If you are having trouble uploading and submitting these documents, then you can also email them directly to stephanie@reachtoteachrecruiting.com
4. We will be in touch within a few days of receiving your application.