You may not know a great deal about Armenia but there’s a good chance you know someone of Armenian descent, as the country has one of the greatest diasporas of any country. Armenia has a rich culture and fascinating history and is the only country remaining from 3,000-year-old maps of Anatolia. It was also the world’s first Christian country becoming so more than 1,700 years ago in 301 AD (a fact the country and its inhabitants are very proud of, and sure to remind you several times during your stay), with many of the star tourist attractions of the country being its monasteries and religious buildings. Though this may sound a little dull to some, many of the countries monasteries have been built in beautiful natural settings and are very much worth a visit, particularly those set in Tatev, Geghard, Haghartsin, Haghpat, and Noravank. A former Soviet state, Armenia lies in the beautiful Caucasus region, where Asia meets Europe. Though landlocked, the country boasts stunning landscapes, with a number of lakes, such as the epic Lake Sevan, deep valleys, rugged mountains, and lush forest. The country has also gained a reputation for its hospitality with Armenians known to be very warm and welcoming, especially to foreigners. Check out our top reasons to teach English in Armenia…
Teaching English in Armenia
There is a big demand for TEFL Teachers in Armenia as tourist numbers are rapidly growing. In fact, the number of tourists to the country has grown by almost 25% every year for the past decade. Add this to the rich history and culture of the country, the vast countryside, and the warm hospitality of the locals and Armenia is fast becoming a quality location for TEFL teachers looking for a new experience.
The minimum requirement for teaching work in Armenia is a 120-hour TEFL or CELTA certificate, or 1-3 years of relevant experience. Visas are unlikely to be an issue, and most prospective TEFL teachers will enter Armenia on a tourist visa and will have little problem getting a work permit or residency card after securing work with a language school.
The majority of English teaching jobs in Armenia can be found in Yerevan, the capital and largest city of the nation, though a number of TEFL jobs will also be available in the smaller cities of Spitak and Gyumri. While you can find work through the help of a TEFL company, online, or in the local papers, it is also advised to contact schools directly once you are in the country and you should have little problem finding work, especially during the peak hiring months of August, September and October, or around January to March. Language schools in Armenia prefer to pay teachers by the hour, with a typical rate being anything from 2000AMD (about $5 US) to 3500 AMD (about $9 US).
Those not favourable to early mornings will be happy to hear that language classes usually take place during the late afternoons, with most schools working a 6 day week, and Saturday is considered a working day.
Did you know…
There are around eight to ten million Armenians in the world.
As many as one million of those are resident of the United States, with between 30,000 and 50,000 living in the metropolitan Detroit area.
The capital city, Yerevan has been continuously inhabited for over 2,700 years. Only a few cities, including Jerusalem and Damascus (the oldest city), are older.
Armenian was the eighth language in which the Bible and the Armenian translation of the bible (finished in A.D. 433), is widely considered to be the “Queen of Translations.”
The Armenians built churches in a gothic style of architecture almost a century before it first appeared in Europe.
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