Simply English

I worked for Simply English Moscow for two years. The experience overall was very positive. I found that the job was exactly as advertised. Yes, most teachers spend a lot of time traveling from one class to another (not the case for me because I was at one school, but the case for most teachers). Yes, the first month of the school year can be chaotic as the Russian schools don't plan as far ahead as some of us are used to. Yes, the Moscow winters are long, dark and cold. However, the experience has much to recommend it! The Simply English staff were extremely attentive to our needs, most importantly with the support I needed to get by in a country where I didn't know the language or the culture. The apartment they placed me in was comfortable, and authentic! The staff did a great job orienting us new teachers and being available throughout, for help with shopping, logistics, medical care, whatever, whenever. And Moscow is a revelation. The downtown is gorgeous, especially in winter! There is no shortage of amazing things to do and see in and around Moscow and of course many travel opportunities in the region. In sum: Simply English is straightforward and they do what they say they will do. Yes, you will work hard, sometimes inconvenient hours. In exchange you will get paid on time exactly as much as you contracted for, will have your apartment, utitlities, transportation arranged for you, and to top it all, will get to experience one of the world's great cities. If not for COVID considerations I would still be there.

Having worked for Simply English for over two years, I can profess how good of a company Simply English is. The management are excellent, very easy to get on with, and always willing to help out in any situation. In regards to work, you'll work in a number of places. It depends on your schedule but you could have private clients, schools, kindergartens, adult classes or after school classes. The management try their very best to schedule people towards their strengths as a teacher and are always there to talk to if there is a problem. Mainly this works perfect, but sometimes the schedule can be unfair at times as adult classes predominantly cancel far more often than kindergartens, yet all the teachers will earn the same regardless of how many hours they worked during the work. It does all depend on your schedule, but its something I think the management could look into the future. Part of your work will consist of using the metro a lot. The management pay for all transport costs which is greatly appreciated, but at times you can spend a long portion of your day just riding the metro to get to work. As someone new to Moscow, its good as it gives you time to adapt to Russia, learn how to read it, discover new areas but as a teacher who has been in Moscow a long time it gets tiresome quickly. Especially in the morning rush hour. On the whole though, I'd recommend the company. They help you out as much as they can, its a great introduction to Russia, the clients/schools/kindergartens you work with are excellent, their are a lot of resources to use, and you get to meet a big range of teachers so you'll always have someone to hang out with on the weekends instead of being friendless

I’m currently in my second term working with Simply English and it’s been an overall enjoyable experience. The job can be demanding at times, but it’s quite rewarding when all’s said and done. The management and office staff are all wonderful to work with -- they’re easy-going, personable, and always willing to help with whatever you may need as both a teacher and as a foreigner living in Moscow. The company holds true to all that the ads promise and really go out of their way to make their teachers feel comfortable and at home in Moscow. About the job -- no two teachers will have the same schedule, and lessons can be scheduled all over the city which will mean lots of time commuting. Lessons can also be scheduled for a wide range of students in a wide range of settings; meaning toddlers to adults, and full classes in schools to 1-on-1 lessons in students’ homes, and everything between. It requires a lot of flexibility on the part of the teacher, but it also offers an opportunity for the teacher to develop several facets of his/her teaching style and to gain valuable teaching experience in many different areas. Teachers’ schedules are always apt to change (due to cancellations, changes in school schedules, new students, etc.), but regardless of cancellations/changes, salaries remain consistent. There are also occasional offers to work overtime to earn additional income. The city itself is phenomenal, and while company apartments may not be in the city center, they are all at least close to a metro station which can quickly take you to the center. In short, Simply English holds true to all its claims and makes its teachers feel welcome. The job offers both a great way to grow into a multi-faceted teacher and a great introduction to life in Russia.

Having worked for a number of ESL companies before in Asia and the UK, I can genuinely say that Simply English is one of the best companies I have worked for. The management is great and they also have a number of Russian secretaries whose job is to help you adjust to living in Russia and will help you if you have a problem or just need help communicating in shops and businesses. From day one, you are supported and made to feel welcome in Moscow. Visas and paperwork is all sorted for you and I think Simply English is a good company to work for if you are new to Russia. You could be working in a number of situations (kindergartens, schools and private students) and this means a lot of travel on the metro. However, this depends on your schedule and varies from teacher to teacher. An advantage of this though, is that you really do get to see all areas of Moscow and have a more rounded experience to say working in an ESL school situated in one place. All materials and plans are provided, so you don't have to make your own materials and lesson syllabus. You also receive a week of training at the beginning of your contract which includes an excursion day to a tourist sight in Moscow. Simply English provide you with 24 hour support, a free travel pass (which I haven't heard of any other company doing) and Russian lessons. They also provide you with shared accommodation at a very reasonable rent in comparison to other companies and rent in general in Moscow. The flats are good quality, however, they are not the best flats in Moscow but they are definitely not the worst (think a 1970's or 80's flat in England or the US) and they are comparable to what most normal Russians live in. The flats are located across Moscow and some are better than others, it really just depends where you are placed. Simply English is also a very social company and have staff parties every term. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Simply English. I would recommend this company to anyone who is new to Russia because you really are supported in every way from day one.

If you are considering working for them, find a different company. They lie; they also do not pay well. The owner doesn't care about you, he doesn't care that he has potentially given you the world’s worst schedule and shoved you into an apartment with three strangers without considering that you may not get on with them. The company has terrible communication; they will throw a class at you with little to no notice. They demand that you acknowledge their correspondence, to the point where its written into an your “contract” but simply wont answer your questions or so much as acknowledge that there is a problem. Moscow is an incredible experience. But please, do your self a favour and find a different company to teach with and experience Moscow through. The majority of the staff are fairly pleasant, however you get the feeling that misdirection and miscommunication is the way they treat you, so that at no point are you able to get a handle on what’s actually going on, or whether you’re a teacher or fertiliser.