The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program gives the opportunity to Slovak secondary schools to request an English Teaching Assistant for one academic year (10 months). English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) are U.S. college graduates at Bachelor level or higher (a Bachelor degree in the U.S. requires 4 years of study). Their fields of study usually are: English, history, American literature, teaching English as a second language. ETAs usually have teaching experience not only in English as second language but American studies as well.
In addition to serving as valuable linguistic models in classroom English instruction, US teaching assistants are also valuable resources for first-hand information about American culture, traditions and society and informal representatives of the United States. In this capacity, they contribute substantially to the promotion of mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States of America and Slovakia.
Schools which want to receive an ETA must submit an online application.
Please download the application form here . Fill out the application and send the application to the following e-mail address: silvia@fulbright.sk
The application period is open from November to December. Schools should bear in mind that they need to submit their application a year preceeding the school year in which the school will host an ETA. Incomplete applications and applications received after that deadline will not be considered. Deadline for submission of applications for 2024/25 is December 31, 2023.
Application cycle is open.
Deadline for application submissions.
Selection process by the Commission and the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.
Successful schools are notified and paired with selected ETA candidates. Host schools start to communicate with the ETA to agree on the details of their grant.
ETA’s arrival in Slovakia. The grant starts on September 1st but ETAs may enter the Schengen zone and come to Slovakia prior to the start of their grant.
Our school is public/ private/ religious, can we apply?
The Commission welcomes applications from all types of secondary schools – grammar, professional or vocational without having regard to the foundation of the respective school. Schools from small rural areas are encouraged to apply.
How many ETAs are in Slovakia during one school year?
SThere are usually eight to ten ETAs placed around the country, based on the principle that there is one ETA in each regional district (VÚC).
We have applied for an ETA several times in the past without any success. How many times can we re-apply?
There is no limitation for a school to re-apply. Schools are encouraged to apply until they are successful.
We have already hosted an ETA. Can we apply again?
There is no restriction for a school which hosted an ETA in the past to re-apply. However, preference is given to those schools that have not hosted ETAs yet.
Does host school pay any salary to ETA?
ETAs receive funding from the Commission to cover their living costs and maintenance. Schools do not pay any additional salary or financial contribution to the ETA. In fact, ETAs are not allowed to receive any additional earnings during their grant period.
What kind of support to an ETA is expected from a host school?
Host schools are expected to provide support to an ETA during their stay, such as assisting them with accommodation or providing advice when settling-in. Since the ETA Program is not only an educational, but cultural program as well, it is highly appreciated if the ETA’s tutor/host school helps to engage their ETA with the life of the local community and shares Slovak and local culture and traditions with them.
Are there any duties or commitments ETAs have during their grant outside host school?
ETAs are required to fully perform their teaching duties between 15 to 18 hours per week. ETAs may leave Slovakia for a period of up to 2 weeks if the grant is for a full school year (including weekends, holidays and travel days), if such absence is approved by the Commission and by the host school. However, they are required or recommended to attend some events. The orientation program after their arrival in Slovakia and the mid-year conference are compulsory for ETAs. ETAs are occasionally recommended to attend events hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava, as well as other cultural events. Host schools are expected to release ETAs from their duties for the duration of the mentioned events.