Teaching EFL (ESL) in South or Central America
Does anyone have any experience with teaching English in either South or Central America? I have a law degree but have been selling real estate for the past eight years; it appears the real estate market is going to continue to be lethargic here in the United States for a few more years, so I thought I would go to Central or South America for a year or two and teach English. Any advice on best countries (ambience and/or salary)would be greatly appreciated.....Thanks John
3 Answers
I live and teach in Ecuador. I can only really reiterate what Ian and H have said. The pay is less but so is the cost of living and as for dangers well don't go to the bad side of town. I wouldn't teach anywhere outside of a big city and if you do go make sure you get a salaried job and not one where they pay you for every actual hour that you teach because if the students don't come you don't get paid.
Aside from that it would be a great experience and you could also learn some Spanish (if you don't already know it).
P.s. Ian I couldn't agree more about the bureaucracy. It is a walking headache.
Leave me your law degree when you go. I could make a mint with that here.
As Ian says, I have heard that pay is not very good (on an American scale) for English teachers in Latin America. The experience, however, can be very rich. And you can find wonderful places (ambience) in almost any country--there aren't "good ones" and "bad ones." Nevertheless, some can be more dangerous than others, and quality of life (modernities) can vary greatly among countries, and even among different areas within a country.
I would imagine that salaries would be best in, as Ian says, Chile or Argentina, or in Colombia, but some parts of Colombia can pose a danger for Americans (not that any of the other countries don't--I'm not picking on Colombia--but there is a more specific danger to Americans in some places there).
I have American (and native) friends in all of the countries mentioned. If you should decide to go, contact me through this site and I can put you in touch with some friendly faces down there.
Does anyone have any experience with teaching English in either South or Central America? I have a law degree but have been selling real estate for the past eight years; it appears the real estate market is going to continue to be lethargic here in the United States for a few more years, so I thought I would go to Central or South America for a year or two and teach English. Any advice on best countries (ambience and/or salary)would be greatly appreciated.....Thanks John
Hello John
I am from England but living in Cochabamba in Bolivia and used to teach English here. If you like teaching you will find it enjoyable here. The weather is near perfect and the country is of course very different. As for salaries you will be lucky if you can get $5 an hour. The cost of living however is much lower than in the USA or Europe.In my experience the way the language schools are run is very strange and the management styles annoying. I would think it might be better paid in Argentina or Chile. You don't need to know Spanish to teach here because all the teaching books are in English only. I came here for a year or so more than 5 years ago. If you came you would find the place fascinating. In general the bureaucracy could drive you mad depending on your own ability to accept that things are done differently here. Good luck.
