Job Discussion Forums

[eihpos]

First of all - are there any schools in Latin America that pay for flights? Probably not, I just thought I'd ask!
Has anyone done a programme with Bridge TEFL? I would normally never touch a company that asks for money, but $95 isn't bad.

Thanks!

[HLJHLJ]

The only places I know that pay airfare are international schools hiring qualified content (not EFL) teachers from overseas.

Bridge are a big company, they have lots of different programs, what is it they want to charge you $95 for?

[paulac]

Bridge TEFL is a TEFL certification program, so of course they charge money - they are offering a course and certification.

From my experience, Bridge TEFL is only a TEFL certification online course, and if an employer expects you to get your TEFL certification through Bridge TEFL, then you will have to do that to work for them. Getting a TEFL certificate is very smart to do if you want to work abroad.

[Landon]

Is Bridge a respectable cert in South America?

[HLJHLJ]

It depends which cert you mean. Online certs aren't really respectable anywhere. Bridge also offer the CELTA in some locations, which is respected pretty much everywhere that they care about such things. Then they have various other options that fall in between.

[Landon]

Im sure a CELTA is prefered anywhere they care about such things. Like Asia. Just wondering if they really care about such things in South America. Particularly Ecuador, Peru, Colombia. Some info I am getting is that they couldn't really care less if you have a cert at all. And that most language schools don't even ask about it. I have heard that "native speaker" is really all they want. Its not a big deal, but it seems quite a bit more difficult to get a CELTA than a Bridge online cert, assuming they accomplish the same thing in that location.

[HLJHLJ]

Again, it depends. I'm sorry for always being so vague but there really are so many factors. The only value most online certs have is in countries were they will be accepted to meet visa regulations and employers don't care about them. They have little to no value as an actual training course. That doesn't apply in LatAm.

You don't have to have any training to get work in Peru, Colombia or Ecuador. There are enough places that don't care whether or not you have any training because they don't care whether or not you can teach. Being a native speaker and preferably a young, white, attractive native speaker is all that's required. These are bottom of the barrel jobs with commensurate wages, but certainly they exist and if that's the level you are aiming for then there is little point doing any sort of training.

The mid range language schools prefer you to have proper certification. If they can't get anyone, they will employ people without it. But it may be at a lower wage, and you may also find your job and hours are precarious as they will favour those with training.

The better schools won't consider you without certification and will also value higher qualifications.

One thing to be aware of is that reputation and connections are everything in LatAm. The impression you make on people when you first arrive will have a huge impact on your future prospects. So arriving untrained, intending to try it out for a while and then do a course later if it works out, is a really bad idea. If you make a dog's dinner of it initially it will be very very hard for you to shake that reputation later on.

[naturegirl321]

My school paid for my flight. I think they still do but that's really rare. Visas in Peru at least are also rare.