Job Discussion Forums

[koolkat]

This is a response to Koshechka!

I am a wimp (yes I will admit it). I decided to do the Bridge-Linguatec program because I want to have people meet me at the airport and I wanted to stay with a host family (so I can better acclimate to the culture). Maybe I am crazy compared to other people and the truth is I have never left the country, thus I wanted to have a program to go to (i am too terrified of going there and not knowing anyone, etc. Thus I decided to go with Bridge Linguatec..mainly because they teach you right there in Santiago how to teach English and you get your TEFL at the end). It is expensive.
As for work visas, the only company that will promise that to you that I found, was the infamous Sam Marsalli. That company, according to the many posts from Dave Esl Cafe members..looks to be a bad deal. I saw that sometimes Bridge Linguatec helps people get the work visas, but only once you are working for them in Santiago. I think I will probably just do the trek to Mendoza Argentina every 90 days..that seems to be the most feasible.
I hope that helps!! If you want, I recommend talking to Ben Weeda at Bridge Linguatec (the Denver office) and he can answer all of your questions
Good luck and I hope to meet you
I will be arriving early in the morning on September 11th (funny day!) and the program starts the next day.
Good luck!!!
Kat

[matttheboy]

[koolkat]

HI Matttheboy!
You are right!! I totally forgot about the military coup that overthrew Allende in 1973. Thank you for reminding me.. I better reread my books about Chilean history before I go.
Thanks again and hope to meet you if you are in Santiago in September!

Kat

[Weona]

I don't remember exactly what happened the past few years in Santiago on the 11th of September, but there were no riots and I don't remember any marches that took place, either. I feel like very little is done on this day (in regards to the rememberence of Allende) in Chile...

[matttheboy]

Last year there were marches in the city centre and other areas, nothing really huge but a few thousand nonetheless and there were riots in a few places. Kids throwing rocks and destroying their neighbours' property. Very clever. It even made CNN and BBC World. This happens pretty much every year according the ladyfriend.

I agree that not much is done (and it suprised me) but it's still pretty recent history and the wounds are still raw. It'll take another generation before there's a real acceptance of what happened. The people our age don't know that much about things because their parents simply don't talk about it. A kind of collective amnesia coupled with guilt and shame about what occurred and perfectly understandable, i feel. It's exactly the same in Argentina. On 24th March, the anniversary of the last Argentine coup, there was one, tiny article about it in the 'paper and not much in the way of protests. At least not by Buenos Aires' standards anyway. Give it another 15-20 years and things will be different. I think it's easy for us, as foreigners, to look in from the outside and think that they aren't doing enough, trying to gloss over what happened and that they need to take a long, hard look into their past. I know i did. But the more i'm here, the more i realise and understand that these people went through a traumatic experience and simply want to forget and don't want to be reminded year in, year out of what happened to their friends and families or what happened right under their noses while they simply looked the other way and pretended nothing was wrong.

[dmacdougall]

Hey folks:

Sure does sound like a good crew arriving in Chile in August/Sept. When I arrive I will likely stay at the Hostel Santiago, in Provendcia. Hopeing to see some people when I arrive.

D.

PS. Don't worry about jobs....with such a good crew, maybe we could start our own school.

[Tio-Oso]

I agree with you completely! I also believe we have a great crew coming down aound August / September and maybe we should start our own school...maybe we should...To the "September Institute" Any other name Ideas? I guess mine is kind of cheese-laden. [/quote]

[dmacdougall]

T:

Agreed. It is a possibility I wouldn't mind exploring once, I got the lay of the land. The name is the biggest stumbling block. I look at some of the names of these poor schools and I just don't know what they are thinking. A name is so important. Getting so excited, I got less than two weeks left in North America.

Talk to you later.

D.

[koshechka]

this is mostly in response to koolcat, i think that i've already forgotten how to spell your name, but you know who you are,
i have decided not to do the program for the same reasons that you decided to do it but this is because we are going to chile for different reasons. i am planning to stay there for as long as i can, i am moving with my boyfriend so the family living situation is out of the question and i guess that while bridge-linguatec gives you a certificate, i have realized during the past two years of teaching here in mexico that teaching is mostly improvisation and that almost nothing of what you are taught is ever useful since every class has a different vibe. i am sure there will be those who disagree but this is my own personal experience, maybe i've taken all the wrong courses, who knows.
anyway, it is really reassuring to read that everyone is excited and hopeful about going to santiago. i will be coming on the second of september and for sure would like to get to know some of you, maybe on a closer date we could set up a really easy place to meet and go there. since we are all outside of santiago, this is difficult to do as of yet but later i think it would be nice.
ciao

[evansmith]

KoolKat,

You won't have to go to Mendoza at all if you do the BL program. They will hire you right after you finish (assuming there are openings, which there almost always are) and your work visa will go to the infamous "en tramite" stage. This is the normal process that everyone applying for a work visa must deal with, which involves plenty of running around the city getting things notarized and stamped and whatever else the system requires (if you're familiar with the US, imagine the DMV times 100). But you will eventually get the work visa through BL and won't have to leave the country at all if you don't want to. But you probably will end up going to Mendoza at some point. It's great and not too pricy to get there and back.

By the way, the BL program is a good choice. It is expensive, but the people are very nice, the trainers very intelligent and they won't jerk you around like some other institutes have been known to do. The pay is about the middle of the road...a handful pay more. I worked there for a year (among other places) and it was good.

Have fun.

[berticus]

Howdy

I'm on my final week of CELTA training with Bridge Linguatec up here in Denver. I'm hoping to be a part of the new crew in Santiago in September with Bridge and maybe another place and some private work. I'm a skiing and hiking fan if anyone else needs a friend to go to the mountains with.

I've seen a lot of heated and interesting viewpoints here on the pro certificate and pro experience sides. I'm hoping that my CELTA work and ability to adapt will do well when I get down there.

If anyone has some good warnings or good recommendations, I'd be glad to hear them. Is www.exitotravel.com really the best chilean fares from the states or should I look elsewhere? (it was recommended by the BL guys)

Thanks guys

[dmacdougall]

Just a quick note to say that I am in Santiago now. I arrived on Friday and so far I am really digging the city. Good luck to anyone that is arriving in the next little bit.

D.