Job Discussion Forums

[evolving81]

I keep up with the Brazil forum because I planned to go there next spring. However, I'm wondering how the general state of ESL in Brazil is doing? Looking at this forum a large number of the posts receive 0 or 1 response and most of them aren't at all recent (at least within the last few months). Is Brazil a bad idea or are the teachers just so busy teaching that they aren't on Dave's ESL Cafe giving advice?

[philkaz]

i was wondering the same thing. With the World cup and the olympics coming, id imagine they would be needing english teacher soon.

[spanglish]

Sorry, I don't have any info either. But I've got a buddy who will be living in Porto Alegre and am thinking about heading down there myself next year. So I'll keep you all posted on anything I learn.

I think one reason Brazil gets less attention is that everybody speaks Spanish and nobody seems to bother to learn Portuguese. I'm currently in beginner Portuguese classes in Bogota (offered by IBRACO) and I feel like the language is opening up a whole new world to me. I'd love to interpret (even as a volunteer) for one of the US teams at the Olympics.

I do know that Brazil has an extra charge for US citizens to get any type of visa because the US does the same to Brazilian citizens.

[evolving81]

Yes, there is an extra visa charge for US citizens. I think altogether it was around $215 (I think that was including postage to the embassy). I have a tourist visa for Brazil and I believe it is good for five years. At least that's what the page in my passport says.

Keep us posted. I'm planning to go to Curitiba (south of Sao Paulo) next year and see if I can find any decent paying positions.

Any other info from the Brazilian experts on the forum?

[leslie]

Bye

[Manaus]

There are actually many ESL teachers in large cities like RJ and SP, but I believe that most are expatriots living, not travelling in these cities.

I noticed that this forum is pretty "quiet" too. I taught in Manaus a few years ago and am currently living and studying in the U.S. However, when I graduate with my MA I'm hoping to move back to Brazil. I am lucky, though, that I can get residency through my husband, who is a Brazilian.

[markcmc]

I searched on the internet for job postings in Brazil for most of 2009, and I couldn't find many. Perhaps it's a place where you just need to turn up and look for work on the spot.

I think there's so much interest in learning Spanish, that many people just don't look at Brazil. Hence the lack of information in forums; as Spanglish pointed out.

[icehockey23]

I dont teach EFL in Brazil but I may be somewhat familiar with the circumstances.

I am about to make some huge generalizations:

Brazil is a great place. I have lived in a couple of different countries and Im pretty content here.

You will not get rich as an EFL teacher in Brazil.

You can make enough to survive and travel around.

If you want to make decent money and save Brazil is probably not the place to do it.

The foreigners who are here and make decent money in the EFL world usually have a Brazilian (life) partner and own an EFL type business eg, a school or are certified teachers in their own countries and work for an international school.

You can make OK money in Sao Paulo teaching corpoarte clients but SP is the most expensive city to live in Brazil and you will travel around the city a lot and that is an absolute nightmare. Also, it will probaly take time to do this - networking skills are essential and nothing happens super fast here.

If you want a great experience and are not trying to save to buy a house or pay off a debt and you are a native speaker, finding a job here teaching English is very easy.

There are English schools everywhere and you can supplement your income with privates relatively easily. Or just skip the schools and do privates.

[jdl]

icehockey23,
What do you consider to be a top end salary in EFL? Probably more to the point what is considered a upper middle class salary in Brazil?

Where in the spectrum would a salary of 120,000 Reas/year with full accommodation fall?

[icehockey23]

[jdl]

Thanks icehockey23!

I did my googling too but you had a much better search strategy. Great info. You have been very helpful.

By the way, there is only one kind of hockey!

[icehockey23]

RE: "only one kind of hockey" - Yes, I agree or I guess I ageed until I lived in parts of the world where they insisted otherwise.

Cheers

[jdl]

icehockey23,

A few of more questions if you don't mind?

How long did it take you to pick up your 'get around' Brazilian Portuguese?

Did you take a formal class?

Did you take the 'self study and a lot of social interaction route'?

Can you recommend any self study material that you found most useful?

Thanks

[icehockey23]

IMHO basic Portuguese can be picked up fairly easily. Like all Latin languages, if you know or are familiar with one, picking up another is not so difficult - in my case i had some French. I took lessons, hung out with Brazilians who didnt speak any English all the time and got to a survival level in about a month. Going further for me has been difficult only because Im lazy and content to live on my plateau. I came here first on a student visa for a year so studied quite a bit that first year.



If you are interested in an online language exchange (English-Portuguese or Portuguese -English) this link can set you up with a Brazilian University Student. Im not really familiar with it - but have heard about it.

http://www.teletandembrasil.org/home.asp?NewLangID=1

[jdl]

Thank you so much! Will give it a go. You have been very helpful!