Job Discussion Forums

[spaceman spiff]

Hello all !

I'm interested in relocating to Latin America (especially Brazil - although mostly for next year when the World Cup will be on) - I wanted to know it was feasible teaching both English AND French there (I am a native bilingual of both languages + Canadian citizen + BA in Linguistics at the University of Toronto). Is there any demand for French in Brazil at all? Also, considering the event is next summer, should I wait to go later in order to not overstay my tourist visa period?

I'll have about 3500$CDN in startup costs and have no issues with living super frugally - with that said the only thing to keep in mind is that I owe ~250$CDN/month towards my school loans, so I would have to make at least a good enough salary to feed and house myself (again frugally) + that extra bit.

Again, I have experience teaching both languages and I am a native speaker in both. I also do lots of side-gigs in film editing, sound recording, and graphic design which hopefully will supplement my income when I find fellow artists (and as such I would need to be in a biggish city with some sort of artsy bent).

I would appreciate any advice you could give me !

Ate logo !

Ian

[HLJHLJ]

You would probably be able to get enough work to cover frugal living costs in most of the major countries in South America (assuming you are willing to put the hours in). It won't make much difference whether you are teaching English, French or a mixture.

It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to save enough to send $250 home in your first year, but if you stick around and make some contacts, you'll get better jobs and be able to earn more after a year or two.

I don't know about getting editing, etc work, it's not like there's a shortage of people with similar skills in the more developed countries, though the novelty value of working with a foreigner might open some doors for you. I'd still expect it to take at least a year or so for you to make the necessary connections to be offered that sort of work. You would also need to speak the local language.

[spaceman spiff]

Cheers!

I speak both Spanish and Portuguese reasonably well (in terms of comprehension I have no problems) - so I don't see language being an issue for very long.

You're right that there's probably all sorts of people who can do such work, but I tend to find ways to make contacts. I would guess that the bigger cities (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, maybe Rio) are better but as a result I imagine their costs of living are also considerable relative to smaller towns.

[spaceman spiff]

What would be a reasonable monthly salary teaching privates and finding at least a part-time job as a language instructor in Buenos Aires/ Sao Paulo (pesos and reais)

I realize that there are numerous variables, but I'm talking about a general ballpark. If salaries stay level around the country, then I'd probably be better off in places like Cordoba or Florianopolis

[sprightly]

spaceman, are those canadian gov't loans? they should be, to a degree, income dependant. so if your income drops significantly you should be able to renegotiate your monthly bill. it will, of course, increase the amount you need to pay back. i cut my payments from 500 to 300 a month when the exchange rate went south.

i know people who've moved abroad and reneged on loans--not much the govt' can do--but they've also accepted that they won't be returning home for 10-20 yrs, so by then it may not be an issue. i wouldn't personally; that's a bridge too many burned for me.

also have you looked into declaring non-residency? keeps the revenue people off your back and saves mountains of paperwork down the road. although i haven't filed returns as i should have been for years, which may explain the hassles i used to get coming back into the country.