Job Discussion Forums

[orangiey]

Hi Guys, Just found this site and hope you can guide, help and share us in this field.
We are a married English couple in our late 30's looking to have a change of life direction and join the field of ESL.
We would like to know the best places to start and what are our chnaces of getting work etc...
We are both educated to voacational level (ie have no batchelors degree) and so know Japan and Korea are out of the question. We are looking to do the i-to-i diploma course, anyone help with experiences and opioins of this course. We are looking to start Feb/March 2006 as my work contract expires and I've deceided that is a springboard to do something else in my life, hence this!
We would primary like to work in Buenos Aires but only speak holiday Spanish, anyone help here? Or we fancy China, I know there is lots here on the forum but will the i-to-i couse be enough as we also have NO expereience!! for any of the above
We look forward to your support and would be delighted to hear from you all.
One other thing, we have 2 adorable cats who are the spanner in the works of our plans and I could not bear to be parted from them if possible so any info here about taking them with us would also be appreciated.

[Don Alan]

I'll just make a few points. I don�t think the i to i course will give you the necessary experience because you would lack real teaching practice with this course. Given you have several months you should do a CELTA course. It will cost more money but if you are serious about teaching then it will be money well spent as it will also help you get a job in the future.
With regard to the cats, I love animals but I would never let one stop me from doing something important in life. Maybe you could take them with you to Argentina, I remember another post in this forum about a woman who wanted to take cats.
Another point I would make is how do you know you will like teaching until you have tried it or have done the course?

Good luck

D.A

[orangiey]

Hi

Thanks for the tip, I will start also looking at the CELTA courses, the cats-well they are so adorable maybe we can 'con' a freind into taking them for us. Please keep the advice coming in, good or bad

Orangiey

(Angie and Roy)

[matttheboy]

The i-i course has had VERY negative on Dave's in recent weeks (look around on the General Disc. Forum). Do the CELTA, part-time if you must but better full-time (it's only a month). Expensive though, around �800-900. I'd do it at seperate times if i were you or a possible divorce may be on the cards as the course is hard, but certainly not difficult, work and some people find it very stressful. I can't, for the life of me, understand why people find it such hard work and so stressful but i guess some people just react to things differently.

Here in Buenos Aires you could pick up work with no qualifications or experience, conversation classes are quite easy to get once you get a few contacts but if you don't know what you're doing i would imagine it to do a bit tricky. Plus, if you're looking to do esl for a while it's worth spending the money to get qualified.

Also, things change here pretty quickly, so the economic situation oculd be much improved or a total disaster by next year. Hoping, and very much expecting the former as i'm opening a business here soon. Things do seem to be looking up in Argentina. Will probs last around 6-10 years before the next huge economic/political collapse.

As for cats, it's not a problem bringing them to buenos aires. Look on the argie embassy website for details. Finding a hotel that will let you keep them when you first arrive will be tricky though. Finding a flat won't be.

Good luck with everything,

Matt

[matttheboy]

You arrived in santiarsehole yet don? Was there over the weekend (and in renaca) for the first time in 6 weeks and my god i was glad to leave again. The Alameda is shut to all traffic except buses meaning driving out of (usually a pleasure) and back into (always unpleasant) the city was 100 times worse than normal. And that's bad. 2 hours to do what normally takes 25 minutes with exhaust fumes in your face down little back streets is not an experience i'd recommend...

[Don Alan]

Matty

Still got 3 weeks to go, got my vaccinations today and last week. See nothing has changed in Santiago since my last visit . How do you find driving in Chile and Argentina? Is it true you need the new photocard licence? I changed my paper one recently because I read somewhere it was necessary. Girlfriend been behaving herself?

[matttheboy]

Girlfriend has behaved herself 58% of the time (i read mi pais inventado and have bought a copy for the girlf. I think it may give her a better idea of why i dislike chileans so much...)

As for driving, i haven't done so in argentina because i a) value my life and b) so far haven't had any need to. Would probs give it a go under extreme circumstances.

Driving in Chile is ok, think of an extremely aggressive and idiotic, often drunk, parisian driver, then times by 50 and you've got your average chilean driver. Once you're used to it it's no problem, even the alameda in rush hour. For Buenos aires, think of an extremely aggressive and idiotic, even more often drunk, santiaguino driver and times by another 50 and you've got your average porteno driver...

In South America you'll need a photo card (it's good as ID as well, saves taking your passport out) AND an International Driver's Licence. You can get one from the AA and if you pay a bit more get in sorted within a week. I guess you can download the form from the internet. I don't know why you need this as it's just another piece of paper with your photo on but if you get stopped they ask to see it.

I got stopped by the police when i went to pick up friends from the airport. I was speeding and on a road which was for buses only at that time of day. The policeman asked to see all the car's documentation and my UK and international licence. After a quick chat-(i'm English, just been to pick up friends from the airport, i have a chilean girlfriend, i love chile, beautiful country, i'm a bit lost and don't know the speed limit (i knew exactly where i was and the speed limit)-and he said, "well, seeing as you're foreign i'll let you off". This whilst his friend was issuing a ticket to the chilean right next to me for being in a bus lane

[Don Alan]

Thanks for that information Matty. I looked the AA web site and it said that if you still have the old paper licence you need the international driving permit for Chile but if you have the new photocard one you don't although I see for Argentina you need it anyway.

My girlfriend is in San Antonio just now, just talked to her on messenger, getting herself nicely bronzed for my arrival. jeje. Trying to figure that 58% out.

Did you get many vaccinations when you first went out. I�ve had diphtheria, polio, and tetanus boosters as well as hepatitis A and B and typhoid fever. I still have to get two more jags of hepatitis B cause it�s a series of three injections.

By the way, I�m hoping to go to the concert of Oreja de Van Gogh in Santiago on 26 February. I got to really like this band while I was living in Spain.