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ckiddart
Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Posts: 7 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:07 pm Post subject: Can you save money teaching in Santiago? |
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I am thinking about taking a TEFL course and would really like to go to a Spanish speaking country before I go to any other country. I would like to improve my Spanish speaking skills a bit. But it also would be desirable to save money while teaching English somewhere. So, I keep hearing and reading that you can save a lot of money in Asia, but I just really want to know if you can or cannot save any money in Santiago? And if so, how much? Or, if not, how much money are you losing by teaching there?
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mike30
Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 67 Location: Santiago, Chile
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:52 am Post subject: |
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With no teaching experience (i.e. Chile being the location of your first job) I would imagine that you'll lose $300-$500/month...I really would highly recommend that your first ever teaching job be in Korea. Even with the weak won at the moment it is by far and away the easiest transition into ESL. Free flight, free apartment, and a job where you can easily save $1000/month without really trying.
If you don't have a degree then Korea is out...but you can work in Vietnam. It isn't as great of a set-up, but you'll still live like a king and save money. |
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ckiddart
Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Posts: 7 Location: USA
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Mike30. Yikes, losing money is not what I want to do. When I get to whatever country I choose to go to I will have a TEFL certificate and I have a masters in elementary ed. and elementary special ed. So I am also looking into private international schools where I would teach more than just English.
I see by your profile that you are in Santiago, right? How long have you been there? And why do you suggest Korea besides the fact that you can make money there, which I have heard and read about, have you taught there? Vietnam is also high on my list of possibilities. |
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inky
Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 283 Location: Hanoi
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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mike30, please don't tell people they can work in Vietnam without a degree. A degree and ESL Cert are required, as well as a criminal background check from home. It's true that the law is enforced sporadically, but that doesn't mean you should give people misleading information. |
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mike30
Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 67 Location: Santiago, Chile
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Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:40 am Post subject: |
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inky..... I would say that a good 1/3 of the teachers that I met there did not have a degree, and maybe 20% of the people I met weren't working "under the table". Furthermore, the VISA process is viritually impossible for Americans to go through (due to the fact that they ask for documents that the US State Dept. will not give out...at least this was the case 3 years ago) so unless you're married to a Vietnamese citizen, if you are American you will be officially working "illegally."
You absolutely DO NOT need a degree to work in Vietnam, and you absolutely DO NOT need a certificate of any sort to work there. Maybe it isn't "officially" legal to work on a tourist visa, but this is what the majority of teachers in Vietnam are doing.
What I was saying is that in Korea, for example, you'd have a hard time finding a job without a work visa (you'd have to do private classes only), whereas in Vietnam there a numerous schools that will hire you without a visa, without a degree, without a cert., and you can very easily work under the table extending your tourist visa every 3 or 6 months. This can be done with very little risk of any negative consequences. |
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novia
Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Canada
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:02 am Post subject: Won't save.. |
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I concur that you will not save money in Santiago and that you will probably spend more than you earn....what about other places in Chile? cheaper rent... |
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