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BooshGirl
Joined: 02 Feb 2011 Posts: 8 Location: London
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 5:43 pm Post subject: Teaching on the coast? |
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Hey everyone,
I am keen to try English teaching in Colombia, I have a CELTA, a degree etc etc. I'd really like to teach somewhere on the coast, for example Cartegena, but is this unrealistic? Does any one have any experience teaching here or know of any language schools? (I can only find a couple online....)
Failing that, what other places along the coast would be worth a shot? Barranquilla? Santa Marta? I've read such conflicting opinions of each!
And do language schools generally accept that teachers will work illegally on a tourist visa like in Brazil? From what i've read work visas seem quite hard to acquire in Colombia, especially from over seas so i'm confused as to how the visa situation works.
Any advice/ info/ personal experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks! |
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windowlicker
Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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You can probably get a job working illegally in any of the major coastal cities. However, it's difficult to recommend any of the cities on the coast. The coast is nice, but most of the cities there aren't. The walled city in Cartagena is spectacular, but the rest of the city is pretty miserable. It has okay beaches, but nothing special. I don't have anything particularly good to say about either Barranquilla or Santa Marta. For the right kind of person Valledupar is cool, but it's also 4 hours from the beach if that's what you're really looking for. I also think any foreign woman who has lived on the coast of Colombia would probably tell you to reconsider and try the interior of the country instead. |
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BooshGirl
Joined: 02 Feb 2011 Posts: 8 Location: London
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Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:41 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for you advice, it's much appreciated.
Do you say that about foreign women because of crime/ hassle from men in coastal cities?
Do you think Colombia is safe for a woman travelling alone in general?
My plan originally was to teach in Brazil, but i've been put off recently after meeting a guy from Rio who warned me it was not a good city for a lone female, because of muggings, drink spiking etc. |
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spanglish
Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that
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Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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You sound a bit naive and inexperienced. If some random person has managed to convince you to write off one of the most important cities in Latin America because you'll get your drink spiked...really - there are any number of worst case scenarios that could happen in Latin America. What's important is that you learn the language, make friends with trustworthy people and learn the local situation and circumstances bit by bit. Have you spent any time in the developing world?
The coast is a very sexist place. Men tend to be quite forward and obsessive and women (particularly foreign looking women) can be subject to lots of harassment. This can include everything from being yelled at in the street to being followed by some idiot. Having said that, I wouldn't say the coast is a no go, but you do have to learn how to manage the situation and for women it seems that it can be quite difficult.
Probably the only places on the coast that would get you a work visa and pay you a nice wage would be the better high schools. I'm not sure I would recommend that route though, unless you have a lot of talent and or training for working with rambunctious and very difficult kids and teenagers.
It sounds like you want to teach somewhere close to the water...maybe you should look into Ecuador? |
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windowlicker
Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia
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Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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BooshGirl wrote: |
Do you say that about foreign women because of crime/ hassle from men in coastal cities?
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Mostly for the hassle, but this hassle (as Spanglish said) can be intense and obsessive. Many foreign women feel uncomfortable going out or even walking down the street. I know of two blonde girls who have had men grab their butts in separate incidents as they were walking down the street. Another had boys in her neighborhood harass her, knocking on her door all the time and then throwing rocks at her window when she stopped answering her door. I would agree with other things Spanglish said in terms of not writing off other Latin American cities. If it's definitely beaches you want, I haven't spent much time in Ecuador, but that could be an option...coastal Peru, while less beautiful, is definitely a bit less intense on the machismo than coastal Colombia. Otherwise, I'd recommend the interior of Colombia and just vacation to the coast or sticking with your Brazil plan. |
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BooshGirl
Joined: 02 Feb 2011 Posts: 8 Location: London
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not writing Brazil off, i'm still planning to visit. It's the cost as much as anything else that's made me reconsider living and working there...! I think more naive would be to head in without doing research and to ignore all advice given by locals!
I have been all over asia, but i understand the culture in these countries is completely different to latin america. As a foreign tourist everyone was very respectful and i didn't experience any discrimination.
That is interesting what you say about the coast, i will definitely bare this in mind. I have 3 years experience teaching GCSE in inner city london, so i'm sure the behaviour in the high schools wouldn't bee too much of a problem. But i imagine the set up in terms of contracts in high schools is a lot more formal than language schools? And i'm looking to work only for around 9 months, rather than a year or more.
Anyway, thank you again for your input. It's certainly provided some food for thought. |
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Cruiser
Joined: 26 Nov 2010 Posts: 39
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:07 pm Post subject: Bucaramanga |
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..don't know if Santander grabs you, but I picked up some good intel from a guy I met in a cafe near the Extranjeria on 100th, the one where everyone has lunch after getting their visa extended. PM me for details...
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JonnyBravo
Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 80 Location: Bogota, Colombia
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:32 am Post subject: |
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Plus you'll confidently enter your new coastal home thinking you get to practice your Spanish knowledge and then be dismayed to realize the language they speak there hardly resembles Spanish...
Seriously I keeeed, but all those things written above are pretty darn accurate from what I saw and experienced as well. |
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