Job Discussion Forums

Lauracamille · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 9 Location: Yorkshire

Hey, Im a British National with a CELTA plus experience in teaching. I am flying out to Panama in April to stay with friends. I am going to use this time to search for employment for September (as I am already comitted to summer school ).
Has anyone got any advice on teaching in Panama or job seeking. I also want to enrol on a Spanish language course.

Thanks guys Wink

pirateinpanama · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Panama City, Panama

As you're probably aware, certain countries prefer people with English accents, other countries prefer people with N. American accents~~~Panama falls into the latter catagory.
Sorry, but to be honest, being a British national won't help. Neither will the CELTA (they couldn't care less here). I wish you the best, but it may be tough going. There's increasing competition as word gets out that this may be one of the better paying countries in this region. Canadian and US citizens are on the priority list. HOWEVER, all hope is not lost. Try the Oxford School (not Oxford Int.)---the prinicpal is English and he likes to think of his school as something akin to a British boarding school, although it's no different than any American public school. I'm not sure the pay (probably $800-$850 a month) is really worth the headaches involved, but it's a possibility.
Best of luck!!

jello1 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 40

Have you ever heard the expression "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all..." While constructive criticism about jobs etc is certainly helpful, it appears some folks deliberately attempt to persuade folks from coming to certain countries.

All I can say is come on folks, if you are afraid of competition maybe your in the wrong line of work. Plus, it REAL bad karma...

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

jello1 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 40

Upon further review the judges determined I needed to remove the stick from my, well you know...

Sorry, must have been having a bad day!

qatherine · Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 7 Location: Istanbul

is it wrong for me to ask only for positive advice? yes! but I am really set on the idea of coming to Panama and would rather not be put off! In what sort of school are North American accents preferred, are you talking about kids' schools, or private language schools, or universities? I am British. I'm teaching in Istanbul at the moment, those are the 3 options of places to teach English, is this the same in Panama? and private langauge schools (where I am teaching now) are the bottom of the heap in terms of pay and conditions, is that the same case? How serious is this discrimination, I can't really believe it's so bad, but what would I know? And surely some places value a CELTA, at least it can't be a negative thing. My only experience is of Istanbul, where there is a wide range of types of employment as an English teacher, but where teachers are often treated badly by schools more intrested in money than genuine Education. I assume this is the same in most places in the world, panama too? any comments?

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

pirateinpanama · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Panama City, Panama

jello 1:
hey, no offense taken. I'm just telling the original poster what the deal is here. She /he will find out for themselves when they arrive. Needless, to say, I wish the person the very best.
If I were interested in teaching...say, Hong Kong for example, someone might tell me I need a British accent. I wouldn't want to arrive there with high hopes and not fully understanding the situation that I was walking into.
Competition? No, I don't think so.

qatherine · Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 7 Location: Istanbul

jello,
maybe it's uk/irish only because of visa / work permit problems? rather than an accent issue. just a thought.
Katherine

qatherine · Joined: 09 Oct 2003 Posts: 7 Location: Istanbul

sorry, I meant to say that to ls650.
Katherine