Job Discussion Forums

[dbterrel]

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to graduate in May with a degree in English and I plan on going to South America to teach. I'm thinking about doing and EFL program in Cuzco Peru. Does anyone have any impressions of the area? The fact that it's a smaller city and based in the Andes, and thus cooler is what is attracting me to the area. It seems that it might be a bit touristy though. I've got a ton of questions, and I'm not sure where to start.

What do I need to be bringing with me? For instance, will I need nicer clothes for teaching? I was planning on just bringing a 78L backpack. Will an English degree and and EFL certification be enough to find a job, or do most places require experience?

I also don't speak fluent spanish, and I'm unfamiliar with how all of this works, but can I really teach without being able to speak fairly fluently? Don't get me wrong, I'm going there to learn the language, but I was also hoping to teach as soon as possible.

Really any info would be helpful. Sorry, but I'm just getting started and I'm a bit clueless. I'm pretty much willing to go anywhere in South America. So, if anyone knows any other amazing cities (I know that's quite vague) or any particularly great EFL programs or schools to teach at, etc, please let me know. Thanks a lot!

-Dylan

[naturegirl321]

I'm in Piura in the North. Cusco, never been there, but I've heard its really touristy and that you will feel like you are in an English speaking county rather than Peru. However, there is a lot of Inca hisotry there.

What to bring, as little as possible, becaues you can get everything here. Of course you will need professional clothes for teaching, though it depends on the institute. Again, it depends on the institute as to what they require. The more experience and education you have the higher the pay. Some places require nothing, only that you speak English reasonably well. Expect to make around 450 dollars for 20 hours average.

Most places don't want you to speak Spanish in class. I'm fairly fluent, yet tell my students I don't speak any SPanish as to force them to speak English.

There are jobs links below Good luck, PM me if you have any Qs.


PERU

Cusco. Maximo Nivel, Ken (raymundo)
[email protected]
(9 month minimum contract)

Various. www.paginasamarillas.com.pe (rgamarra28)

Various. ICPNA (mahajosh)
http://www.icpna.edu.pe/

Various. www.laborum.com

Various. www.elcomercioperu.com
Job Placement Service for Latin America. Teachers Latin America, Guy Courchesne (Guy Courchesne)
http://www.innovative-english.com/
[email protected]
(There's a fee involved)

A directory of Free & low-cost volunteer programs in South America (stevemc)
www.volunteersouthamerica.net

AMERICA
www.trabajos.com
www.empleate.com
www.lanic.utexas.edu/enlace
www.kidscamps.com (North America)

TEFL SITES
http://www.saxoncourt.com/recruitment/vacancies/index.htm (Interview in UK)
http://www.babelfishrecruitment.com (Interview in UK)
http://www.worldwide.edu (Mira)
www.iie.org
www.cambridgeesol.org/teaching/delta.htm (go to teaching award centres, they usually are language schools as well.)
http://www.ihworld.com/directory_of_schools/directoryindex.asp
www.tefl.com
www.tefl.net
www.teachabroad.com
www.eslcafe.com
www.edufind.com
www.tesjobs.co.uk
www.istc.umn.edu
http://www.ucles.org.uk/workingforucles/international
http://chronicle.com/
www.eslteachersboard.com
www.europa-pages.com

International Schools
www.state.gov/m/a/os
www.acsi.org
www.moveandstay.com
http://www.internationaleducationmedia.com
http://www.independentschools.com
http://www.schoolworld.asn.au/members/schools.html
http://www.aassa.com/htm/schools.htm
http://aoshs.wichita.edu/SchoolsByCountry.html

[sarc1]

Dylan,

Cusco is going to be real touristy. A great place to visit as there is loads to do but Im not sure if its somewhere I would live. Im backpacking SA and so far if I had to choose a city to stay, it would be Cordoba in Argentina. Lots of university students, thus many hot girls learning English. Im basing this after going through Boliva and Peru.

[Justin Trullinger]

I agree- you need help! The first help you need is a good TESOL training program. Because yes- you can teach without speaking the students' first language. But it tends to be more effective if you start out with some of the basic techniques.

Cuzco- personally, I loved it. It may have got a little more touristy since then, but when I was there, I found it incredibly overun by foreigners in the center, and virtually untouched in the more "native" areas. It depends what you're into. It's a smallish city, in an absolutely STUNNING region.

Good luck and welcome aboard,
Justin

[dbterrel]

Thanks for the help everyone. By the way, what exactly is the difference, if any, between ESL and EFL? Is one superior to the other? I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this except that I thought ESL was for teaching foreigners who have moved to an English speaking country? Which should I be going for here? Thanks again everyone.

Dylan

[stevemc]

I agree with the prev. comments wrt Cusco,

For other cities with good climates;
they are warm and at low altitude, not too hot, no insects.
try Sucre (Bolivia) and Banos (Ecuador)
Sucre is a big student town.
Banos is popular with gringos & locals
See this advert from the Thorn tree
[sorry you will have to paste it into your browser - no spaces]
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messagepost.cfm?postaction=reply&catid=22&threadid=1033118&messid=8831584&STARTPAGE=1&parentid=0&from=4