Job Discussion Forums

[bhog]

I am looking to possibly work in Mexico or S. America. I am wondering with my base level of Spanish, (prob a 4 out of 10 skill level) how much could I expect to improve my Spanish in say 4-5 months working in a Spanish speaking country? I'm basically trying to justify to myself (and my parents) moving somewhere where I will make or save basically no money, when I could go to Japan or SK (from which I recently returned) and be 'financially responsible'. I'm hoping that I could at least say I'll gain a great deal of Spanish language ability.

[Guy Courchesne]

I don't think anyone here could tell you...we don't know you. Spanish isn't something to be poured into a glass to be drunk.

However, if you're looking for inspiration, I went from zero Spanish to a 7 on your scale in Mexico in 6 months.

[sickbag]

What kind of work are you planning on doing? If you're teaching English for 5 or 6 hours a day then obviously you'll learn a lot less Spanish than you might hope. If you have the determination, motivation and energy to improve your Spanish after a day's teaching then there's no reason why you shouldn't see a decent improvement.

[naturegirl321]

Best thing would be to volunteer in a small town where no one spoke English so that you would go through complete immersion. Or date someone who doesn't want to speak English. Worked for me, and we've now been married for almost a year.

[MELEE]

The best place to learn a language is is the bedroom! I'm surprised Guy didn't mention it too. You don't even have to limit yourself to someone "who doesn't want to speak English" my husband is all for learning as many languages as possible and he has learned lots and lots of English because of our relationship, but I've also learned just as much Spanish. Besides none of his family, and few of his friends speak any English so by getting envolved with a local, puts you in lots of situations to speak a language.
BUT, you shouldn't do it just for the language learning opportunities.

We don't know how good you are at learning languages, so we can't say how fast you will improve. How long were you in SK? Do you have a BA? TELF Cert? Don't assume that you can't make some money in Latin America. Sure, it doesn't compare with Asia, but you can cover your expenses and then some in Mexico with experience and training. The problem comes if you want to change this money into US dollars .

But hey, you're in KCMO? If you want to learn Spanish, just get a job in any Chinese restuarant in town. The kitchen staff are all from Guatemala, you'll pick it up just as fast there as teaching ENGLISH here.

[naturegirl321]

What's KCMO?

[Guy Courchesne]

[jillford64]

Tell your parents whatever you want about learning the language. It sounds good and you probably will if you work at it and can find the time to study and practice. It can be hard to find the time though, especially if you are working full time and if you are having to spend a lot of time planning your lessons. This is the problem that I am having. I came to Mexico because I had two goals: get experience teaching English and improve my Spanish. So far I've gotten plenty of teaching experience, but my Spanish has gotten worse. I spend a lot of time at home preparing for my classes, then I speak English the rest of the day at school, and I have no time to take class or study on my own on a regular basis. I try to practice as much as I can, but most people don't really want to deal with my bad Spanish or they prefer to speak English so they can practice.

[bhog]

Hey everyone, thanks for the advice. Where do you think would be best in terms of the whole make money, teach English, learn Spanish, and meet that bedroom tutor combo? BTW, I've got a BA, and a TEFL cert.
Oh, and KCMO is Kansas City, Missouri.