Job Discussion Forums

cjbetterman · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 18

Can anyone tell me if it's worth it to move to Guanacasta / Tamarindo to teach? I work in SJ now and I wanted to know if anyone has experienced living around Tamarindo.

John Hall · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:36 pm Post subject:

Ahh! Everyone's dream! Teach at the beach! Surf in the morning, teach in the afternoon, and hang out at the bars at night.

Sorry, but there are numerous difficulties involved in teaching at the beach. One is the lack of English language schools. Two is the high cost of rent and everything else. You won't be able to make money doing it. And three is the unreliablility of private students. I have heard stories of travellers getting a discount on their hotel room in exchange for teaching some English classes to employees. So it may be possible to spend less while teaching at the beaches, but you certainly won't be making any money to further your travels. And if you do get private students, I have heard that it is hard to get them to come to classes on a regular basis. Also, I would expect at least half to either lose interest or the money for the classes once they have started with you.

If anyone has heard different, please let us know!

cjbetterman · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 18

Well, for the most part your right. However, I found a job with a company located in San Jose and they have a teaching contract with Hotels there. So, there won�t be those commitment issues. Also, by a stroke of luck I found a place in Tamarindo for $300 per month. It's a single studio apt and it's located at the edge of town away from all the cool bars and stuff but it's only a 5 minute walk to everything.

All the above is still untested. I went there yesterday to check everything out and I'll be moving there this weekend. Write me if you want to know how everything is working out.

lbennett14 · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

Why would anyone want to live in that town. Sure the beaches are awesome, but the bars are cheezy, and the people are annoying. Have fun!

cjbetterman · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 18

I wish everyone could be like you. Then the world would be a perfect place.

John Hall · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:01 am Post subject:

cjbetterman:

Better still, why don't you post here and let us know how it goes?

cjbetterman · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 18

Things are going well. Based on the contract set with the hotel I'll be paid whether the students show or not. I believe this is the key to success in teaching here since demand isn�t so wide spread like SJ.

According to other sources on Dave's esl cafe Tamarindo is notorious for students that do not show or pay. If you were to get set up like me with a business in Tamarindo then it would be a solid situation.

I work 30 hrs/ week Monday through Thursday and all the rest is prep and free time.
This place makes SJ look like a ghetto. It's beautiful here. Unfortunately the demand for English teachers isn't very high compared to SJ. But I imagine the demand will increase since their building hotels and homes all over here. I know employers around here want more English speaking staff since there's such an increase of gringos vacationing here or moving here permanently.

Short and sweet. I got lucky. If you could set something like this up with another company then that's the golden treasure of time spent in CR teaching. Otherwise it's buses for work and buses for the weekend for fun. Sorry if I made that sound upsetting. It's just that I sleep with monkeys nearby and the ocean in view when I travel.

To anyone, feel free to write me if you have any questions. To know it alls and pessimist, please don�t input any comments that�s useless for anyone to view.

Ecrivain · Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Ohio (for now)

Wow, congratulations! That really does sound like the ideal situation: job near the beach, guaranteed payment, and decent housing. Best wishes to you.

lbennett14 · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

Sorry, I didn't claim to be a pessimist, I just don't see why anyone would want to live in Tamarindo. That's not the real Costa Rica. To me it's a place where college frat boys and surfers can trash the beach and fight with locals. I taught in Liberia for five months, and I didn't have to take buses everywhere. There is life outside of San Jose.

LaRoche · Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Illinois, USA

You certainly seem to have scored with the job at the beach, plenty of teaching hours and secure employment. Congrats!

I'll be in Costa Rica for 2 weeks in March. I have contacted 15 schools (most of them in SJ). Of course, like everyone else, I hope to find a teaching job either outside of SJ (Heredia, etc) or in the Guanacaste region.

Can anyone tell me names of schools that I can contact? I have read (on this forum and other sources) that there are several schools in Liberia or Santa Cruz. I can't seem to find any of them. I'm still searching....any suggestions you might have are appreciated.

Thanks!!!