Job Discussion Forums

[gsmith59]

I'm wanting to move to Costa Rica in March or April. I'd like to teach ESL part time, but am not particularly fond of living in or near San Jose. I'd rather live in Manuel Antonio or Dominical or some beach area like that. Are there any opportunities to teach ESL in those sorts of places? Liberia is another possibility. Are there English language schools there?

Another question I have concerns teaching hours. I don't really want to work more than 10 - 15 hours per week. Do some schools hire teachers for that period, or is 20 hours per week usually the minimum?

[OleLarssen]

A minimum of searching should yield the answers you seek.

Basically if you wanna work outside San Jose - it's possible, but you'll have to compromise one way or another. Do you speak Spanish? If you do, it's possible to get a job in a private Tico school. If you don't, well, there are language schools and stuff around but from what I've seen, they're looking for full time workers and not somebody who "plans" their lessons on a surf board. Which "I want to live at the beach and work 15 hours a week" translates to in my mind at least.

If you've the guts, the patience and some Spanish, it should be possible to go to a small town near a beach and set up your private gig, but... hardcore.

:)

[gsmith59]

OleLarssen, it appears you assume I'm a surfer beach bum who plans his lessons on a surf board. Not at all. Actually, I've never surfed in my life. I am TEFL certified. My reason for preferring a 10-15 hour teaching week is I am a writer, and want to finish writing a book. I also want to study Spanish. I know some, but I'm still at a pretty elementary level.

What is "hardcore" about setting up one's private gig near a beach?

[OleLarssen]

I'm talking about your possible employers' points of view, here. Maybe they'll buy that you want to finish a book, but you have to realize they have people coming through all the time looking for a little work to pay their rent so they can do whatever they want.

Hardcore as in difficult - you'll need a lot of patience and, in your case, someone who can speak Spanish for you. You're probably looking at a couple of months minimum before you are even approaching your goal of 15 (stable) hours a week.

On a completely different note, what are you writing? I want to be a writer too, somewhere in the future..

[gsmith59]

[OleLarssen]

Sounds great. Do you have a publisher waiting for you or will you deal with that once you're finished? Have you been published before?

[gsmith59]