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[geoff.martin]

Ingles Empresarial

I�ve been to many of the English language institutes in San Jose, Costa Rica; having arrived in the country without a job, I handed out more than twenty resumes and sat through a number of interviews. Now, Costa Rica needs and wants native English speakers, so there are plenty of jobs; the trick is to choose the best one (obviously).

Based on my experiences, I strongly recommend you look into Ingles Empresarial. With Empresarial, like every other business-English company, you teach on-site at various businesses around the city. Their pay is standard (approx. USD $7-7.50/hr), but the benefits are far greater than anywhere else. Ingles Empresarial does an excellent job of training you prior to your first class and easing your entrance into the boardroom/classroom: where other schools print you a map and wish you the best, Empresarial takes you to the business and introduces you to the students. There is a stronger connection between the students and the management than I�ve seen elsewhere just as there is an even stronger support for their English teachers than elsewhere. Most importantly, Empresarial employs a full-time, teacher-support PhD; she is an incredible resource, especially for new ESL teachers (as I was)-- you simply state a grammatical or linguistic problem your students are encountering and within two minutes several fun games, activities, and lesson aides are packed into your bag. This is a huge boost to your confidence and, more importantly, actually aides in your student�s language acquisition; which means that the student is happy, the school is happy, and your job is far easier�which makes you happy!

Ingles Empresarial shares its office building with COSI, a top Spanish language institute in the country; consequently, teachers benefit from all the amenities offered to North American and European short-term Spanish language students. Fresh fruit, bread, coffee, and juice are available throughout the day. A substantial ESL library is readily available, photocopying is unlimited, and there are at least 8 computers available for use. They also offer free Spanish lessons with a COSI teacher.

On top of all this, there is far more of a community �feel� at Empresarial than at the other schools I visited and worked for. The teachers are friends with each other, helped by the school�s monthly lunch-meetings (food and compensation provided) and occasional planned events.

No one goes to Costa Rica to make a lot of money-- it�s impossible (unless you deal in real estate). But Empresarial provides an opportunity to cover your costs, enjoy your job, and, most importantly, have a great time in this gem of a country.