Job Discussion Forums

Gort · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 3

Hi,

I'm considering teaching English in Latin America for a few years. Have been looking through the forum &, as ever, opinions seem to be varied over the good & bad points of each country.

So my questions is simply - where should i live?

I'm single, early 40's & am not a teacher by profession. I have taught before in Vietnam for a short while & have a UK TEFL. I'm looking for a city with:

1. A laid back, relaxed atmosphere. Ideally a "party" town.
2. A friendly expat community.
3. Friendly locals who are interested in & like foreigners.

Cost of living & salary are not a consideration & I intend to take a crash course in Spanish. I know the above qualities can be found in some Asian cities, but i'm not sure about Latin America.

I appreciate that this is not an easy/simple question to answer, but I would be grateful for any guidance.

Thanks
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naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

YOu'll have to figure out visa issues as well. Some countries, like Ecuador and Peru are hard to get working visas, many people border hop. Others, like Mexico, are easier.

For party towns, I'd avoid big cities, just because there's such a mix. Party towns are usually uni towns.

For Peru, there's a nice expat community, but I wouldn't say that the locals are friendly.

How are cost of living and salary not a consideration?!

I'd probably recommend Argentina or Mexico. My two centimos.

Gort · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks Nature Girl,

I had a feeling you would be the first to reply - you are very proactive on this site!

In answer to your question, i have property in London which will give me an income of US$4,000/mth in addition to anything i earn from teaching, so as long as i'm not too extravagant i should be able to get by.

Thanks for your thoughts. I just need to find a good University town!

G

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

You'd be doing much better than just getting by on US$4000/month in Mexico. Heck, you wouldn't even have to bother with teaching.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

4,000 USD a month in Mexico? Holy crap...yeah you could go far on that. Isn't that about what the President earns here?

ghostdog · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:58 pm Post subject:

For friendly locals who like foreigners: definitely Brazil.

And with that kind of income, why are you thinking about teaching at all, unless you're desperate for something to do? In which case, stick to privates. Or take up a hobby.

Gort · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 3

Hi Ghostdog,

Thanks for your feedback.

Do you have any suggestions for which city in Brazil. I've been to Rio a few times & it's good fun, but a bit impersonal for me.

In answer to your question, i want to teach because i don't want to sit around all day vegetating. I need to keep my mind & body active. Don't want to slip into a sedentary lifestyle, which is easy to do.

Hope that makes sense.

G

ghostdog · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't be the best one to ask. Unfortunately, my travels in Brazil have not been as extensive as I would have liked. Keep in mind that Brazil is huge, and there are any number of medium-sized cities which would be a lot more livable than either Rio or Sao Paulo and where the relative novelty of a semi-permanent gringo would utterly fascinate the locals.

As the risk of being obvious, try posting this question in the Brazil forum. Then again, on the kind of income you're talking about, you've certainly got the means to see a few places and find one which suits.

(And at the risk of being completely obvious, you won't need the Spanish lessons for Brazil, so you might wish to hold off until you decide where you're ultimately going to end up.)

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Yep, I try to help. Even though I don't really LIKE living in Peru, I do know a lot about it. 4K? forget teaching, just comea nd relax you could live like a king here.

MELEE · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:16 am Post subject:

Yeah, you could spend your days in painting classes, salsa dancing classes, take up photography. Write. Learn Mexican cooking prehaps. Volunteer at a wide variety of organizations. Lots of ways to keep from being sedetary. I'd almost feel insulted if you worked on top of you 4,000 a month income.

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

john_n_carolina · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina

early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy (not ESL), and wise

B. Franklin