Job Discussion Forums

[spanglish]

I respectfully disagree with most of what hughesie has to say. My opinions are based on 1 year living in Colombia and 6 months teaching in Bogota.

American vs. British accent: the truth is, nearly all students I have talked to prefer the British to the American accent. Sure, American English is more practical, but students like how the British accent sounds and tend to regard British English as the purer version. I have never heard of a lesser qualified American getting a job instead of a Brit just because of their nationality, not saying I can't imagine it happening, just that it makes no sense in my context.

On the contrary, being British will probably be an advantage to you down the road. The British Council is the best employer for English teacher in Colombia (and I'm sure any B.C. position would be very coveted in any part of Latin America). Nearly all their teachers are British.

I really wish that what hughesie says were true (as I am American). If it is, he's more than welcome to point out to me the countries/cities that prefer Americans.

Getting a degree: I know a lot of English teachers down here. Having a degree makes from little to know difference in whether you can get a job. An undergrad won't do much for you here in Colombia. A masters in TESOL (plus experience) on the other hand would put you in line for the best jobs.

Language mills: Having a degree is definitely not going to help you avoid working in language mills. The way to get good jobs in Latin America is to network (just like anywhere, only more so) and to have old fashioned experience and higher qualifications. For Colombia, the DELTA would be your best choice - very recognized and can get you into some of the better jobs, including the British Council and good university work.

"...some big, horrible dangerous city like Bogota, Lima or Mexico City" This doesn't sound like it's based on experience. Quite a blanket statement. I personally am not a big fan of Bogota, but it certainly has many appeals and I have many, many foreigner friends who genuinely like living here. The truth of the situation in Latin America is that you will probably have to teach in 'some big, horrible dangerous city' because that's where there's people and money.

Saving money: definitely a good idea. In fact, I recommend you just save your money, then come here and travel for a while. Teaching English is cool, but it can be a drag when there's so much cool stuff to see in Latin America. And you won't be able to save much money teaching. But, it is possible to make a career out of it in this region of the world. And if you do want to work in education long term, then yes, go ahead and get your degree. Just don't count on it doing anything for you in the short term.

Bad idea to try to find bar work or pretty much anything other than teaching for your girlfriend. Might as well save your money in England.

[hughesie]

[Atlan Training]

Hi danielbrew

I am the teacher training director at Southern Cross, the only CELTA centre in Ecuador. Southern Cross is widely acknowledged to be the best language training centre in the country. We only employ British CELTA qualified teachers. In fact, this is our chief marketing appeal. Students are busting the walls down trying to get into our classes. We've just got a huge contract with the Ministry of Education for which we're struggling to find enough teachers. So what Spanglish says about British English being regarded as superior is absolutely true in Ecuador. I don't imagine you'll have difficulty finding work here, though it's true that not having a degree will affect your employability.

I agree with hughsie that a very good option is to save your money before coming to Latin America. The days of showing up without money and backpacking around, picking up some casual employment here and there, are long gone. It's cheap here compared to the UK, but you need to make $1000 a month to live well as a foreigner.

The best option for your girlfriend is to learn Spanish, and why not get a CELTA while she's at it? You can do the CELTA in Ecuador, living in an ecoresort on the beach for only $2000 including accommodation and three meals a day!

Don't be discouraged, but do be prepared.

[naturegirl321]

I'm Peruvian as well, by marriage. And let me just say this about Lima. After living in countless cities and seven countries, LIma by far is the worst.

[just_a_mirage]

I need to respectfully disagree with Atlan about British English being preferred in Ecuador. I�ve taught in Guayaquil for several years, and it has been my experience that the students here (and I teach all levels from children to adults, and business executives) prefer American/Canadian English. Far more Ecuadorians visit the United States and Canada than visit the UK. Business executives here have far more business relationships in the U.S. and Canada than they do with the U.K. And many more tourists come here from North America than they do from the UK. I am actually a dual citizen U.S./UK, my mother is American and my father is British so I think I am being objective. I also do not have a CELTA. (I would like one, but cant get the time off work to take it.) But I do fairly well here. I work a lot of hours, but make over $1000 a month, and while I am not living the luxurious life, I am comfortable and am able to save a bit.