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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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 Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 10:05 am Post subject: Asian in Latin America? |
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| Hey, as an asian i'm wondering how I would be taken if I were to go to Latin America to teach. I'm a native speaker (Canada), about to finish off my degree, so I would probably be qualified. Just wondering if there is any reason why I wouldn't be able to go down there to teach. I don't know any other asians that have been down there, so any feedback would be great! |
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refazenda
Joined: 08 Mar 2004
Posts: 70
Location: El Salvador, Central America
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:00 pm Post subject: As is often the case, it depends! |
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Here is El Salvador you would probably be fine. By the way, there is quite a sizeable Asian community here as it is, with people from China and Korea. There are even two Korean restaurants here, and more Chinese restaurants than I can count.
But your question was would you be able to teach here, and my answer is probably so. if youa re qualified, I am sure you could find a job here. The pay is not great, but the cost of living is very low, so I am sure you could live comfortably here. From what I hear, Guatemala is even less expensive than El Salvador!
If you need more information on Central America, let me know. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 6:28 pm Post subject: On teaching in Lat Am |
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I think the question is less about race and more about qualifications...you didn't mention in which field you will have a degree. Unrelated to teaching English as a Foreign/Second language, and your chances are severaly limited. El Salvador has much trouble attracting teachers, so maybe they would offer a position there. The larger countries, such as Mexico, Brasil, Argentina, and Chile require experience and teaching credentials as they have no difficulty attracting teachers with good pay packages and relatively safe and stable economies.
Guy Courchesne
Employment Advisor
Teachers Latin America
Mexico City |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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I will have a unrelated degree (Economics and Management), but I didn't realize that would matter. I've new to this, so I posted up about myself in the newbie section. I was just curious if each region has issues with race, as i've learned that my chinese ethnicity may make it more difficult to teach in Korea (from the newbie forums). I'm trying to see where would be the best place for me to go next year, so i'm going through a process of elimination right now.
Hey Guy, i've read off these boards for a little while now, and I thought that my degree would be sufficient for most places. Are you saying that it would be difficult or impossible with my Econ Degree to get a job in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile? Thanks for the advice, i'm pretty green at this, so I really do appreciate it  |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:00 am Post subject: Not impossible |
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I understand ethnicity problems in Asia...particularly China and Korea. Latin America is easier going... at least for you since the backlash here is against Latinos teaching English.
It's not impossible to find a teaching job in Mexico, Chile, Brasil, or Argentina without experience or teaching credentials. However, think about what kind of employer hires people who aren't qualified to teach English. Clearly, they don't think enough of their students (clients) to give them a decent teacher. How would they treat staff?
Don't take that as me being cynical. I've just answered this question more than a few times. |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:25 am Post subject: Re: Not impossible |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| Don't take that as me being cynical. I've just answered this question more than a few times. |
No problem, Guy. I'm sure if I keep reading these boards, i'll have a better understanding of these basic things. I get tired of posting up my qualifications/citizenship/background, and i'm a newbie! So, I can definitely understand where you're coming from. After all, it does make sense. I just wonder if it's that big of a tradeoff that I should only go to countries which struggle in attracting good teachers (I would assume those countries might not be as good as other countries with better teachers). Anyways, thanks for the info. I appreciate it.  |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Guy that without TEFL training and/or teaching experience -- a degree in education is usually good, too -- you're putting yourself near the bottom of the hiring list for good (and even some not so good) schools, at least in the city where I teach. Where I am, when it comes to finding jobs teaching English, nationality and race aren't that big of a deal, but qualifications and experience are. Even here in this little corner of the country, which seems to be notorious for low pay for EFL teachers, competition is getting stiffer.
| Canasian wrote: |
| I thought that my degree would be sufficient for most places.... Thanks for the advice, i'm pretty green at this... |
Don't feel too bad about this. Lots of people just getting into the field think the same as you. It would be to your advantage (employers' and students' advantage, too) if you could add a reputable EFL teacher training course to your native-speaker, university-degree-holder status. |
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Canasian
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 39
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| Ben Round de Bloc wrote: |
I agree with Guy that without TEFL training and/or teaching experience -- a degree in education is usually good, too -- you're putting yourself near the bottom of the hiring list for good (and even some not so good) schools, at least in the city where I teach. Where I am, when it comes to finding jobs teaching English, nationality and race aren't that big of a deal, but qualifications and experience are. Even here in this little corner of the country, which seems to be notorious for low pay for EFL teachers, competition is getting stiffer.
| Canasian wrote: |
| I thought that my degree would be sufficient for most places.... Thanks for the advice, i'm pretty green at this... |
Don't feel too bad about this. Lots of people just getting into the field think the same as you. It would be to your advantage (employers' and students' advantage, too) if you could add a reputable EFL teacher training course to your native-speaker, university-degree-holder status. |
Thanks, Ben! The more I post up/read at Dave's, the more I realize what I need to do to make teaching overseas a reality. The only think is, i've looked into some EFL courses and they seem to take place somewhere else. That would mean I would have to take the course in the summer, after school's out - I just hope that doesn't push me back one whole year, since I assume the school year start in September whereever I may go............
Anyways, it seems like a good first step. Until then I guess i'll keep on reading/posting up on these boards to get to know more. Once again, thanks refazenda, guy, and ben for the replies! |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Canasian wrote: |
| The only think is, i've looked into some EFL courses and they seem to take place somewhere else. That would mean I would have to take the course in the summer, after school's out - I just hope that doesn't push me back one whole year, since I assume the school year start in September whereever I may go........... |
If you were considering Latin America, Mexico in particular, there would be a lot to get done in a short time between graduating from university and starting your first job: getting your university degree apostled, taking a TEFL course (if you opt to do that,) putting things in order, finding a job, etc. However, it wouldn't be impossible to do. There are some good short teacher training courses offered in Mexico, and some course providers help their trainees find jobs. Even if the course doesn't include job placement, it would still put you a lot closer to where the jobs are than being there in Calgary.
Also if you're considering Mexico, don't think of it as an entire school year; think in semesters. Most Mexican public and private schools start their terms around September and again around January, and many (most?) of them offer semester contracts rather than full year contracts (meaning you might want to shoot for a job for January to give yourself more time to get everything done without feeling rushed.) The best time to look for a job is for September, and the second best time is for January, but those aren't the only times of the year that hiring happens. In the city where I live, there are some private language schools that start new courses every month, some that run on something similar to a tri-mester schedule, and even some that start new courses whenever there's enough student demand if they can find qualified teachers available to teach them. Additionally, according to several local DOSs that I know, on average about 20% of new teachers bail out during their first month -- main reasons given: can't take the extremely hot climate, can't make the cultural adjustment, or have emergency situations back home -- so, again, there are some job openings at different times of the year.
[Whatever country you decide to try as your first destination, don't think of September starting date as completely universal or as the only time of the year to start a TEFL job. Check with people in that particular country to find out when the prime hiring times of the year are there.] |
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