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A few Questions
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Klemintyne



Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Location: In the land of the Hurricaines

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 5:24 am    Post subject: A few Questions Reply with quote

I'm very interested in working in Brazil. I'm a 22y/o AA male and, I've just completed my B.A. (International Studies/ French Minor) this past May. I studied Portuguese for 2.5 years while in college. I'm very unsure as to how I should go about pursuing this. I have no teaching experience, although I have done some informal tutoring. In looking over the application for IICA I don't meet the requirements of teaching experience. I was also looking over the sites for Bridge Linguatec and the Global education corporation. Does anyone have any info on them. From what I gather form Bridge Lingua's site is that everyone has worked in Chile! What would be the best course of action in my case? Would getting a TEFL certificate,and working someplace else first work as a good option for getting into IICA? Or should I forget IICA completely and go with another group ,or Shocked on my own?
Advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Tiger Beer



Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I worked at Linguatec in Sao Paulo. Its a great place to get some teaching experience for yourself, plus the teaching is quite easy. Basically you play DVDs, and they have to try to listen to and repeat what they heard while you constantly press the pause, play, and rewind buttons.

Definetely has its own style of teaching, and for this style, you don't need to be a real whiz even at teaching itself.

As for downsides of Linguatec, often you end up communiting all over the cities to different business sites to teach your lesson. So it consumes the day more without actually working during those transportation time loss.

I'd go for IICA if you could.. sometimes they list requirements, but if they need someone, then they need someone, and you might be able to get around it.

If not, Linguatec was reputable and the teaching was easy, as long as you know how to work a remote control Wink
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PKB



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 88
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the language school information. Information is rare around here. Did you apply to Linguatec while you were in Brazil or prior to arrival? Were you hired informally (cash under the table, no work visa) or formally. How was the pay? Enough to make ends meet?
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Tiger Beer



Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 5:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PKB wrote:
Thanks for the language school information. Information is rare around here. Did you apply to Linguatec while you were in Brazil or prior to arrival? Were you hired informally (cash under the table, no work visa) or formally. How was the pay? Enough to make ends meet?


Actually, I was looking for teaching jobs in Santiago Chile.. and wasn't have much luck with finding anything of any value.. but met a guy who'd just come from Sao Paulo and had worked for Linguatec. So, in short, he became a reference for me, and with a lot of news from a lot of other travellers who confirmed Brazil might be more what I was looking for.. I left and went there.

When I arrived in Sao Paulo.. I went to the school.. they interviewed me.. and I was working the next day.

As for payments.. I didn't have any work visa.. all under the table.. and no, it wasn't very dependable. The hours worked changed often from week to week. So a steady income wasn't really there.

In retrospect, I was there more for the experience of it at the time. If I were to go back, I'd look for something from abroad with a work visa attached (although those are nearly impossible to find).

On the other hand.. in Sao Paulo.. there were quite a few teaching opportunities around when I looked at the newspapers. I fell under a trap of being a bit lazy with pursuing something better.. and just accepted the status quo of my fate at that time.
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PKB



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 88
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the information. I will probably be in Brazil later this year just to visit and I'll feel things out while I'm there. I was planning on taking a TEFL certification course in Thailand early next year. I'm on the look for a decent fit and somewhere where I can make ends meet and hopefully have enough pocket money to actually get out and do stuff.
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hanoialbinoi



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hey there. i'm in S�o Paulo now and I would tell you to go to www.uplanguage.com.br and take a look at what they offer in terms of CELTA. CELTA is not completely necessary but it's professional, like wearing a suit to work. You don't have to....but you'll have more opportunities if you do.

I can tell you off the bat that the CELTA is excellent here (I just came off the 1 month intensive) and cheap ($850 US) *for notes --> the Reais was at $2.44 on the US dollar yesterday. There is loads of work to be had in S�o Paulo too that pays around $12 US an hour. You can charge $25-$30 US for private lessons too if you are smart.

The life Brazilian, especially in S�o Paulo is very attractive. You work hard and play hard here and then take off and explore the rest of the country. (At least that's my plan.... Cool )

**And as for the VISA....get your six month tourist, come here and work, then take a trip to somewhere else in South America (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay) and return to Brazil with a new VISA. You only can get in trouble if you stay illegally after 6 months - why would you when you can just do a short trip to a new country for the same price as paying a back hander?

Good luck to you and PM me with any questions.
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AcidBurn



Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hanoialbinoi wrote:
I can tell you off the bat that the CELTA is excellent here (I just came off the 1 month intensive) and cheap ($850 US) *for notes --> the Reais was at $2.44 on the US dollar yesterday. There is loads of work to be had in S�o Paulo too that pays around $12 US an hour. You can charge $25-$30 US for private lessons too if you are smart.


You sure about that? $12 an hour is GOOD money in Brazil! A lot of professionals like doctors and lawyers don�t even make that. Even dentists make $R1000 ($409) a month! Heck, that�s more money that I made when I lived in Canada working a �professional� administrative job. I have a hard time believing this, especially when ESL jobs in Brazil are notorious for lousy pay. $R12 ($4.91) and hour seems more realistic. And $25-$30 ($R61-$R73) an hour is insane! Who the hell in Brazil would pay that?

hanoialbinoi wrote:
**And as for the VISA....get your six month tourist, come here and work, then take a trip to somewhere else in South America (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay) and return to Brazil with a new VISA. You only can get in trouble if you stay illegally after 6 months - why would you when you can just do a short trip to a new country for the same price as paying a back hander?


Don�t forget that the visa lasts three months and you have to renew it for another three months (piece of cake) with the Federal Police.

Also, I don�t think that trick works anymore. I heard the Federal Police is really cracking down on visa offenders because other countries are deporting Brazilian illegals like mad (Brazilians are really big on reciprocity). At your point of exit, you will have to pay a fine based on how long you overstayed your visa and they might not let you back in the country again for a year after you leave. The third country entry trick that works in the past is really being checked on.

If you really want to extend your stay, marry a local girl. Brazilian permanent residence is fairly easy to get this way.
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hanoialbinoi



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Acidburn,

To answers all of your questions in one lump sum. I am working in S�o Paulo currently at a few schools and $26-$28 Reais is the range that all of them pay me. I charge $60 Reais for private lessons and $50R if we have the lesson in my neighborhood or at my apartment.

Who the hell would pay what? I am in S�O PAULO friend, these are business professionals. S�o Paulo is full of very wealthy people and a CELTA certified native speaker has proven to be a very nice gig. Any time I mention that I am an English teacher, people say: "oooh, I think you better pick up the tab." It is as lucrative as you are native or talented.

The third country bit works fine too. Acidburn, are you answering my post from current experience or speculative terms?

At any rate, Klemyntine - I hope you find this useful as it is current and S�o Paulo specific. Remember each city is different in Brazil and S�o Paulo carries the country.

Best of luck!
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, but isn't the tourist visa good for 5 years of multiple entries?
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AcidBurn



Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fragganika wrote:
Hey, but isn't the tourist visa good for 5 years of multiple entries?


Yeah, but for a total of three (or six, after extention) months throughout the year. So six months max for each of the five years.

hanoialbinoi: I'll reply to you after work.
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AcidBurn



Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hanoialbinoi wrote:
Acidburn,

To answers all of your questions in one lump sum. I am working in S�o Paulo currently at a few schools and $26-$28 Reais is the range that all of them pay me. I charge $60 Reais for private lessons and $50R if we have the lesson in my neighborhood or at my apartment.

Who the hell would pay what? I am in S�O PAULO friend, these are business professionals. S�o Paulo is full of very wealthy people and a CELTA certified native speaker has proven to be a very nice gig. Any time I mention that I am an English teacher, people say: "oooh, I think you better pick up the tab." It is as lucrative as you are native or talented.

The third country bit works fine too. Acidburn, are you answering my post from current experience or speculative terms?

At any rate, Klemyntine - I hope you find this useful as it is current and S�o Paulo specific. Remember each city is different in Brazil and S�o Paulo carries the country.

Best of luck!


I�ve been to Sao Paulo several times. Hell, I almost moved there earlier this year. I might go back in November permanently, but it depends on a host of factors.

I know Sao Paulo is the economic center of Brazil with loads of wealthy businessmen. But are they really going to spend $30 an hour for English tutorials? I never heard of that. One of my friends there is what you�d consider a �wealthy businessman�. He actually gets private tutoring from this guy from California. He told me he pays the guy about $R30 an hour, which is about $12. I can see people making that much from private tutorials, but twice that?

My friend said he could land me a gig teaching English to corporate executives, paying about $R2400 a month. That�s decent for Brazil. But he said I probably couldn�t make more doing that kind of work.

Have things really changed so much in Brazil since I was there about a year ago?

As for the visa thing, it�s been discussed several times on this forum that that trick doesn�t work anymore. Do I have personal knowledge of it? No, because I never overstayed, nor did I plan to, so it wasn�t an issue for me. I also don�t personally know of anyone that attempted to do this either since none of gringos attempted to overstay, and if they did, it�s because they got married and were allowed to stay legally. What I do know is that I have read in this forum as well as in news reports that the Federal Police (when they�re not on strike) is cracking down on people who overstay their visas. I am curious to know where you heard that the third country thing is still legit.
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nomadamericana



Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Posts: 146
Location: Minneapolis, MN

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My friend from the US is in Sao Paulo right now... below are some excerts from his email to me about teaching English that I received today....


"Oi, well everything is going well, I have been down here a month as of
Saturday. I can�t really complain about things, I have a job at a school and I am doing private lessons also, and next week we are moving in to our own apartment that is near Avenida Paulista (equivilent to nyc�s madison ave.) [He is living/went there to be with a rather serious girlfriend of two or three years]
In terms of work, the school I am at is pretty good, organized
disorganization or maybe the otherway around but it is laid back.
I am making about R$1000 a monty at the school for 6 hours a day mon -sat which is about the middle of the road in terms of salary. I am doing
some other lessons for executives through a private school, you have to
travel to them, but they pay about 22 an hour and then some private lessons on my own which you can charge anywhere from 30-75 depending on your students and your credentials. I 40-50 right now but I also have a TOEFL certification. I wouldn�t reccomend getting one though bc I am not teaching the classes most people here just want to learn how to talk and some grammar.
In Sao Paulo it wouldn�t be difficult to get a job there are over 500
language schools and I know that you could come down here and not have to worry about getting a job. The school I am at has 3 locations in Sao Paulo and 40 all over the country, I could find out if they need someone at one of the locations in SP!?! In Rio I know that it would be fairly easy to get a job but its very dangerous there, and in the north you can get a job therebut its better to get a job ahead of time. The only problem with Sao Paulo and or Rio is that the cost of living is
equal to that of NYC or Boston. A single apartment would take the majority of your salary so you would most likely have to do some form or private classes. Both also will take a while to get used to, SP now has over 40 million habitants and is quite intemidating at first but I have come to get used to everything in a little under a month.
I would say you should come down here and work if there is nothing keeping you in the US. Alright I have to go teach a class but let me know any other questions and about your plans more in detail when you know.
Beijos,
J"


It sounds pretty good... not as high of wages as the other poster stated but my friend wasn't that far off. I hope this gives some of you out there an idea of the situation down there right now.
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rookieoftheyear



Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 1:47 am    Post subject: Go on your own Reply with quote

i've been teaching here in brazil for the past 7 months, and if i could do it again i'd arrive and find a job when i got here. I've travelled all over brazil on my vacations, from manaus, to belem, sao luiz, jeri, fortaleza, sao paulo, rio, parana, and here in minas. While on vacation i checked out other schools and they always offered me a job right away. Just arrive a couple weeks before one of the two semesters (in mid-december or mid-july). good luck. cheers.

ps. my advice, work in paradise, look around the north or north east.
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Klemintyne



Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Location: In the land of the Hurricaines

PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You've been teaching there for 7 months? How did you get a visa to cover this amount of time ?
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rookieoftheyear



Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:15 pm    Post subject: none Reply with quote

if i told you i`d have to kill you.
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