Job Discussion Forums

[dan_lawrence]

Thanks!

Dan

[pirateinpanama]

Dan: I`ve never heard of many TEFL courses outside of Panama, City.
In fact, I`ve never heard of any unless it was a special government project.

[John Hall]

I consider Chiriqui province, in which David is located, to be something of an undiscovered gem, in terms of its natural beauty. The two main industries there are agriculture and tourism. None of the times that I visited David did I see any indication of a school that required an English teacher. Then again, I didn't exactly see the whole town.

If you can't line up a job in David but want to be as close as you can to it and still teach English, then maybe you should check out Golfito in Costa Rica. I don't know of any schools there, but with all the tourism going on there, there must be some kind of place where people can take English classes.

[misteradventure]

The national telephone directory (courtesy of Cable & Wireless, Panama SA) has all of the major English training centers in their Yellow Pages. If you are set on David, you really should go knock on doors.

Don't expect a work permit, however. There are plenty of university graduates who could do as good a job and who don't need a work permit. There are kids with Master's degrees teaching in elementary schools, only because the only better paying job available is driving a taxi.

Tuition in areas outside David was going for about $2/week for a class of at least four in a private home. There is no money to be made teaching in the Interior.

There is a new visa law- only 30 days for tourists. It is enforced. Border hopping requires at least 3 days out of the country now. There are checkpoints to enforce immigration laws in Western Panama.

There are plenty of 'native speakers' or the equivalent in Panama. People born in the Canal Zone before 1999 qualify for US Passports and citizenship. Many went and didn't come back for years. With rising costs in the USA, they are returning. The 'Zone' was English-Only. Many people were born in Panama and never learned Spanish. Being a Gringo is nothing special.

Being lied to, cheated and otherwise ripped off, on the other hand, should not be taken as a personal insult. Nor should being ignored or otherwise not listening to what you are saying. This is normal. They do it to each other.

Onthe other hand, the people in David are rather proud of their 'semaforo'.

Tutoring might be a good way to make some friends. If you really want a taste of the Latin American teaching experience before you dive in with both feet, the fellow with the bizzarro ads ever few months in Peru seems like a decent sort.