Job Discussion Forums

[Thomcat]

I am hoping to embark on my ESL adventure in July. I am planning to get certified in the country where I'll teach. I am currently leaning strongly towards going to Mexico for many reasons, many of them practical. Mexico is closer and presumably cheaper to get started up in and easier to travel to and from, which is a concern because I have parents that are getting quite old. Another reason is that I prefer to do everything legally, and while I could be sorely mistaken, Mexico seems like an easier place to do that. I also have some friends and contacts scattered throughout Mexico.

Columbia on the other hand is very appealing to me although I don't know all that much about the country other than the scary stuff in the news and a little bit about the geography. I think part of what attracts me to Columbia is the fact that I am not that familiar with it. Also, going to South America very much appeals to me.

I should mention that one of my main reasons for wanting to teach other than gaining valuable teaching experience, is to improve my Spanish.

While there is plenty of current info on Mexico, there isn't as much on Columbia. What are some of the differences in these markets? Is either one better suited for newbies? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!

[Justin Trullinger]

It's spelled "Colombia" by the way.

I've never taught in Mexico, so will leave that part of your question to the experts.

I've never taught in Colombia either, but live one country to the south of it, and have a lot of friends there, so here goes.

Colombia, by reputation, is extremely bureaucratic about visas and things, so you'll need a fairly good job to wind up legal. I've known people who teach on tourist visas, and while the odds of getting caught are slim, the odds of getting well paid are similar.

That said, I'm told that finding work is fairly easy, as Colombia, due to its reputation, has a hard time attracting foreign ENglish teachers.

That said, it is a BEAUTIFUL country, and seems like it would be a nice place to live. I've heard that BC Bogot� and Colombo-Americano are both decent employers.

Loz?


Best,
Justin

[lozwich]