Job Discussion Forums

beckersteph · Joined: 05 May 2008 Posts: 12 Location: KC, MO USA

Can anyone tell me about their teaching experiences teaching in Belize? Can you live on the coast? I am a new TEFL teacher teaching in Thailand right now and I am considering a move in fall 2009. Any information you could provide regarding cost of living, pay, and personal experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Ha, you do know that the official language of Belize is English! Shocked

Of course maybe there are some jobs teaching immigrants but I am not sure what good a foreign teacher would do them.

There may be some high level work in universities for those who have an M.A. or PhD.

parrothead · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 342 Location: Japan

Belize is the least densely populated country in Central America (around 300,000 people), and a third of those Belizeans live below the poverty line. Like the previous poster mentioned, Belize's official language is English, so you might have better luck finding volunteer work doing general teaching. There are pockets of immigrant groups (German Mennonites, Chinese, Lebanese) especially in the Cayo district, but I reckon it would be a lofty challenge to make a living teaching ESL.
Belize is a beautiful country though, so I don't blame you for trying.

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

Belize has very strict foreign worker laws. You can do voluntary work, period. There are a few NGOs which offer a living stipend for teaching placements, but offhand I can't remember any names.