Job Discussion Forums

[monstamunch]

Hi,
Firstly, sorry if I�m repeating questions asked by other people (which I�m sure is a regular occurrence), I�ve looked through previous posts but still have a few questions.

I�m a 22 year old university graduate from the UK, currently looking into teaching English abroad- in particular South America as I�m keen to learn Spanish and experience the continent as well as teaching.

My main question is regarding whether to take a TEFL course that �guarantees� a job against one that only offers certification. I think a CELTA/Trinity TESOL would be best for me as I have the time to do one and would feel more confident with the extra learning time.

The impression I get is that most courses that offer a guaranteed job often in fact only guarantee an interview and may give you no choice on location. Is this generally the case, and would it be better to get qualified in the UK, travel over with some cash and immediately start looking for work? With a CELTA, could I be reasonably confident of finding work within a couple of weeks if I work hard at it?

My second question relates to academic years, I would probably be travelling out towards the end of August. From online research (not as easy as I thought), I�ve ascertained that the academic years of the four countries I�ve been looking at teaching in are as follows:

Uruguay- March-Dec
Chile- March- Dec
Mexico- August-May
Argentina- September-April

Firstly, are these accurate? It seems like I�d land in the middle of the academic year, if not is it easy to find work �out of season�?
Do you have any opinion about which country would be the �best� to teach in, or any others such as Peru I�ve not looked into?

Obviously there are a huge number of factors to consider, but I�m flexible and not worried about earning lots, I�ll be happy to live reasonably according to local standards and hopefully save up a little bit. I�m more interested in meeting interesting people and seeing amazing things! I�ve heard Chilean Spanish makes it difficult to learn the language there which is a factor.

Finally (phew!), I�ve got a � sleeve tattoo (i.e. from shoulder down to the middle of my forearm) - would this be a problem at all in S. America? It�s easy to cover up by wearing a long sleeve shirt/t shirt.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[naturegirl321]

Guarantee may just mean that they will find you job offeres. it's up to you to pass the interview. They really can't guarantee you a job.

Where you study is up to you, there are pros and cons of studying in country and out.

I'm pretty sure the academic years are ok, just remember that institutes hire year round.

For Peru info, PM me.

YOur tattoo won't be as big as an issue in asia, but you should still cover it.

[monstamunch]

Thanks for the reply and PM naturegirl, does anyone else have any thoughts?

[Salverston]

Partly it depends on what type of job you want. The school years you posted are generally correct as far as international schools go - in other words basic primary school, secondary school and universities. There are differences. For example I teach at an Ecuadorian school that is on an April-January schedule. However, my wife teaches at a US accredited school that follows the August-May schedule typical of the States.

That said, many schools like these offer contracts for foreign hires starting in August/September even if it doesn't quite jibe with their actual school year, because they realize they can have a greater choice if they are hiring in step with North America and Europe. Now, of course, these are normally positions that require either a recognized teacher credential/certification, or in a few cases teaching experience.

The other side are language schools, and they are a different animal. Most hire year around, and in fact are often the busiest during the vacation period, since many do summer programs and the like. Of course, these jobs in language institutes tend to be lower paying than academic institutions.

Check out the stickies in the General Latin American Forum. there is a couple of good postings with teaching job links.

Good luck.