Job Discussion Forums

Trisha1329 · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Brooklyn, NY

hi there, i'm an ESL teacher at a community college in New York City and I've been teaching ESL for about 4 years. I'm interested in teaching abroad very soon in a Spanish-speaking country, but I don't want to end up at a place that is essentially a business rather than a school, because in my experiences here in NY, language schools care about making money and not so much about the success of the students. Can anyone recommend what I might be able to do...I'm pretty open to the country, as long as it is Spanish-speaking because I want to be able to take Spanish classes while I am there, and generally improve my Spanish by being immersed in it. One of my friends went to Bolivia before and just showed up at some community college type of place and was hired...I am not so brave as to just show up in a country without having an idea of what I will be doing for work...does anyone have any suggestions for how I could find out about teaching opportunities for people who already have several years experience...??

thanks so much in advance for anything anyone can tell me..

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Try these
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=4556

PLACEMENT SERVICES
Innovative English Placement Service. Guy Courchesne
[email protected] (Fee involved)
www.innovative-english.com

TEFL Job Placement
www.tefljobplacement.com (Fee involved)

There are probably country specific ones, like Teach Peru, as well

If you odn't want to pay for placement, try the job boards, Mexico is popular and pretty easy to get a job and visa. Ecuador is nearly impossible for visa reasons

BUt personally, if you want to imporve your Spanish, don't teach English, everyone will be eager to practise their English on you. Enroll in a school.

IN General, very general, places in LAtin America don't return emails or hire from abroad, why? well, simply put, epopel don't show up. Benefits that are offered in other countires, like work visas ahead of time, flights, housing, etc, aren't usually offered here. So people email, say that they'll come and they don't So employers stop answering emails about jobs and wait to see fi you're serious to show up.

If you do, you should have enough hours within a coupel of weeks, just don't expect a work visa, outside of Mexico, I think it's rare.

I konw about Peru, I've PMed you about jobs here, If you have questoins, PM me.

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

Trisha1329 · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Brooklyn, NY

hi naturegirl421, thanks for your reply...i didn't mean that i wanted to learn spanish AT the school i would be teaching in...i meant that i would learn it by taking classes while i was there, outside of my teaching job, but also just from living there in general...

thanks for your helpful advice and links....

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

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

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

I sort of want to disagree with what everyone has said about learning Spanish and teaching English not being compatible.

I'm an English teacher in a Spanish speaking country, and have learned Spanish to a high level while I'm at it.

The same is true of my partner, many of our colleagues, and a lot of other people we know.

It takes discipline and hard work to learn a language while you're employed to teach another. But then, it takes discipline and hard work anyway.

That aside-

If you're contemplating moving to Latin America, be very aware that different countries are very different. What NG says:

keepwalking · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Peru, at last

I'll second what Justin says about learning Spanish. If you want to learn, you will make opportunities to do so. One simple way is to make a deal with the English learners who are eager to practice their English with you- have bi-lingual conversations! They practice English, you practice Spanish. It is also worth getting some classes to give you a basis for how the language works. After 3 years in peru, in a largely English speaking school, I am now comfortable conversing in Spanish (albeit with plenty of errors I am sure!) and read novels, watch movies etc in Spanish. If you put the effort in, you will be rewarded.

paddyroyal · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 24 Location: Mexico

I`d like to put in my two cents worth. I agree with Justin about the visa. I just got mine in Ecuador after two and a half months, and it was not a fun wait. I WAS hired while I was in the US.

As far as learning Spanish, I think it depends on the situation. At my university the staff, which is overwhemingly Ecuadorian, speaks Spanish in the office, and most trainings and meetings are held in that language as well. I find that, except for my advanced students, it`s very hard to get people to speak English.

I also live with an Ecuadorian family in a city where there are few English speakers.

I spent last summer teaching at a Spanish language in Guatemala and again had many many opportunities to speak Spanish since most of the teachers were beginners in English.

I agree that it�s what you make of it and how hard you`re willing to work. Although I could find other gringos to hang out with, I don`t choose to. While it`s hard sometimes, my Spanish is definitely improving, although it doesn�t seem like it sometimes :.