Job Discussion Forums

[jooooooey]

I am planning on going to Latin America to teach sometime in the future and have some questions on how to go about doing it. I am finishing up my bachelors. I have a major in Spanish and a minor in English and am considering going through a TESL program at my school which is 40 credit hours and lots of practice.

I did an internship for 4 months at a bilingual school in Mexico, substituting high school some and I had small classes of elementary students. I really liked the school because it wasn't just EFL, but I also got to do some literature and writing which I like a lot. But I don't know if I would get hired on to that type of school with my experience, Mexico or elsewhere.

What are my options in Latin America with what I have? I'm not concerned about making much money. I know there are a lot of language schools that teach adults or kids just the language. What about public schools? Do you need an education background in college to teach public schools in Latin America? I know university jobs are hard to find without a masters, but they can be found. I don't know how skilled they like you to be for private bilingual schools.

I realize that if I want to work with kids like what I was doing in Mexico, my best bet would be to do a lot more linguistics stuff and maybe a education or liscensure program here in the US, or maybe to get a masters in TESOL. But is there a way to do this kind of thing without going to school another 2 or 3 years? Like, am I trying to over-prepare myself?

Sorry for the long post. I'm really tired of going to school but trying to figure out what to do next, and I have no idea. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[just_a_mirage]

I am working in Guayaquil Ecuador. I currently teach at a high school, a university and an English Institute. At my high school I have taught Literature, Creative Writing, and basic English. Many high schools here teach subjects in English as the students get into the upper high school years. At the university I also teach subjects in English as well as Basic English to those with lower levels of the language. At the English Institute I also teach basic English, but some content-based curriculums as well. I cant speak for everywhere, but in Ecuador you would be able to teach with the qualifications you have, although I would really recommend the TESL program because it would benefit not only you, but your students as well.

[jooooooey]

Thanks for the information. That is helpful. I am assuming that a lot of places in Latin America don't have teaching prerequisites as rigorous as in the U.S., even in public schools? Or maybe it is more due to a need for English teachers. I suppose this would be less so in more industrialized countries such as Chile or Argentina. I think you are right about the TEFL preparation. I was just afraid that if I had to do a teaching preparation program here anyway, then it might be wasted.

Does anyone know anything about other countries in Latin America?

I'm just trying to clear up where to go and what educational background I need before I jump into it. Thanks again.

[naturegirl321]

Language schools are good. PUblic school, nix that. Private schools might be possible. Best ones are through www.tes.co.uk or www.ibo.org

40 hours for a TEFL isn't enough. The norm is 120

If you're intersted in Peru, I could tell you anything and everything you want to know.

[just_a_mirage]

Public schools typically pay nothing. Here in Guayaquil, there are many bilingual schools. High schools typically pay from $500-800, depending on how many hours and classes you have. English Institutes are good, If you find one in good financial shape, with a decent managment, they can be a very stable place to work. The one where I work even offers health insurance with a great plan for about $25 a month. As Naturegirl says it is important to have a good TEFL Cert, with actual classroom practice. Otherwise it wont be taken seriously by employers, and you wont have gotten your money�s worth or the experience that you paid for. As far as prerequisites go, here, you can pretty much work in a high school without a college diploma, although a TEFL cert is helpful. But with a university degree you can work just about anywhere, including some universities.

[jooooooey]

This TEFL program is at my university. It is 40 university hours, which is almost a year of school for a full time student. I'd imagine the practicum is at least 100 hours, plus I've taught already . This is way more than is needed I think, but it's a good program and I get financial aid to pay for it, plus I only need another 20-30 (credit) hours to finish it. I was kind of afraid that it might not even be necessary, but I think it would be good.

I could really teach English in Universities with a bachelors degree in Spanish? wow.

Then the public school system is just bad in Latin America, though it's easy to get hired. Private schools look like the best, if I could get hired onto one. Language institutes seem to be the most accessible.

I would be interested in knowing a little about Peru naturegirl. I think I am just going to go down there and look around to see what is there instead of picking something before I go, though that might not be as smart. Maybe this would be a better question: What countries should I avoid? (Where would I not get to do what I want to do with the background that I have?) Thanks.

[naturegirl321]

[jooooooey]

Yes, it's 10 courses. I've taken some of them through my Spanish degree, so it is a lot less time and effort (and money) than getting a masters. But I would learn a lot more than just doing an intensive course. I was hesitant because of the time it takes to do it. The name of the certificate is just TESL certificate, as far as I can know.

I had heard that in Argentina it was hard to get by (e.g. pay the bills) unless you are good, but maybe that was just Buenos Aires. I heard visas were hard to come by in Brazil. I heard Mexico was good but I don't know what sort of schools would hire me there. This is just from reading other posts.

Thanks for the info.