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Daddyo
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
Posts: 89
Location: Bogota, Colombia
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 Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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.[/quote]
- teaching English? I would only do it if I had a few grand back up to get the hell out of there once the novelty (quickly) wore off.[/quote]
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Fair enough. But isn't it the same with any teaching gig? I just spent four months teaching in Chile and enjoyed it immensely, but I too was glad to get the hell out when the time came. I'd say two years spent in Argentina is pretty good as overseas assignments go. I spent six teaching in Costa Rica, which is about as bad as it gets money wise ... but if I could do it over again I would.
I take your point though; given a choice between BA and Santiago I chose the latter, partly because I thought BA would be a preferred destination for ESL teachers, with more competition, and I still believe that to be true, at least in part. And now I'm in Colombia for the same reason, but also because I like to be able to walk through a gentrified neighbourhood without spotting a Starbucks or a Burger King and I can do that here. Likewise, the competition is less fierce.
But ya know, maybe this girl has a big bankroll and just wants a few fun months ...
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wiganer
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Daddyo wrote: |
Fair enough. But isn't it the same with any teaching gig? I just spent four months teaching in Chile and enjoyed it immensely, but I too was glad to get the hell out when the time came. I'd say two years spent in Argentina is pretty good as overseas assignments go. I spent six teaching in Costa Rica, which is about as bad as it gets money wise ... but if I could do it over again I would.
I take your point though; given a choice between BA and Santiago I chose the latter, partly because I thought BA would be a preferred destination for ESL teachers, with more competition, and I still believe that to be true, at least in part. And now I'm in Colombia for the same reason, but also because I like to be able to walk through a gentrified neighbourhood without spotting a Starbucks or a Burger King and I can do that here. Likewise, the competition is less fierce.
But ya know, maybe this girl has a big bankroll and just wants a few fun months ...
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I think with Kristen and how she comes across, teaching English is a minor part of her enjoying expat life. Fine - if she has a wad to bankroll her stay, Buenos Aires will be a fantastic experience. If she is relying on her wages to live there then life gets a bit crap. It looks as if she has no experience whatsoever but assumes that she will turn up in class one day and its a done deal. That teaching is something she can do to fund her adventures.
Good luck to her and all that, but I always found the teaching bit took a bit of time to get the hang of, and she is up against people who have had years teaching English. Bs As is saturated with English teachers but if she is young, blonde and female - she'll do allright in finding work... If only I was younger blonder and female.. ish!  |
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Daddyo
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
Posts: 89
Location: Bogota, Colombia
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 3:27 pm Post subject: Blonde- ish |
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k... If only I was younger blonder and female.. ish! [/quote]
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Amen to that!
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kvick28
Joined: 30 Aug 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Haha - sorry to burst your bubble, boys, but I'm young, female, and BRUNETTE! 
Definitely don't have a bank wad to rock with, but have enough saved up to get me by. And I'm not worried about the whole experience thing - I have a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a solid grasp of the English language, as well a love for learning and meeting new people. I think I'd be fine. It's more about me just having a good time in another country with the teaching as a monetary back-up.
Yet, with all that said, I'm still taking your advice seriously. I started out with my heart set on Spain, then South America, and now I guess my only option is Asia. My colleague taught in Japan for two years through the JET Program, which seems to be the only secure way to find a legal job and make decent money. It sucks that I won't be able to use my conversational Spanish skills, but a girl's-gotta-do-what-a-girl's-gotta-do. Guess I'll head over to that forum now...
Thank you all for the advice!
- Kristen |
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spanglish
Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 742
Location: working on that
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| Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| You could have a go at it in Uruguay, Chile or Colombia. |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| Daddyo wrote: |
| kvick28 wrote: |
| Ok, I'll definitely check out those other cities. Good advice. Thank you so much for sharing!! |
I'd recommend Costa Rica except remuneration isn't great and it tends to suck the ambition out of you like most of central america. I went there for two weeks with a quarter million dollars, stayed nine years, and ended up broke. Odd though that I wouldn't do it any differently if I could. Santiago is nice, just spent four months working there and made oodles of money. Montevideo from what I've been told has a kind of sad, post prosperity air to it, as though the whole place needs a good cheering up. Haven't been there though so I don't know. I'd go to Buenos Aires. Hell yeah ... |
I just have to ask: Where did you get the quarter-million? What did you do during the nine years to spend it? |
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Daddyo
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
Posts: 89
Location: Bogota, Colombia
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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I just have to ask: Where did you get the quarter-million? What did you do during the nine years to spend it?[/quote]
Google search "the brothers - costa rica" |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:08 am Post subject: |
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You lost money in an investment scam?
But how did you get a quarter-mil to begin with? Stocks? |
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MNguy
Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:51 am Post subject: |
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| kvick28 wrote: |
My colleague taught in Japan for two years through the JET Program, which seems to be the only secure way to find a legal job and make decent money. It sucks that I won't be able to use my conversational Spanish skills, but a girl's-gotta-do-what-a-girl's-gotta-do. Guess I'll head over to that forum now...
Thank you all for the advice!
- Kristen |
What? Maybe you should just stick to your awesome advertising job if the posts here dissuaded you.
It's going to be a crapshoot in Asia as well. |
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Leroyal
Joined: 04 May 2010
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 2:09 am Post subject: Legal |
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| The ONLY school here that helps you to get legal as far as I know is International House AKA IH and to work there you need a Celta and 5 years experience. Everyone else pays you cash in hand and is about as secure and trustworthy as a lawyer chasing an ambulance. Even big companies get teachers from institutes that are all under the table, I've worked for a few. If you wanna teach legal and make more than the basics I recommend China. BA is great for a few months but the then the grind starts to wear you down a bit. Any q's just lemme know |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:47 am Post subject: Re: U.S. Girl Struggling to Get Started in BA |
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| kvick28 wrote: |
| Originally I wanted to teach in Spain, but everyone on this forum hammered me so hard about what a bad idea that was, so now I'm thinking Buenos Aires. |
You can still work in Spain legally, here are just a couple options.
the Ministry of Education has a Language & Culture Assistant Programme for American, Australian, Austrian, Belgian, British, Canadian, Chinese, Dutch, German, Italian, Irish, Luxembourgian, New Zealander, or Portuguese who have a college degree. The programme last for 8 months from October to May. You can apply between November to March. Fulbright also has teaching assistantships.
Franklin Institute's Master in Bilingual and Multicultural Education that allows you to teach in schools and earn a masters degree in the process.
If you're willing to pay for a visa, there are a couple options available to you. CIEE has a Language and Culture Assistantship Programme in Andulucia. There is a placement fee though. English Unlimited and Best Programs has been known to help with visas and finding internships. |
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robertokun
Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 199
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:07 am Post subject: |
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^^
Bingo! This is the best advice you could possibly receive. If I were in your position, I would have applied to the program yesterday. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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| robertokun wrote: |
^^
Bingo! This is the best advice you could possibly receive. If I were in your position, I would have applied to the program yesterday. |
Well thank you! |
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jovencito
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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As a non-EU living and working in Spain, here's some useful information for everyone saying that it's impossible to work in Spain, legally or not.
First, when I came to Spain things were (from a work perspective) the same as they are now. People with no work papers still get decent paying jobs. If you want to come and stay and work in Spain legally, you can do it quite easily by going through a TEFL program that offers a student visa. The student visa allows you to work legally up to 20 hours a week. This is usually enough to live on and you can always teach private classes if you want to earn a bit more. The student visa allows you to live in Spain, in most cases up to one year and it is renewable. As I said, there are TEFL programs in Spain that will help you get a student visa.
There's also an odd law in Spain that allows you to apply for residency if you can prove that you've been in Spain for 3 years legally or illegally. You need to get "empadronado", something that you arrange after you get to Spain.
I know two people that recently (6 weeks ago) came to Spain with the student visa, took their TEFL course and are now working earning 18 Euros an hour. Much more than you'll get working for a local government program.
Google tefl course student visa spain to find programs offering the student visa. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:33 am Post subject: |
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| jovencito, I just PMed you |
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