Job Discussion Forums

[KyleK]

What are the job options for someone with a US teaching certification for working in Latin America, and particularly Ecuador.

Just a Mirage recommended Colegio Americano and Inter-American Academy, both in Guayaquil Ecuador. Does anyone have any other recommendations on schools and how to go about applying? She recommended, unlike an ESL job, to have a job lined up before arrival instead of searching once we get to Ecuador.

Also, if one were to go into ESL instruction in Ecuador, would going through a 120 hour SIT TESOL course be really necessary, or just icing on the cake?

Many thanks

-Kyle

[naturegirl321]

Do you want to teach subjects or English? With a teaching cert you could get a good job at an intl school. TEFL and intl schools are very different. You could teach EFL in Ecuador, at an institute. If you want to teach ESL (at an intl school) you'd need a teaching cert.

A TEFL cert would help you with the former.

[just_a_mirage]

With an EFL cert you could also teach at one of hundreds of Bilingual high schools in Ecuador, some of which are excellent. The biggest issue is tthe visa.

[KyleK]

Thanks for the replies you two,

Sharon, would you recommend first contacting the international schools directly and looking through the agencies as well?

My fiancee is the one with the teaching certification as well as a Spanish Education degree. Can she teach ESL at an international school w/o the TEFL certification? I'd be the one with the TEFL certification as I have no teaching certification from here in the US. From our understanding, an international school pays much better compared to just a language school.

It would be nice to save us 1500 dollars if she could still get a great paying job at an international school without having to go through a 120 hour 30 day course.

@ Dana, is anything but the EFL cert required to be an instructor at a bilingual high school? That's a colegio, correct?

Thanks

[naturegirl321]

I'd recommend applying via TES, where job adverts are posted and contacting via IBO. If that doesn't work out, go to an intl school job fair.

If your fiancee wants to teach ESL, she'd need a cert in ESL. Though at intl schools most kids speak English very well. The TEFL cert will NOT help. TEFL cert are for those who want to teach an institutes NOT intl schools. The problem is that ESL and Spanish aren't needed that much. Things like science and math or primary ed would be a much better bet in getting a job.

[just_a_mirage]

As far as EFL certs go, you can use them to teach in high schools which is stable work here, and includes many paid holidays. For example I get six weeks off paid in February, two weeks in August,and two weeks for the end of the year holidays.
I have a TEFL cert, and an Advanced TEFL cert (126 hours for each one), and a degree in Arts and Media. I teach subjects in my bilingual high school. I have taught LIterature, Environmental Science, Writing, and History.
The biggest problem, again, is the visa. If your girlfriend is hired by an International School, she will recieve a visa, but you will not, unless you are married.
For you, you can get the 12-IX extended tourist visa, which will allow you to work legally for six months. After that you must change to another....student visa, volunteer visa, work visa( which are very difficult to get as they involve a lot of paperwork, and expense for the school), or a cultural exchange visa.
Some international schools will pay in the area of $2000 a month and a housing allowance. As Naturegirl said, job fairs are a good play to get hired...also try contacting the schools directly.