Teaching English in Latin America: Finding Jobs by Country
English Language Links Visitors
and Residents
By Susan Griffith, Author of Teaching
English Abroad
Resources updated 4/21/2019 by Transitions Abroad
The vast continent of South America
holds an almost infinite range of opportunities for anyone
who aspires to share his or her native English. From the
specialized training for the business communities of Santiago
and Caracas to the informal conversation exchanges with
Mexican fishermen and Peruvian waiters, the English language
provides a key link between visitors and residents.
Apart from a few popular cities,
seldom do you find the glut of teachers you find elsewhere
in the world, possibly because South America is often
pictured as a place of poverty and crime, danger and
corruption, dictators and drug barons. In fact, South
America is home to a staggering variety of charming and
generous people from café-culture urbanites to
street kids, many of whom are eager to meet travelers
and improve their knowledge of the gringos’ native
tongue. The stampede to learn English seems unstoppable.
In the big cities, the greatest
demand for English comes from the business community.
And because of the strong commercial links between the
two American continents, the demand tends to be for American
English. The whole continent is culturally and economically
oriented towards the U.S.
Novice teachers are more likely to
be employed by one of the language school chains like English
First and Wall Street Institutes which at first offer part-time
contracts and relatively low wages. (Note: See all links to job and training sites in the box out below.)
Several South American nations have
American- or British-style bilingual schools and colegios.
Although they normally hire state-accredited teachers, a
number take on students and university graduates looking
for brief periods of work experience as classroom assistants
Voluntary and international exchange
organizations which arrange for fee-paying young people
to do English tutoring include WorldTeach,
with alternating programs in Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador and Guyana.
An increasing number of language schools offer Spanish instruction
to paying foreigners in the mornings and arrange a community
volunteer program in the afternoons, for example, CIS-MAM
in El Salvador.
International
TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT) is
a language training company offering TEFL teacher certification
and job placement assistance programs in Latin America and worldwide, as does LanguageCorps. International
TEFL Academy and CIEE also offer
training and placement assistance for paid jobs in a variety of Latin
American countries.
Even the poorest of Latin American
nations offer possibilities to EFL teachers, provided they
are prepared to accept a low wage. In contrast to an hourly
wage of $10-$30 in Europeanized cities like Santiago and
Rio, the wages paid by language schools in La Paz and Quito
may be closer to $5.
Picking up Casual Work
Many aspiring teachers find that the
response to sending their resumés to addresses abroad
is a disappointment. It is better to present yourself in person
although having sent a “warm-up” resumé beforehand
can do your cause no harm. Finding casual teaching work
is a matter of asking around and knocking on enough doors.
English language bookstores are another
possible source of teaching leads; try for example the English
Book Center in Guayaquil (Ecuador) or Books and Bits in
Santiago (Chile). Many foreign teachers are simultaneously
learning Spanish, so a good place to link up with people
in the know is to visit the local Instituto de Lengua
Espanola para Extranjeros or its equivalent. Check
the telephone directory for schools or agencies.
Teaching Credentials Not Always Required
Teachers tend to agree that Latin American
students are a joy to teach because they love to talk. If
you have plenty of enthusiasm in addition to a good education,
are carrying references and diplomas, and are prepared to
stay for an academic year, it should be possible to fix
up a contract with a well-established language institute.
Many institutes offer their own compulsory pre-job training.
The academic year begins in February
or early March and lasts until December. The best time
to look for work is a few weeks before the end of the
summer holidays. However, many institutes run 8- to 12-week
courses year round and will hire a native speaker whatever
the time of year.
In-company teaching usually
takes place early in the morning; a popular starting
time is 7 a.m. People learning English outside their
workplaces usually sign up for evening lessons. Most
teachers enjoy the off-site teaching more than classroom
teaching, which tends to be more textbook-based.
Work visas require gathering
a battery of documents—including notarized and
officially translated copies of teaching qualifications,
a police clearance, etc.—and paying a hefty fee.
Consequently, a high percentage of teachers work on tourist
visas. These must be kept up-to-date by applying for
an extension from the immigration department or by crossing
into and back from a neighboring country.
Not only will a stint of teaching
be good for learning a language, it will give you the
chance to experience the notorious Latin zest for life.
English
Teaching Employment Contacts in Latin America |
Multi-Country Job Placements in Latin America |
Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
English Language Specialist Program. Part
of the State Department, this office runs a
network of overseas field offices based in U.S.
Embassies, many of which have English teaching
programs employing native speakers of American
English. Binational Centers offer English instruction
in most of the countries of Latin America; contact
details are available online.
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement assistance in Latin America.
WorldTeach is a nonprofit
organization which places several hundred graduates
as volunteer teachers of EFL or ESL in several
countries including Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador
and Guyana for the summer or for 1 year.
CIEE:
Council on International Educational Exchange
in Chile. Offers teaching placement throughout
Latin America and worldwide.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
in Latin American locations and helps with job placement.
LanguageCorps
Inc.. Programs in Argentina, Brazil. Chile,
Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru
provide TEFL training, job placement, and support. |
Argentina |
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement in Buenos Aires.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
in Buenos Aires, Argentina and helps with job
placement. |
Brazil |
Britannia
Schools, Central Department. Employs native
speaker teachers with TEFL certification for
schools in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre.
Despite name, North American teachers are hired.
CELTA Certificate course offered.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and helps with job
placement. |
Chile |
Typically
these schools may offer a newcomer no more than a
few hours of teaching work, gradually working up to
a full timetable after a probationary three months.
American job-seekers, especially those with a TEFL
background, should approach one of the Institutos
Chileno Norteamericano including the one in Santiago
listed here.
Berlitz
Language Centers. Several other branches
in Santiago.
CIEE:
Council on International Educational Exchange
in Chile. Teach English in 3 cities in Chile.
EF
English First. Several EFL branches in Chile.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
in San Jose - Heredia, Costa Rica and helps with
job placement. |
Colombia |
Colombia is
even more strongly oriented towards the U.S. than
elsewhere in South America with an extensive network
of Colombian-American Cultural Centers around the
country including the following which teach English:
EF
Education First. Part of the EF chain. |
Costa
Rica |
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement in Manuel Antonia, Costa Rica.
Pro-English offers corporate language training. |
Ecuador |
The market
for English, particularly American English, continues
to thrive despite economic difficulties in the country.
Dozens of language academies and institutes can be
found in Quito, the second city Guayaquil, and in
the picturesque city and cultural center of Cuenca
in the southern Sierra.
CEDEI
- Centro de Estudios Interamericanos.
Needs university-educated native speakers
to teach for at least 6 months. Recruitment
information available online. CEDEI offers
TEFL training courses.
EF
English School Quito (English First).
CELTA-qualified teachers required. Accommodations
arranged.
Inlingua.
Seeks native speakers. |
Guatemala |
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement in La Antigua, Guatemala. |
Mexico |
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement in Chiapas.
International
Teacher Training Organization offers
training and courses in Guadalajara.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
Guadalajara, Mexico and helps with job placement.
Wall
Street Institute (Mexico) is one of the most important
language training organizations with many franchise schools, most of which are located
in greater Mexico City. |
Peru |
International
TEFL and TESOL Training provides training
and job placement in Cusco, Peru.
TEFL
courses in Cusco, Peru via ITTO offers training
and job placement.
International
TEFL Academy offers TEFL TESOL Certification
in Cusco, Peru and helps with job placement. |
SUSAN GRIFFITH is
co-editor of Work
Abroad and author of the book Teaching
English Abroad. See Susan's bio for
more information about her extensive bibliography or
to purchase the most recent edition of her book.
|