Bilingual journalist seeking teaching/editing/writing positions

[lahawkinses]

I'm a 27-year old from New England planning to arrive in the City in mid-September with two friends with similar credentials. We'll be seeking positions in ESL teaching. I also, ideally, would like to find a position editing or writing at an English language publication.

I've worked for 2 years as a journalist - one year of occasional freelancing feature pieces for a media conglomerate, one year working a local government beat for a local paper, along with business, tourism-oriented features, and crime stories.

I have privately tutored individuals from China in ESL, and participated in a language exchange with two speakers from Venezuela.

I have a degree in English from Keene State College, and worked for 2 years as Periodicals Supervisor in their Library.

I've taken 6 years of Spanish classes in Middle and High School, 2 years in College, have continually independently studied, and am fluent.

Any opportunities or advice those reading this post can point me toward would be greatly appreciated!

I can be reached at [email protected].

 

[sleslie23]

Welcome to the forum!

You should do a search of the forum. The topic of teaching English is covered in detail in various threads. I don't have any experience teaching English here, but it doesn't seem to be the best place in the world in terms of pay.

I do work as a (technical) writer, but was transferred here by a software company, who went through all of the visa process. That will be your biggest challenge. The main (only?) English-language newspaper is the Buenos Aires Herald. I've know a few expats who've tried to work their over the years, but without a visa, I don't think it's likely. They mostly hire locals, which is obvious from reading the articles.

Keep your eye on Craigslist. I've seen various writing jobs posted there over the years. Also, if you have contacts in the US, you may want to try finding someone who is willing to hire you as a part-time correspondent or per article. The pay would almost certainly be better than what you will make in here pesos.

Also, though I am sure your Spanish is excellent, you probably won't be as fluent as you think once you get here (unless you've studied with Argentine teachers). The Spanish spoken here is different. This is most evident in the informal Spanish you will hear/use on the street, but even in a formal context (books, newspapers, etc.) it is still quite different. You won't have any problems reading a newspaper, but it would take a lot of practice to write like an Argentine.