Moving to Buenos Aires & Teaching English

[maddam]

Hello,

My husband and I are interested in moving to Buenos Aires in early 2011 and teaching English. Does anyone have any suggestions or knowledge on how we can make this happen?

We have access to an apartment right in Buenos Aires, so we would be set on where to live. I need to know if I should contact schools directly about opportunities to teach? and if so, which schools? Or if there is a job system I could apply through. Do we need any kind of certification? or are there positions where I would not need to be certified. We are both fluent in Spanish and English. I have been searching the web, but only come across american ads on teaching abroad- maybe working directly with Argentina would work best?

I appreciate any suggestions or comments- we really want to make this happen!
Thanks so much!

 

[qwerty]

If you have free housing you are probally in a much better position then most others who do the same. If you both can get 2000-2500 peso you would have a comfortable life

 

[arty]

This topic has been beaten to death on this board. Use the search function

 

[maddam]

How far in advance should I try to set up job interviews/opportunities?

Thanks so much again!

 

[mini]

How far in advance should I try to set up job interviews/opportunities?

Thanks so much again!

You probably will not get anywhere until you arrive. Setting up interviews in advance is not really common.

 

[ghost]

Forget teaching English and stick with the Maddam business. Maddam.

 

[Dolly]

By now, you have probably accessed old threads about teaching in Bs As, and have all the information you need, but if not here is a quick summary.

It is only my thoughts from my experience. I'm sure others will differ.

I've taught english in many countries; Thailand, Korea, China, Japan. I've taught english in Bs As for almost 4 years. Unfortunately, this experience has been the most difficult financially.
-It is very rare for institutes/companys to reply to CV's or emails about jobs for the future. The only way is to start looking once you get here.
- Re: qualifications. Some institutes don't require a qualification at all - but increasingly, more do.
There are mixed thoughts about whether a teaching qualification is necessary, and I've seen many people on this forum believe it's not necessary. I have a Bachelor of Education, and I don't know how I would plan lessons without it - but the majority of my classes are preparation for international exams - IELTS, TOEFL, FCE, ACE etc. If you enjoy conversation classes, for sure you can get work. (but you will receive less money)
- Do you plan to have your teaching job as your only means of income? - if so, as a foreigner it's almost impossible. If you have savings as a back up and/or the luxury of not having to pay rent - the salary is fine for living expenses, but I doubt it will ever cover your rent and living expenses.
-Most institutes require you to travel all over the city - so there is a lot of down travel time - and it's quite exhausting.
- But many people acquire private clients here. I have 100% private clients.
-If you're not absolutely dependent on the money earned from teaching, you can choose to maintain some great and interesting classes and it can be quite enjoyable.

Ok, that's about all I can think of. If you want to ask anything specific, feel welcome to send me a PM and I'll answer it the best I can from my experience.

 

[laureltp]

Although many people can get along without being a certified English teacher it certainly opens many more doors, especially if you are going to rely on it for your only income. I would say it would be much easier for you to get certified before you come here.

 

[qwerty]

- Do you plan to have your teaching job as your only means of income? - if so, as a foreigner it's almost impossible. If you have savings as a back up and/or the luxury of not having to pay rent - the salary is fine for living expenses, but I doubt it will ever cover your rent and living expenses.

They want to live on 2 incomes, let's say 4 to 6000 peso without paying rent(I assume) that should give you a comfortable life

 

[Spork]

This is my experience: http://2sporks1cup.com/?p=824

Not to be negative but it's hard. We are waiting our lease out and going WWOOFING on organic farms as we head North to what appears to be more teaching jobs remotely in Bolivia, Chile etc.

Good Luck! BA is a great city.