new-comer with tons of questions!

[saintnicholas]

Hey, folks. My name is Nick.
I'm coming to B.A. in the fall, staying in San Telmo and hoping to find work teaching English. I have a lot of questions about this city and situation - has anybody done this route before? If anybody's willing to help me out with some info., I'd be much obliged.
My biggest questions are: 1. What kind of certification (TEFL, CUIT, etc.) is usually asked for by employers? and 2. Do you need a work visa?
Can't wait to get down there!
Nick
[email protected]

 

[Bill]

has anybody done this route before?

You're about the 10th this week and one of thousands with the same idea. Search this site (and others) to get a better idea of what you're in for.

 

[JG]

Welcome! What does one say to a newcomer? So many things come to mind. Well, dont expect a good cup of expresso. i just had a cup of brown swill that reminds me of my trip to India. The price of a cup of coffee is rising and rising, the quality isnt. Ill go buy some candy to get this taste out of my mouth.
In general the beer is bad (Quilmes aweful) and coffee just pretends to be expresso, its not. there are exceptions of course. the 4 seasons is dandy apparently, but out in the real world. yuck.

 

[tanghetto]

I have a friend to help me write this for I am angry about the comments left about my Argentina .
this person jg always says bad things about Buenos Aires and Argentine people.
He is very bad person and create lot of problems for others here with lies about this city.
I suggest that any argentine people here report this man as he is the worst person for our country

 

[Bill]

I shall report JG to the Argentine cultural police at once. They should be here any momento, following siesta and fiesta. A small "propina" may be requested.
Also... Quilmes is an awful beer and not "aweful" as he claims. Someone should report him to both the spelling and grammar police although, they are fairly busy keeping up with protesters.

 

[Granadaiscool]

You gotta love the piqeteros at Alem and millions of commuters struggling to get home and a state that does nothing about it

 

[donquixote]

Lighten up folks. Why so thin skined? I think a little satire and criticism is healthy.

 

[sergio]

Personally I like Quilmes but I agree that most coffee in Buenos Aires is just strong and not very flavorful. Please don't report me to the police for saying this! As far as Nick is concerned, it shouldn't make a lot of difference since his work as a teacher here won't pay him enough to spend much time in bars and cafes! Seriously, Nick, you need to be aware that you will not make enough money teaching to survive here, so come with some funds to help you to manage. Teaching is one of the occupations that just hasn't kept pace with the galloping inflation we have been experiencing here. Pay is pretty much the same that it was before the devaluation though prices for many items are two or three times greater. I wouldn't worry too much about certification. Language schools will not care. You'll probably find work without a visa. If you want a better paying job you might look for a job in a bilingual school - there you could teach anything from English to math, science, history etc. These schools, though, generally hire from the UK and not the US.

 

[Granadaiscool]

Personally I like Quilmes but I agree that most coffee in Buenos Aires is just strong and not very flavorful. Please don't report me to the police for saying this! As far as Nick is concerned, it shouldn't make a lot of difference since his work as a teacher here won't pay him enough to spend much time in bars and cafes! Seriously, Nick, you need to be aware that you will not make enough money teaching to survive here, so come with some funds to help you to manage. Teaching is one of the occupations that just hasn't kept pace with the galloping inflation we have been experiencing here. Pay is pretty much the same that it was before the devaluation though prices for many items are two or three times greater. I wouldn't worry too much about certification. Language schools will not care. You'll probably find work without a visa. If you want a better paying job you might look for a job in a bilingual school - there you could teach anything from English to math, science, history etc. These schools, though, generally hire from the UK and not the US.

You know a job that has?
I would only teach if you like to be occupied and to avoid missing time on your CV

 

[jtwells]

Argentina is not really that bad.......Yes, Quilmes is a lot like Natural Light or Keystone(grossssssss), but the coffee is not too bad. Just add lots of milk like everyone else. Teaching English will probably make paying rent pretty hard, but you should be able to find something in San Telmo that is reasonable. If you don´t mind a commute, live up north and pay less for an apartment than in the city. Also, things up north are not as fast paced and it feels a little safer. When I say up north I mean Martinez, Acasusso, San Isidro, Beccar, etc...If you just hang out and be friendly meeting people will be no problem.
PS I´m married, but I know a single guy would have a blast here. The girls are out of this world.........................................Before you get here go to your bank and talk to someone about an ATM fee waiver. You will be sorry if you don´t. Also, look into setting up a sling box before you go. In my experience it is hard to find a speedy enough internet connection to watch the faster streams.