Teaching English As A Stopgap

[mixiekins]

I hope this isn't a hotbutton issue, but I was hoping to get a general consensus from anyones' experiences with the job market in Argentina for foreigners who teach English while they acclimate to the culture and language.

For reference, I'm a 24 year old female from the USA and want to study Spanish in Buenos Aires (or if possible, Neuquen Capital or Villa la Angostura, but I know jobs are very sparse in those locatons). I'm none too wealthy at all, so I'll need some way to keep a roof over my head and food on my plate. My work experience is in IT (have not finished college and have no certification), but since I don't know Spanish well enough yet, the only other option I've found is to teach English in the interim.

So far, I've found mixed poinions, but have only heard from a handfull of people and from posts on blogs. They ranged from "it's no problem, give it a try" to "DON'T DO IT THE MARKET IS FLOODED WITH YOU GUYS!"

What are your guys' various experiences, if you don't mind sharing?
Any opinions on the current viability?
Opinions on hopping over and living on savings versus securing a position ahead of time?


Thanks so much, I hope I can get a broader sample of input to have a better idea of what to expect.

 

[nlaruccia]

Check previous threads. There are a ton on this topic.

 

[sivan]

Type in the words "teach english" in the search forum and you should get quite a lot of reponses. this is something that i wrote to someone else a little while ago. still applies.

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]If you are working through an institute you will be getting paid around 40-60 pesos an hour. Please remember that Buenos Aires is huge and with the amount of travelling involved you probably wont be able to work more than 20-25 hours per week. (Thats if you can actually find that many hours!) The subway is 2.50 a ride and the bus is around 2 pesos so keep in mind that travel costs come out of the 40-60 pesos i mentioned. Renting a room in an apt is going to be around 2000 pesos a month (if not more - i might be a little out of touch with prices - check craigslist for a better idea). At an ABSOLUTE maximum (and i would say that its almost impossible) you would be earning 6000 pesos (60 pesos an hour for 100 hours a month) which would be fine to get by but you probably wouldnt be saving anything. [/background]

 

[mixiekins]

Thanks, Sican! I wasn't aware at how costly the public transit was there. That's a problem, yes.

Sorry, you two, I didn't mean any insult by asking. Most of the info on this site is a year or more old, and a lot has changed in just this past year alone. I'm sure the vulture profitire's recent hearings on the IMF debt default put a huge dent in the economy, for instance. I'm no stranger to digging through old posts on forums and blogs, I was just looking for some more current input. Besides, "don't ask: don't get." I've been lurking for quite a few months.

 

[lucha54]

I'm sure the vulture profitire's recent hearings on the IMF debt default put a huge dent in the economy, for instance.

Accept that you won't really know what's going on until you come down here, spend time here, and try to get into the job sectors. The only thing you can do now is save up as close to 10K USD as you can so you can bring it with you in cash. That's the only thing you should be worrying about right now. (Oh and don't arrive in Dec/Jan if you are really set on getting English teaching work... the school year starts early March)

 

[PhilipDT]

Thanks, Sican! I wasn't aware at how costly the public transit was there. That's a problem, yes.

This may be the first time I've ever seen this posted. Where are you from?

 

[Vagrant Violet]

Hi, Mixiekins,

As you can imagine, money will undoubtedly be an issue, as Buenos Aires is an expensive city and Argentina is an expensive country. However, living and working abroad could come in handy on a future resume, as it would surely set you apart. If your intention is not to do it long term and you have a back up plan savings, why the hell not?

I've been teaching EFL here for nearly 5 years- First in institutes, then in-company, then independently, and finally in a private school. Any of these situations has its pros and its cons, but as someone who has pretty much done it all here in terms of teaching English, I can tell you without any reservation that I'd rather swallow broken glass than work for an institute again. As Sivan mentioned, the hours are scarce, sparse, and scattered. They take such a major cut of what the students pay and can let you go without any warning and without any reason. Best just to forget the teacher pimps institutes.

It's true that a significant number of expats here are English teachers, but if you can find a specific strength that sets you apart (not just certification, but for example, a specific area in which you have experience that most don't, such as IT), it will help. And believe me that word of mouth can and will spread if you are responsible, dedicated, and professional with your students.

It's not easy work, and you aren't necessarily going to be professionally compatible with every student who you meet (one of the pros of working freelance- you call the shots in terms of where/when/and how much you work for) but I honestly love teaching and I'm glad I'm doing it.

Mucha suerte.

 

[Commodorius]

I taught (having been certified and with prior experience as a volunteer teacher in Chile) here in BsAs as my primary means of income for almost a year. The aforementioned institute/teach in companies route. It started out okay as I was able to get loads of hours, but as time went on inflation made it very hard to make it through the month. Now it would be awful. I branched out and got a good job with a travel company, but that was something I couldn´t have done without having already been here for a while. I kept a few classes for some pocket cash and because I like the students, but that money buys dinner one or twice a month for me and my girlfriend, and not much more.

That being said, my institute is always begging me to take more classes or recommend native English speakers. I always see loads of postings on Craigslist BA clamoring for the same. So it you want to make a go at it, the work is there. You´ll probably get 60 and hour if you are smart, but still, that´s nothing really in the long run.

 

[mixiekins]

Hi, Mixiekins ...

Thanks, Lauren! I hadn't heard that institutes were so harsh, thanks for the heads up! Yes, I agree, it definitely does sound like there market there is innundated with English tutors. One other person aside from yourself told me that IT would be a better bet. I've also read that employers there value the work ethic of foreigners from some countries, so I guess I should give that search another shot. In any case, I don't mind how hard the work is, I've always worked hard to earn my keep. It would have been nice to be able to use English to help in the interim while looking for IT work, but by the sounds if it, the cost of living puts those earnings far past the point of deminishing returns.

I taught (having been certified and with prior experience as a volunteer teacher in Chile) ...

Hi, Commodorius! Were you in Chile under the Inglés Abre Puertas program? I found out about that one earlier this week and was giving it some consideration. I ideally would like to be close to Neuquen to visit my SO and his family occasionally, while being in a fully Spanish environment while learning. So, Chile isn't a bad alternative to BA. How was your experience there? (Sorry, I just realized Chile is off-topic for this site, so I won't delve into it. Feel free to PM me your opinion on that experience.)

Yes, it does seem like there were more jobs a year ago, like you said. There's so much info floating around from last year that made it seem more viable at first, so thanks for your guys' newer input. I'll direct more of my effort toward IT positions. Thanks so much!

Accept that you won't really know what's going on until you come down here, spend time here, and try to get into the job sectors. The only thing you can do now is save up as close to 10K USD as you can so you can bring it with you in cash.

Agreed, I've spent time in Argentina, but not in the BA area. Sounds like this will need to be a leap of faith, since employers aren't comfortable with making job offers without the applicant already having relocated, and rightfully so.

As for the 10k USD, I already have 8k in cash at the ready, but I've read that the maximum USD one can bring into the country is $500. Is there a particular method you would recommend? And thanks for the heads up on March. I think that would be the soonest I could get my things into storage, tie up loose ends, and get a flight out there, so that works out well. Plus, the summer heat would finally start to die down! Hehe

This may be the first time I've ever seen this posted. Where are you from?

S.F. Bay Area, Chicago, many parts of Utah, Las Vegas, Florida, and Austin Texas. (All in the United States.)
While the actual amount for that public transit isn't much to some of us, considering the low wages in the working class there it's comparitively high in my opinion. That's all I meant.

For instance, here in Austin, a "day pass" for the bus is only $2 USD, and covers all routes and lasts for 24 hours from the time of purchase. It's much more affordable, even for minimum wage here, in comparison since it's not per-ride. With all the travel needed to get enough hours of work tutoring scattered around BA, the transit costs sound like they might eat up more than a fair share, like Sivan suggested. Do you have any insight to share? Is there an affordable day/week/month pass option for BA public transit? I wasn't aware of any.

 

[sleslie23]

Thanks, Sican! I wasn't aware at how costly the public transit was there. That's a problem, yes.

Transportation is dirt cheap. Even in Asuncion, the bus costs 2000 guaranies (about 4 pesos depending on the exchange rate). What is shocking is making 40-60 pesos an hour. A coffee and a bottle of water will cost you half that.