Teaching English - primliminary advice

[Neilcampbell31]

Hey all,

I'm heading to BA from London in Jan '12 for 12 month to learn spanish and teach english. I appreciate there are pitfalls in the pay vs cost of living, however I was hoping to try to get together some advice on teaching jobs and qualifications;

1. Would it be benefitial to do the Celta in London or once I arrive in BA? I could imagine that you'd be able to build up a network of friends easier if you do it in BA.

2. Are there any teaching jobs that would sponsor a work permit?

The reason I ask these questions is because althought I plan to go to BA to get the CELTA and then find employment, I havent explored getting the CELTA in London and looking for jobs from here [or through the school in London] and then getting a work permit before I arrive. I ruled out the latter as I thought it would be unlikely

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks a lot!

Neil

 

[DontMindMe]

1. If you have the budget, doing the course in BA will definitely help you on the social front. It's also a nice way to ease into living here if you've never been, especially if CELTA has some sort of dorm or residence. This is what I did, but through EBC. EBC also sent my CV out to a database of BA English institutes upon TEFL course completion. I didn't even have to try to find a job, because I started receiving phone calls immediately.

2. Not really. Actually, I would give you a flat out no, but I'm not 100% sure. Pretty much all English teachers from abroad work "en negro," meaning with no papers. You will be paid in cash.

One more thing--If an institute starts paying you late, or making excuses for why they can't pay you on time, quit and find a new one. There is always a demand for work outside of the summer months when many go on vacation (December and January). And don't you dare accept anything under 30 pesos per hour.

Teaching is a great way to learn about Argentina, from Argentines. You will find that your students will be very eager to help you out and tell you about their culture. That is something you can't put a price on. Good luck!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Are you an English teacher in London, Neil?

 

[Neilcampbell31]

@DontMindMe - thank you very much for the information!

@elhombresinnombre - I am not currently an English teacher in London (but a number of my friends are). Would my lack of experience be a major hurdle once I get the CELTA?

ps apologies for the typo the in header!!

 

[jayjane]

Are you sure you want to teach here? It is really low pay for the work (that is if you become a teacher that cares.)

I would do the CELTA here because you will meet a few people although some may not be planning to stay here. I have a few friends that did the CELTA here without much intention to stay in Buenos Aires. One went to Chile and another to somewhere in Asia. They just wanted to take the course here. I imagine many people just come to enjoy BA and do the course here.

It would be very, very unlikely to find a teaching job that will sponsor you for a visa/work permit. It just doesn´t happen. That´s why so many of those teaching here have to do a border run every 3 months.

 

[CarlyB]

I am a new English teacher (did the Celta here in BA and highly recommend it!) and am wondering if the seasoned teachers can comment a little bit on what to expect from 12/15 - 3/1. Is it really completely dead? Is there no work to be had?

 

[DontMindMe]

I am a new English teacher (did the Celta here in BA and highly recommend it!) and am wondering if the seasoned teachers can comment a little bit on what to expect from 12/15 - 3/1. Is it really completely dead? Is there no work to be had?

If you have been working for an institute that sends you to out to companies, yes. If you have private students, you might have better luck. But you will be lucky if you work enough during those months to even cover rent.