Tutoring

[argentinabound4]

Hi,

I'll be moving to Buenos Aires in September for 4 months. I know it's a little early, but I'm CRLA (College Reading and Learning Association) certified - I'd like to tutor English speakers in Spanish. Sometimes it's hard for a native Spanish speaker to teach a native English speaker how to learn Spanish because they didn't have to "learn" the language and go through the frustrations of conjugation after conjugation- in other words, they never started simple. I've been tutoring like this for 2 years and have tons of worksheets, etc to help the process of learning Spanish. I finally speak Spanish and I know how hard it can be to become bilingual (if there is such a thing as bilingual)! Would anyone be interested in this type of tutoring when I arrive? Thanks!

 

[Lindag]

Let me see if I understand you, you need to learn Spanish?
Regards,

 

[argentinabound4]

No no, I know Spanish, but I'm a native English speaker, so I'd love to tutor English speakers in Spanish. It would be almost class-like, starting with the basics and learning one conjugation to the next.

 

[KatharineAnn]

If you don't have any luck with this, rest assured you'll have a lot of luck if you go for teaching English lessons...unfortunately knowing Spanish here isn't really an "advantage" as far as the job-market goes, but knowing English is...Knowing Spanish often helps for getting "normal" Argentine jobs, which pay a lot less than "expat" or "native English speaker" jobs. Generally all the best paying work for foreigners involves speaking native English in some capacity.

 

[Canick]

I'm not sure being a native english speaker is a quality I would look for in my spanish teacher. Especially as we have an abundance of cheap, bilingual, fluent local professionals here who already make a living doing this. And they have the advantage of the correct accent and colloquialisms.
this is not to discourage you at all from coming, but if your length of stay or finances are dependent on "tutoring", I would really think about it before making the commitment.
but as mentioned above, being bilingual can help you with other jobs.

good luck which ever way you go!

 

[starlucia]

Hi,

I'll be moving to Buenos Aires in September for 4 months. I know it's a little early, but I'm CRLA (College Reading and Learning Association) certified - I'd like to tutor English speakers in Spanish. Sometimes it's hard for a native Spanish speaker to teach a native English speaker how to learn Spanish because they didn't have to "learn" the language and go through the frustrations of conjugation after conjugation- in other words, they never started simple. I've been tutoring like this for 2 years and have tons of worksheets, etc to help the process of learning Spanish. I finally speak Spanish and I know how hard it can be to become bilingual (if there is such a thing as bilingual)! Would anyone be interested in this type of tutoring when I arrive? Thanks!

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be interested in your tutoring services... not because you're an English speaker, but because of your "conjugation after conjugation" approach One of the advantages of studying Spanish in BA is that lessons can be conducted completely in Spanish, and a teacher who uses CLA methodology will teach grammar/vocabulary implicitly (through the use of authentic materials and natural input... not the horrible worksheets and verb charts we all remember from high school.) Also, the Argentine accent is so strong and unique that hearing it in class for 1-2 hours per day is very important. You're right that being a native Spanish speaker doesn't qualify one to teach the language, but the *good* tutors did receive proper teacher training (and most learned English as kids, so they understand the SLA process.)

That said, you'll have no problem finding English-teaching work... and being able to communicate in Spanish is a great advantage in EFL, especially when working with beginners.

 

[eva_rgentina]

As the others have said, I don't think there is a market here for Spanish-taught-by-English-speakers. Most of the people who make it all the way to Argentina are not the same people who back in the US would prefer the English-to-Spanish worksheets.

However, I will reiterate that if you want to teach English, I don't think you'll have any trouble finding teaching or "tutoring" jobs. Once you get here, look around and you'll find some.

 

[HeyBA]

Best of luck with your undertaking. I'd add to the above that you'd have to compete with local rates for Spanish lessons. Check Craig's List to see for yourself, but it seems to me that it's about 40 pesos or 10 USD per hour.

Just a heads up. Wages and prices here take a lot of people by surprise.