University Teaching

[Fitzgerald]

I am single, 52, currently teaching ESL at a private adult academy in Korea. I took the academy job because it was a quick way of getting abroad, but with master's degrees in English Literature and Education, I think that I will have no problem finding a Korean university job when my one-year academy contract is done.

However, I would like to know more about teaching in Argentina. My plan has been to retire to Latin America, and Buenos Aires is definitely on my shortlist of possible locations. So I think to myself, why not go sooner rather than later, if there is a way of supporting yourself? I would love to live in BA in my fifties, not just in my seventies. So is it possible?

Some specific questions that I have are:

How hard is it to get a work visa?

My understanding is that teaching private lessons is legal even if you have a primary employer. Is that correct? (This is not true in Korea; privates are not legal here, although people still do them.)

My understanding is that searching from a distance is pretty useless for most ESL jobs in Argentina; you need to be "on the ground" in the country. Is that also true for university jobs?

I am a skilled writer and editor as well as a teacher. Are there ways to supplement my income using those skills?

 

[JoeBlow]

I am single, 52, currently teaching ESL at a private adult academy in Korea. I took the academy job because it was a quick way of getting abroad, but with master's degrees in English Literature and Education, I think that I will have no problem finding a Korean university job when my one-year academy contract is done.

However, I would like to know more about teaching in Argentina. My plan has been to retire to Latin America, and Buenos Aires is definitely on my shortlist of possible locations. So I think to myself, why not go sooner rather than later, if there is a way of supporting yourself? I would love to live in BA in my fifties, not just in my seventies. So is it possible?

Some specific questions that I have are:

How hard is it to get a work visa?

My understanding is that teaching private lessons is legal even if you have a primary employer. Is that correct? (This is not true in Korea; privates are not legal here, although people still do them.)

My understanding is that searching from a distance is pretty useless for most ESL jobs in Argentina; you need to be "on the ground" in the country. Is that also true for university jobs?

I am a skilled writer and editor as well as a teacher. Are there ways to supplement my income using those skills?

I don't want to ruin your day, but I wouldn't even consider Argentina given what skillls you have to offer (believe me I know, because I have the same skills ).

A Master's will not do you any good. A very well-paid EFL teacher makes 17 dollars an hour here (but the overwhelming majority make half that) and this is not enough to make a nice living on (especially if you're in your 50s and don't want to just "rent a room") because you have to travel a lot to get from class to class.

The largest public universtiy (UBA) pays teachers around 10 dollars an hour and, of course you'd have to have your working papers in order. And, (again, believe me) there's nothing prestiegous about teaching English at the UBA. I'm sure the pay is the same at private universities (Universidad de Belgrano, Universidad del Salvador, Universidad Católica Argentina) but I'm not100% sure.

Getting a work visa is a pain (I think, but check other threads on the forum). It certainly was way back in the day.

Teaching private students is not legal (unless you have a "tax number", I'll call it), but there isn't much chance of getting into trouble with the law because of that.

The other skills you also mention that you have I'm afraid won't make you any money here either.

Some common ways to make a decent living in Arg are:

Accountant (etc) work in multinational companies.
Own your own law firm, or other business.
Import things not made here.
Be a politician.
Have lots of farm land.
Play for Manchester United

Honestly, eking out a living as an English professor is not the way to go in Arg. I think the only places outside the the US or Europe to make a decent hourly wage is right where you are (only judging my classified ads I've seen).

If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[starlucia]

Christ. I know what Korea pays English teachers, and what Argentina pays. Honestly, stay where you are! I taught English in BA because I needed the experience (as an MA TESOL student) and the money didn't matter, but would NEVER be able to survive if it were my livelihood. Argentina, like most Latin American countries, doesn't retain highly-trained English teachers for very long because it doesn't pay them a decent salary, and certainly doesn't offer benefits or housing (like many Asian countries do.) As a TESOL professor advised, "South America is a great place to go if you're young and need experience, but YOU WON'T MAKE ANY MONEY." You can teach at an institute (25-30 pesos an hour) and offer private lessons (technically not legal, but no one blinks an eye), and charge around 40 pesos an hour. Landing a university job as a non-Argentine is likely difficult... how's your Spanish? I've had some terrific conversation with UBA teachers who are more than happy to give me the dirt on their employment situation. Frankly, for foreigners accustomed to stronger currencies, trying to support yourself in pesos is just thankless. Wait for your pension to kick in and THEN retire to Argentina.

 

[mendozanow]

As another over-qualified English teacher, I would have to agree with the advice here thus far. There is an incredible number of unemployed Argentine English teachers here, and the chances of getting a University job or other regular job as an ESL teacher are low to nil, especially with the unions not wanting foreigners to work.

Unless you go through a lengthy process for a work visa or residence visa, you will have to scramble for flakey poorly-paid bit work at institutes or with individual students, and then do it as an illegal.

I have taught in Korea, and am your age. I can tell you that you will not have the respect that an older teacher has in Korea, you will be discriminated against for the benefit of younger teachers here.

 

[Fitzgerald]

Thanks to all of you for the incredibly helpful advice! It looks like I will make my money in Asia, then, and think about coming to Latin America in my "golden years." That is fine, as they are getting pretty close! I do not think I would like to retire in Asia,and they do not make it easy to do so here. I am interested in several other Latin American countries besides Argentina -- Chile, Uruguay, Mexico (although Mexico is making me nervous just now), and most of the Central American countries. Of course a lot will depend on how the financial situation for expatriate retirees shapes up in those places 15 to 18 years from now. But if anyone here wants to chime in on Buenos Aires vs. Santiago vs. Valparaiso vs. Montevideo as far as the current quality of life goes, I'm all ears.

 

[Postmodernchild]

Uruguay and Chile are not much better. Currently Chile is accepting students from the USA to teach English (yes bad for us with real credentials) in their schools. Uruguay's pay is also quite low and life is BA is much more fun and it is more of a Cosmopolitan city. I understand your concern about Asia. I spend the summer in S.Korea and while the pay was good not much to do and quite conservative for a middle age single woman.

all best wishes to you and don't loose the chance to visit Argentina. It is a crazy fun complex country!

 

[solovely]

I am assuming that you are in Seoul?
I'm Korean here in Buenos Aires, but recently came back from studying at Yonsei.

I don't know if you started looking for a university position but
They are always looking for foreign professors at Yonsei--especially at the Underwood school.

Its a wonderful community of expats with professors from all over the world.

 

[Fitzgerald]

I am assuming that you are in Seoul?
I'm Korean here in Buenos Aires, but recently came back from studying at Yonsei.

I don't know if you started looking for a university position but
They are always looking for foreign professors at Yonsei--especially at the Underwood school.

Its a wonderful community of expats with professors from all over the world.

Thank you so much for the helpful lead! It is much appreciated.

I'm actually teaching in Changwon right now -- a lovely city! -- but I'm open to moving anywhere in Korea for a good university job. It certainly seems that my best strategy at this point is to develop a university teaching career in Korea over the next decade-and-a-half, and then to retire to Latin America when my Social Security monthly benefit hits its most robust level (at the age of 70, which for me comes in 2028).

I may seem to be getting ahead of myself, but I have been very bad at thinking about the future up till now, and I want to make up for that by handling things better from this point on. I will never be wealthy in retirement, certainly, but I would like to live decently in a stimulating intellectual and cultural environment.

To answer an earlier question: my reading Spanish is pretty good, my spoken Spanish not so much, but I think it would get better rapidly in a Spanish-speaking environment. I also read French, Russian, and Latin at varying degrees of proficiency, and I'm working on written Korean; reading new languages seems to come fairly readily to me.

 

[Fitzgerald]

Uruguay and Chile are not much better. Currently Chile is accepting students from the USA to teach English (yes bad for us with real credentials) in their schools. Uruguay's pay is also quite low and life is BA is much more fun and it is more of a Cosmopolitan city. I understand your concern about Asia. I spend the summer in S.Korea and while the pay was good not much to do and quite conservative for a middle age single woman.

all best wishes to you and don't loose the chance to visit Argentina. It is a crazy fun complex country!

I am looking forward to seeing that part of the world! I have read quite a lot about it but there is nothing like seeing with your own eyes.