Hi! We are two teachers going to Buenos Aires in Feb '08 to teach a bit of English, do a bit of travelling and get a taste for the Argentinian Culture! We would love any advice people have to offer about living or teaching in Buenos Aires!
Two girls travelling to Buenos Aires in Feb '08. Want to teach some English in BA but we have heard mixed reports about the qualifications required AND the sort of monet there is to be made.
We are qualified teachers but do not have TEFL qualifications. Is it worthwhile paying to do an additional TEFL or would we still be eligible for most poisitions on our own teaching experience and qualifications? Does anyone have any experience of this??
Also I have heard the pay is not enough to sustain living for a long period in BA. We are hoping to at least stay for 4 months (hopefully more) but would like to know teaching english is a worthwhile thing to try to do.??? Any advice???
Lastly we would ideally want to rent a place while we were out there. Is this possible? Some have said they do not like to rent cheaper apartments to foreigners. Is this true?
Basically we have lots of things we are wondering about and would like to be more in the know about before we go!!
ANY advice or tips anyone has Pleeease let us know!!
XX
Reply to this Hello cazzy
I really don´t know about the qualifications required for teaching, but there are lots of classified ads asking for native English speakers to teach at private institutes. Check the classifieds section on this site on Sunday, when most of the ads are published:
www.buenosairesherald.com
One of the ads last Sunday was from this institute, maybe you can contact them and ask about their requirements:
http://www.briteach.com.ar/index.html
As for apartments, I'm sure you won´t have any problems renting for four months.
Reply to this Hello cazzy
I'm not an expert in the teaching area , but my teacher said me (my english teacher) you can teach english, first level, just with the "FISRT CERTIFICATED" (about 7 years of study), so, I guess, if you are a native speaker and have at least one certificated, you'll be able to found a job. And, it's depends on the specific institute, another posibility is teaching english peer-to-peer, you can post an ads in the news. Do you speak spanish?
And about the aparmet , I agree with BASandy, you wont' have problems.
(sorry, I don't speak english).
Bye,
cesar.
Reply to this heya i don´t know much about the teaching thing. but it might be worth your shot and to stand aside from the hordes of foreigners in ba. and have a good look at rosario, cordoba or mendoza.
also do NOT underestimate the importance of having the right clothes. backpacking gear won´t pass here.
nyway im sure u will have a ball. good luck . please feel free to ask me any questions. am currently on student exchange in ba province at the moment. nd have to do something to break up the sunbaking and partying ha ha
Reply to this Hi,
yes, keep in mind other places, big and crawled places, as Mendoza (capital) or Rosario ( or La Plata: is not so big, but is beatiful., my city). You can send an email to the institutes here, for example http://www.fiskingles.com.ar/ or escueladelenguas.unlp.edu.ar , and ask for information about teching (talk with the teachers from those places). If you have more questions, ask me (I agree with pseudo sic about partying, juafff).
Good luck,
cesar.
Reply to this also
rosario rocks. its like mini buenos aires. i just love the culture down there
Reply to this Hi Cazzy1984,
I have been living in Buenos aires for 2.5 years and i own a hostel in palermo.
I can help you out find a good teaching job, I have many friends doing that.
Its not too bad at all but I gotta tell you that the salary is very low, about 350 dolars per month. Its not a good way of covering your expences.
buenos aires is a lot more expencive now and to live here as 3 persons in the city you are looking at more than 1500 doalrs worth of rent,bills,food,goingout....
a lot of people are now staying in hostels. there are cheaper, the rentals prices have gone up quiet a lot and nothing is cheap anymore.
I would suggest a good buena onda hostel or a guest house where you and your girls can stay comfortable and have a good social life.
www.minihostels.com is a place where you can find small, cool, budgest good vibes hostel. My hostels is called Bait hostel www.baitba.com and its like home sweet home
Cheers
Liran
Reply to this HI Crazy,
I have been living and teaching in Bs As since June last year. Liranja is right - the pay is low and it is very difficult to live off what you earn. The cost of rent here is expensive - takes over half my pay every month and I have been living in a residence which is cheaper than an apartment There are thousands of apartments here for travellers and if you only want to stay for a couple of weeks in US dollars its cheap BUT if you want to be living off what you earn its impossible they are just too expensive your best bet is a hostel or residence. Be aware that San Telmo has a lot of cheaper hostels and the area is nice - in the day - its considered quite dangerous in the night time!!! Not a place I would choose to live here in Bs As. As for the teaching you really dont need to bother with the TEFL course. I did it here in Bs As but nobody has ever asked for my certificate. If someone asks just say that you have done it. The fact that you are anative speaker is really all they care about the fact that you are actually teachers is a huge bonus! Don´t accept less than $17 pesos an hour - in reality you should get $20 but sometimes its a little difficult to find. However, there are institutes that will try to offer $15 o $16 pesos!!! I got offered $6.40 pesos at one institute - are you kidding me!!! If yoiu have any other questions just ask.
Cheers
Nikki
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