FAQ: Know Before You Go

Index
Updated 15 January 2009
● Interested in teaching in Peru? See A Country Guide to TEFLing in Peru.
● TEFL Tips has useful tips for teachers from writing a teaching CV, to giving a demo lesson, learning the local language, short-term jobs, working holiday visas, getting a good paying job, teaching tips for the classroom and more.

Know Before You Go: Requirements
This article has also been featured in the ELT Times. If you're looking for information about what to do after you arrive, go to What to Do Upon Arrival.

The majority of places in The LA Job List will require you to be a native speaker and have at least a BA. That being said, there are places that will hire you without a degree, read Is a Degree Necessary? to find out more. While most institutes prefer native speakers, there are still many opportunities as long as you are fluent in English. In general, the majority of schools prefer that you have a college degree. However, in some places, teachers without degrees can qualify to teach English, but this is usually for more mature teachers who have life experience.

Other places will require teaching experience. A TEFL Certificate is useful, but a BA is preferred. TEFL certification classes will help you know about your subject matter and giving you practical teaching tips and experience teaching students. If you do decide to do a TEFL course, whether online or on-campus, learn what the characteristics of a good course are at Choosing a TEFL Course and Doing a TEFL Course at Home vs. Abroad.

Knowing about the English language is absolutely necessary. Whether you research at your library, observe classes, talk to teachers or enroll in a course, you should prepare yourself before arriving. Read more about TEFL certs, in Is a TEFL Cert Necessary?

If you have qualifications and experience, you might be able to teach at a school. There are bilingual and international schools. International schools are more competitive. They require QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) in your home country and usually two years teaching experience in a primary or secondary school. Read more about international schools in this article.

Learning about TEFL
TEFL Tips is a good place to start. Also try one of the many teaching forums, such as ESL Café. Your local library and teachers can offer information about Teaching English as well. Be sure to read Learning about TEFL and Teaching and General Teaching Tips.

Salaries
Some schools may offer you room, board, and a small stipend in exchange for teaching. Others pay you a salary. You may have to work for more than one school in order to get enough hours a week. Getting jobs at other schools are fairly easy. And if you’d rather teach at only one location, try to take on a couple of private students.

There are lots of ways to earn extra money, Read Make Money Online, Supplement Your Teaching Salary, and Teaching Online.

Cost of Living
Cost of living here in Latin America is pretty low compared to other places such as North America and Europe. Most teachers can easily earn 800 USD a month by teaching 25 hours a week. Most teachers can live off of 500 USD a month provided that they don't expect to live in the lap of luxury and learn tips from the locals. For example, learning how to navigate the bus system and cooking at home are great ways to save money, meaning that you’ll have more money to use to study Spanish or explore Latin America. For more money saving tips, read Creating a Budget.

Taxes
Taxes depend on the country you're in, your immigration status and how much you earn. Check with your school for more details about taxes.

Number of Hours
Many institutes and universities will have you work split shifts meaning that you'll get a break in the middle of the day to eat lunch and relax for a few hours. Sometimes classes finish at 9pm, or even as late as 10pm. Although at first it seems difficult, you will get used to it and can use the time in the afternoon to take a nap or run errands. Remember that you will usually only be teaching 20-30 hours a week, and then the rest of the time is prep time. If you manage your time well, you will have plenty of time to teach private lessons.

Private Lessons
There are plenty of opportunites to pick up private students. Try advertising at schools, universities, or try putting an advert in the local paper. Teachers usually charge between $5 and 20 USD an hour. Learn how to get private students in Getting Private Students. You can also teach online,

What to Wear
Smart casual is usually the rule here. Some places require you to wear a uniform, other say that men have to wear ties and women must wear appropriate clothing. Men should wear dress pants and a dress shirt. Some places require you to wear a tie as well. Women should wear nice pants or a skirt with a blouse. Jeans are usually not accepted and piercings and tattoos should be hidden. Depending on where you are, you may be allowed to wear sandals. The best thing to do is ask about the dress code.

Start-up Costs
As usual, when moving to a new place, you should bring money to tide you over before you get paid. 1000- 2000 USD should be more than enough.

Insurance
Most teachers will want health or travel insurance. Teaching and living in Latin America is exciting, but also poses many unpredictable situations, such as injury or illness in a foreign country. This is why teachers should secure international health insurance before arriving. Be sure to ask if they cover medically supervised emergency evacuations, emergency reunions or repatriation.

Getting a Job
Although many places want to meet you before having you sign a contract, it is possible to set up jobs before you arrive. The best thing to do is start contacting schools and let them know you are interested in working for them. Tell them when you will arrive and try to set up an interview.

The majority of teachers are able to secure teaching positions within one or two weeks. Keep in mind that timing is also important. Coming during holidays, such as Christmas and New Year’s is not advisable since many people go on vacations and teaching jobs are limited during these times.

CV Tips
You'll always need to present your CV for a job. Most countries prefer you to have a photo as well. Look at Writing a Teaching CV to find out more about writing CVs. Cover letters are also used, especially when applying by email. So be sure to read, Writing a Teaching Cover Letter.

Visas
You need to know about visas before arriving. You should know how long you can stay on a tourist visa. And be sure to ask about extensions and total length of stay. Some countries allow for unlimited extensions, some have none. Others say that you can stay for only 90 or 180 days on a tourist visa. Make sure you know the rules and the costs involved. Some countries will give you more days if you border hop. If you enter on a tourist visa and you'll need to find out if you can convert the tourist visa to a work visa, or if you have to leave the country, or even go back to your home country.

If you have a business or work visa, ask what you have to do to get your residency ID card. Ask who is going to cover the costs for this and how long it takes to get it. You'll need to know about the requirements. Sometimes you may need a medical check up or a police background check in order to get residency. And find out if you'll get help to do all this.

Shortly Before Arriving
A few weeks before you plan on coming, re-email schools in order to touch base and confirm your interview.





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