This is my first post of my first blog! This blog is supposed to be about teaching English as a foreign language in Latin America. It seems like the blogosphere could use more of these– especially to serve as resources for potential English teachers. I have not left the country yet, but the ordeal has already begun!
Between August and November I took an online TEFL certification course. From December through February I did my "practicum:" teaching ESL classes at a community center in Chicago. About a month ago I began looking for jobs on internet forums. I found only two that seemed suitable, but I applied to both of them. Remarkably, I got responses from both employers, conducted Skype interviews with each, and both of the positions were offered to me!
Many of the blogs I have found so far about teaching English in Latin America have been way too pessimistic to mention something like a 2 for 2 record on job searching. I think the people who write these pessimistic blogs have unrealistic expectations about the effort needed to make teaching English work out. It's certainly not impossible, but there is some work involved.
The jobs I was offered are in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and Santiago, Chile. I cancelled on the Mexico gig, told the Santiaguiños that I accept, and then booked a flight to Medellín, Colombia. The Santiago job starts in March, and it would be totally rad. Santiago sounds like an awesome city situated in an awesome region, but there is something about Medellín that appeals to me even more. So I'll spend two weeks looking for a job and enjoying myself. If I'm able to find something, I will stay for at least a year. But if nothing turns up, I will continue on to Chile.
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