Teaching English in Argentina is not a lucrative endeavour and those contemplating
it should do so because they have an interest in living here and not solely because
they want to make money. It is possible to live a good life compared to the average
middle class worker in Argentina, but you won’t be able to save money like in Taiwan or Japan. You will be able to afford short trips out of the city, but won’t
be able to travel extensively.
Qualifications like the CELTA or any other type of TEFL certificate are not necessary
for finding employment as an English teacher in Argentina. However, the more qualifications
you have the easier it will be to find a good job.
Argentines like to dress well and expect the same from others. If you plan to teach in Argentina bring a suit for your interviews and make sure you have enough semi-casual clothes for the classroom.
A lot of teaching work available in the cities is for
Business English so don’t show up in shorts and sandals.
The hourly wage for an English teacher working at a school/institute is between 7 and 18 pesos (US$3-6) and most will give you 25-30 hours a week. This doesn’t
leave you with a lot to get by on, but it is possible. Private lessons are more
lucrative, but are hard to come by.
Schools will not provide you with accommodation,
but may help you find some. Finding
an affordable apartment is the biggest headache teachers face and some just stay in hostels.
Finding a job can be done in the following ways. The best way is to simply contact the schools in your city and send them your resume. Walking in off the street can
also be highly effective. Also check the job board on this site for advertised positions.
Another good site is the La Nacion newspaper’s
online classifieds:
Zona Jobs
-
type ‘English’ in the search box.
The best time to start looking for a job is late February and March. There won’t
be much available in December and January due to the holidays.
One last recommendation, make a point
of learning Spanish as it could help you get
a better job and prevent you from being taken advantage of.
