TEFL in Buenos Aires: 5 Top Tips

With its hot summers, great nightlife, and fine wines, Buenos Aires is a popular choice for English teachers in search of an adventure. The following five tips attempt to reveal a few secrets that will help you to get the most out of your time there.

Buy a Bus Timetable

You may be required to travel great distances across the city to your classes, and so a knowledge of bus routes will be important. Buy a Guia T, a guide of all of the routes and the streets, from any magazine stand and you will never get lost. It's also a good idea to travel to your lessons early. Times may be more relaxed in Latin America, but it will not go down well if you keep turning up late to your classes, even if the busses are to blame.

Make Sure the Teaching Rates are Correct

When agreeing upon your pay, make sure that you know what the going rate is. At the time of writing, the standard rate is anywhere between 22 and 25 pesos ($8) per hour, but that is likely to go up with inflation. If an institute offers you less than you should be getting, don't bother. It's unlikely that they will be very professional and will be a waste of your time. Check the forums on Dave's ESL Café to find out what the going rate is and for recommendations.

Be Professional Whilst Teaching

Although you may only be teaching for a year or even less, make sure that you treat the job as seriously as you would any other. Students pay a lot of money for lessons, and it's only fair that they get what they pay for. Dress smart, be on time, and plan your lessons properly.

You may be valued for your native level of English, but any institution would always prefer to hire a teacher who has a good level of professionalism rather than one who just happens to speak English well.

Teach for the Whole Year

The school year begins in March, and whether teaching to business people or school-age students, most lessons are put on hold from December to February. Plan to arrive in the city in February, as this is when the schedules are being arranged for the rest of the year.

Depending on the institution, schedules will often last until December, so you will have a greater chance of finding regular work if you arrive early. Also, if you plan to stay for the whole year then you will be taken more seriously by employers. For details on which type of teaching job to choose, check out this guide.

Bring Extra Teaching Material

Most good institutes and companies will provide you with the course books and material that you need for your lessons. However, extra material never hurts, and things like CDs, a tape recorder, exercise books, and magazines are all useful things to bring with you.

If you can, bring along a laptop as well. There is an abundance of free information, advice, lesson plans, and resources on the net to fill out your lessons and make them more enjoyable for everyone.

There are many more things that you will discover when you begin to teach English in Buenos Aires, and this is just a start. But follow these tips and they should help you to get a lot more from your experience, making it more worthwhile for both you and your students.

La Boca, Buenos Aires

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