TEFL in Buenos Aires: Job Types

Buenos Aires is a megalopolis of buildings, cafes, and shopping malls that spreads out as far as the eye can see. Although it may seem chaotic at first, its generous offerings of good food, fine wine, and Latin American spirit mean it’s no surprise that many people choose Buenos Aires as their location of choice when teaching English in South America.

The problem is where do you start?

Teaching for a Language Institution

The most obvious choice is working for a language institution. Buenos Aires abounds with such institutions, which are usually money-making companies which hire teachers to work on their premises.

You can find lots of these through a quick search on Google, and the good ones will provide you with classrooms, students, and materials, meaning all you have to do is teach. Even so, it is still advised to come prepared. Some decent course books, a few fun activities, and even a laptop will all be very useful.

The benefits of this type of job are numerous. You will usually be teaching in one location, so there won’t be any travelling involved. You’ll also cut out the hassle of finding students and coming up with a syllabus, as again these will all be arranged for you. You may even be able to trade English lessons for Spanish lessons, as many of these institutions teach a variety of languages.

However, the downsides involve having less choice about who you teach, and less freedom as you will be tied into the rules and regulations of the institution.

Teaching for a Private Company

The other main type of work is teaching for an independent company. These do not usually provide lessons on their own premises, but instead they arrange for the lessons to take place elsewhere, often in a company building or a private house. For job listings, check out the local Buenos Aires Herald.

These are often geared towards providing business English to other companies, which is in high demand these days. Again, lessons will be provided for you, and you may have more say in the classes that you would like to take on. A good company will also provide many of the materials that you will need, and will usually arrange a syllabus.

However, the major downside is that you will be travelling around the city between lessons, which can prove time consuming and exhausting, even though many think that it is a great way to get to know the city better.

Working as a Private Teacher

Finally, there are private lessons, for which you must set about finding the classes yourself. This is probably the toughest work to find as most jobs come from local advertising and word-of-mouth.

The advantages include the independence of working for yourself, the opportunity of earning higher fees, and a more flexible work schedule. However, the major problem is that if your students choose not to turn up then you have little to fall back on, and this can be a real problem in Argentina.

Getting Started

If you are moving to Buenos Aires, it may be worth doing some background research first. Dave's ESL Cafe is a very useful site with forums and advice from teachers living in the city. You could also look up things to do in the city for information on more general activities.

Whichever type of work you end up doing, teaching in a language school, instructing at a private company or working as a private teacher, you will be sure to have a valuable experience in one of the most interesting cities in South America.

Buenos Aires

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