By Angie Burdge

For many recent college graduates, teaching English abroad has become a popular option for what to do next. I myself have been teaching English in Santiago, Chile for nine months now. It hasn’t always been as easy as I thought it would be, but I’ve learned a great deal about a new country, the teaching profession and myself in this ongoing process. 

If you’re thinking about becoming an English teacher, the first question you have to ask yourself is why? What is your motivation? Personally, I chose this path because I have a desire to travel that just won’t go away. I figured becoming certified in teaching English was a way to accomplish my travel goals, while still earning an income and having the ability to support myself in a foreign country. Whether it is a passion for teaching, traveling or simply learning a new skill and trying something new, it’s important to understand and recognize your base motivation. 

After you’ve decided this is your course of action, what comes next? For me, it was obsessive research. How do I get certified? What programs are the best to apply to? And most importantly, where in the world do I want to go? I decided to apply to programs based in South America, Chile specifically, for several reasons. The first was I’ve never visited the continent and wanted to explore it. All my students and friends here have asked me, why Chile? I chose this country because it’s one of the most stable and secure places in South America. Additionally, its economy is growing tremendously. With more international businesses and start-up companies popping up, there is a greater need for Chileans to learn English, therefore a greater need for English teachers J. I was hired two days after completing my training course, then by a second institute a week later. In Chile, there is no shortage of English institutes looking to hire teachers. 

I know many people who have decided to teach somewhere in Asia instead. The important thing to know from the beginning is that if you expect to save money teaching in South America, you probably won’t. I was surprised to find Santiago a very expensive place to live, in fact the second most expensive in the continent (Brazil being the first). During my training I was told you teach here for the cultural experience, not for the pay. From what I’ve heard from fellow teachers, countries in Asia (China, Japan and South Korea for example) help teachers out a lot more with reimbursing flights, providing housing and sometimes paid vacations and a bonus at the end of the contract period. Therefore, it’s important to decide from the beginning what kind of experience you’re looking for. 

As well as deciding on a destination, the prospective English teacher must also consider what sort of certification they will receive. There are countless companies on the Internet, and you can choose to get certified online, in the U.S., or onsite in the country of your choosing. I chose the latter option and was happy I did since I got a better feel for the country and lots of help from teachers already established here in Santiago. Popular certifications include TEFL, IDELT or CELTA. I would say TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is the most all-encompassing. While at some institutes being a native English speaker might be enough to get you the job, I wouldn’t count on it. Get certified. 

Now that you’ve chosen where you want to go and what certification and program you’ll use, all that’s left is the logistics. My flight, housing and packing for an undetermined period of time all took a lot of preparation for me. While my program could have provided different forms of housing, I thought they were too expensive and found a company in Chile that specializes in finding shared apartments for foreigners (Chile Inside is the company I used, although there are many others). While I still had to pay a finder’s fee, the people at Chile Inside were extremely helpful in finding a place that met my requirements. Personally, I thought it was better to have a company’s help finding an initial place to live, and then looking on my own for a more permanent place once I got a feel for the city. 

With a destination, program and place to live, you’ve got the basic necessities for starting a new life as an English teacher abroad! Next I’ll write about the Do’s and Don’ts of teaching English. 

If you are interested in teaching English or have any questions for me about my experience, please email me at angieburdge7@gmail.com.

Saludos from Santiago!