Buried in the southwest of South America, Chile is often overlooked when teachers are looking to teach English for a living. But those teachers who can recognize the opportunity they often find a diverse nation that is passionate for developing their language education. Below are five different reasons to consider teaching in Chile. To start, you can find teaching jobs in Chile on TeacherKick.
Teacher Salaries in Chile
Chile is one of the most financially stable countries in Latin America, if not the most. Although the cost of living may be higher in comparison with nearby countries, a teacher’s salary is also notably higher. From a minimum of 25 teaching hours per week, a good teacher can earn anywhere between US$1,100-2,000. The best paying jobs exist in international orgs that use English as the language of business.
On the other hand, there are also jobs in the public sector, which received a boost in 2012 from a government influenced proposal. The proposal outlines a plan for teachers to be rewarded in a merit-system, which could effectively see a salary increase by 70% over a period of ten years.
Government Education Drive
The demand for TEFL teachers in Chile has never been greater, thanks to the government and Ministry of Education initiative to change the local curriculum and improve the levels of English throughout the country. Entitled ‘English Open Doors’, the campaign’s purpose is for school students aged 16-17 to achieve the ‘Test of English for International Communication’ (TOEIC) certificate. In order to do this the teaching standards have been subject to changes and the campaign also looks to attract native-English speaking teachers to Chile from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and USA. Consequently, teacher’s coming to Chile can expect a well formatted education system and well-motivated students.
Many Teaching jobs
The TEFL market is extremely prosperous, with a particularly strong demand for business English. As the country’s financial situation continues to improve, companies are rewarding their employees with benefits such as English tuition, thus creating a desire for the native-speaking teacher. One of the main ideas behind the government’s drive to improve the linguistic levels of the nation is to boost global competitiveness, which has led to an abundance of English teaching jobs in Chile, some of which can be found on Craiglist also.
Chileans consider learning English as an opportunity for both career enhancement and personal development, thus language institutes now require teachers in the smaller towns and cities such as Iquique, Punta Arena and Viña del Mar. Moreover, the tourism industry in Chile is growing by the day, therefore opportunities exist the length and breadth of the country, and not only in the capital, Santiago de Chile, and big cities of Concepción and Valparaiso.
Traveling Opportunities and Cultural Experiences
From exploring the history of Santiago to Chile and taking a culinary tour of Valparaiso to joining an astronomical tour in the Atacama Desert and kayaking the lakes of Torres del Paine there is never a dull moment. Squeezed between the southern section of the colossal Andes mountain range and a Pacific coastline that stretches for 2,700-miles, Chile offers an awe-inspiring backdrop to teaching English. What’s more, never exceeding more than 110-miles in width, you are never more than a few hours from the beach or mountains.
So, whether it is the warm hospitality of the country’s European-influenced cities or a look into rural lifestyles, the opportunities for cultural enrichment are boundless. And, on top of this, Chile is well-known for its thriving indigenous communities who continue to incorporate thousand-year-old traditions into their daily activities.
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