Teaching English Abroad - The Basics

Are you about to graduate but haven't yet decided on a career path?  Have you always wanted to learn a foreign language?  Are you interested in travelling the world while you're still young? 

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, perhaps you might consider teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).  Though it might sound crazy to your friends and family, it's not such a bad idea, especially given the current economic situation.  If you are concerned about the job outlook in your current area and are open to new adventures in foreign lands, taking a year or two off to explore the world around you could be a very promising investment in your professional future.  

One of the biggest benefits to be gained from teaching overseas is foreign language skills.  After studying Spanish for two years in college, I can now boast fluency as well as basic language capabilities in Brazilian Portuguese.  In addition to the personal strength associated with relocating and assimilating to a foreign culture, the leadership skills cultivated by teaching abroad are impressive on a resume, regardless of your professional background.  And the best part is that you don't even need a teaching degree.  

To teach abroad, all you need to do is speak English as your native language and enroll in a TEFL or TESOL program.  To break down the acronyms, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is used to teach outside the United States while ESL (English as a Second Language) is obtained to teach within the US.  TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) includes both TEFL and ESL.  

TEFL and TESOL degrees are offered through a variety of companies and schools that provide both online and in-person courses.  The cheapest option is online certification (examples include teflinstitute.com, teflcertificate.com, teflonline.com, teflcertificatecourses.com, and many more), with most programs charging about $1,000 USD for a 6 - 10 week course, though discounts are sometimes available.  Most of these also offer in-person courses, which usually cost between $500 - 1,000 more than the online version, but are usually accompanied by guaranteed job placement in the area of study.  It's important to thoroughly research a company's reputation before agreeing to take its course, as some programs are more internationally recognized than others.  

An alternate route is to obtain the CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults) offered by Cambridge, which is more expensive but probably the most widely recognized of the English teaching degrees.  This can be followed up with the DELTA (Diploma of English Language Teaching to Adults) for those who are interested in a long-term teaching career.  For the most part, TEFL and TESOL certifications are more common among those who are only interested in short-term teaching positions.  

Note that when considering online options, you should never enroll in a course that's less than 120 hours.  This is because most standard, internationally recognized TEFL programs require at least 120 hours (100 teaching hours and 20 student teaching hours) for their certifications.  If you see a site that offers a 60-hour certification, beware.  This might be a cheaper option, but the schools to which you apply will most likely require a 120-hour certification from their job applicants.  

Another route for those who are current or recently-graduated students is AIESEC, the largest student-driven organization in the world.  AIESEC members have the opportunity to work and study abroad through internships in a variety of areas (business, technology, teaching, etc.).  After paying the joining fee, students gain access to the international internship database and are free to apply for any positions they wish.  AIESEC also qualifies as a cheaper option for those interested in teaching, as most schools do not require a TEFL or TESOL certificate to apply (though they do ask that applicants have some teaching experience).  Once matched with a position abroad, students must pay an additional matching fee of several hundred USD (the amount depends upon the type of position).  

If you are interested in pursuing any of these options or want more details, feel free to contact me or leave a comment.  More posts to come! 

San Blas: A Backpacker's Paradise

San Blas is, hands down, the #1 best place I've visited abroad.  An archipelago of 378 islands (49 inhabited) off the Caribbean coast of Panama, San Blas is also home to a second indigenous group, the Kuna Yala.  Though it's a bit difficult to reach, whatever troubles are encountered on the road are more than compensated for by the simple beauty, serenity, and relaxation offered on these islands.  

The San Blas islands are notoriously difficult to reach.  While those with enough money can easily fly in on a small plane, the rest of us must take a transport or drive (the road requires 4WD) from Panama City on the Pacific Coast to the Kuna port on the Caribbean side.  Simple enough, right?  

Wrong!  

The road connecting the Pacific and Atlantic coasts traverses mountains and valleys and is treacherous mostly due to the heavy rains and topsoil erosion.  In some extreme cases, as shown in the picture above, the land supporting the road is simply washed away.  The Kuna tribes usually organize roadside work crews to repair damage, but sometimes it becomes necessary to close the pass for weeks or months at a time.  

View from the roadside

After a 3-hour drive from the city, visitors must take a launch at the Kuna port to the island of their choosing.  Those who visit during the 9-month rainy season, as we did, risk chances of heavy rains during their stay.  Below are some photos of a particularly adventurous ride home from our island...

 Francisco and I always chose Isla Franklin/Isla Tony as our destination.  This particular island, named for its joint owners who are brothers, is divided into separate properties.  As the story goes, their father bequeathed the island to the two sons, who never resolved their differences and split their inheritance accordingly - with a metal fence that runs the length of the island (some 70 yards or less).  

Once on the island, most tourists don't don any apparel other than their bathing suits for the duration of their stay.  We ate in bathing suits, swam in bathing suits, slept in bathing suits.  As the accommodations are little more than rudimentary palm huts with sand floors, most of us didn't even bother to shower until our final day.  Below is an example of our sleeping quarters - those that didn't want to share a room could spend the night stargazing in a handmade hammock.  

One of Isla Franklin's best qualities is the cost.  It's quite affordable to spend a weekend in paradise - below is an estimated expense list.

Gas (or transport) - $40
Parking (if no transport) - $7
Taxes (depends on nationality - cheaper for Panamanians) - $10 - 20
2-way Launch - $40
Hut (1 night, includes 3 meals) - $9-30
Total - $106 - 137

These prices are flexible depending on your relationship with the Kuna Yala.  They sometimes offer discounts to frequent visitors and are flexible with regard to payment - some Kuna have been known to offer rides to tourists in exchange for beer and other goods. 

In addition to a generally relaxing atmosphere, the islands also boast wonderfully preserved coral reefs for the snorkeling crowd.  One island in particular, Isla Perro, is a popular destination for those interested in exploring shipwrecks.  See the photos below from a recent adventure...

View above water...

View underwater - this was a hole on the ship's surface

Finally, San Blas offers the cheapest crab ($10) and lobster ($20) dinners around.  The first time I asked Franklin if they had any lobster in stock, he told me that at the moment no, but that I should wait until night to see what they caught!  As it turned out, it was a good day for catching critters:

That night, the Kuna summoned us to dinner in the same style as every meal - with a conch shell.

Additional photos from previous trips can be seen below.  Please note that all pictures in this post are from my personal collection.  None have been borrowed, downloaded, or edited. 

We had to watch out for the jellyfish!

Panama: First Impressions and Stereotypes

When I had arrived in Chile, I was somewhat prepared for the culture and history of the country that awaited me.  I had studied the Pinochet dictatorship in a politics class, had read famous poet Pablo Neruda's literature, had learned some of the local Chilean slang.  

Not so with Panama.  I arrived with only a few ill-formed stereotypes and no real knowledge of the country in which I would spend the next year of my life.  I thought I was entering a humid, tropical third-world country where no one spoke English.  

To discredit a few stereotypes and give an impression of the real Panama, I offer the following general information to my readers:  

1.  Though Panama may be considered a third-world country by some, the capital itself bears more resemblance to Miami than to the typical Central American city.  In fact, for me the only major difference between Panama City and any American city was the language.  To illustrate my point, below you can see skylines of both Panama City and Miami - can you tell which is which?  

2.  Lots of folks in Panama speak English.  And not just those who were born to American families in the Canal Zone, either.  The U.S. involvement in the canal's construction and operation influenced Panama in many areas, one of which was the English language.  Even the Spanish spoken in Panama is peppered with English phrases:  "Oh my God," "cool," "pritty" (which comes from "pretty" but is closer to "cool" in meaning), "plis" (please), and "man" just to name a few.  

3.  In Panama, they don't eat tacos and burritos.  This is a common misconception that comes from our tendency to associate Mexican food with all Southern cultures.  Rather, Panamanians prefer seafood, rice and beans, patacones (fried plantains), and a variety of meats.  For more on Panama's cuisine, go here. 

4.  The Panama Canal is not the only tourist attraction in Panama.  This country boasts some of the most beautiful beaches with some of the biggest waves on the Pacific side, and actually hosted this year's Billabong ISA Surfing Games.  Panama, like Costa Rica, also offers lots of jungle for those who dare to explore, along with an extinct volcano for the hikers.  Finally, view my post (coming soon!) on San Blas for the ultimate Caribbean paradise.