Teaching English in Argentina
Teaching English in Argentina
Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree: Not Required
Monthly Salary: $600 to 1,200 USD
Peak Hiring: February-March
Visa Information: Tourist
Housing: Not compensated
Airfare: Not reimbursed
Student Types: Business English
At a Glance
If you love the culture of Argentina, its music, art, and literature; if you are inspired by the stories of the gauchos and their trusty horses; if you feel the rhythm of tango when you see a man and a woman dancing together with such elegance—then teaching English in Argentina might be just what you’ve been looking for!
Overview
Teaching English in Argentina won’t make you a crazy amount of Dinero. Instead, most people teach there for its delicious cuisine, admired culture, and lovely people. It’s also a place for its inspiring scenery like the nearby mighty Andes, and of course, Iguazu Falls.
Argentina can be more challenging and more competitive than it looks. Despite a shaky economy, there is still a lot of demand, especially in business English. It’s possible to get a job there just by being a native speaker. Companies look for prospective teachers with Bachelor’s degrees and TEFL certification.
Most jobs are in Buenos Aires, the capital city of nearly 3 million people. Cordoba and Rosario are also popular cities to teach English in Argentina. But it’s possible to find work in tourist cities, such as Bariloche, Mendoza, and Salta.
English Schools in Argentina
While you don’t necessarily require a Bachelor’s degree, employers often check for a minimum of a TEFL certification. A school has to sponsor you to get a work visa. The cost of one usually comes out of your own pocket. a CELTA (or equivalent) with at least 3-5 years of teaching experience.
In general, the best times to get hired in Argentina are February/March or August/September. Most TEFL teachers just arrive in Argentina and hand out their CV/resume directly to private language centers. Alternatively, you can find private tutoring work for an agency in Argentina too.
This Google map displays English schools in Argentina, including ratings and reviews, from around the country.
Private Tutoring
The idea behind tutoring is finding an agency to work for. They find you students and pay you. But they also take a cut of pay. The downside is that you’ll work a lot of mornings and evenings. Also, you’ll have an overlapping schedule so juggling time is common.
Agencies offer in the range of 5 to 10 dollars an hour and send you to clients throughout the city for an hour or two class. You can work for more than one agency because they hire a lot of teachers.
Private Language Centers
This is also a common way to teach English in Argentina. Most of the big chain language schools are in Argentina. They hire seasonally with the best times in February/March or August/September. Although Bachelor’s degrees are not always necessary for employment, schools prefer TEFL certification from English teachers.
Salary
Salaries are low by Western standards in Argentina. You can earn a monthly salary of $600 to 1,200 USD with a full schedule. While the hourly wage in academies is about $5 to 7 USD, you can expect to make more as a private tutor at about $8 to 10 USD per hour.
| Monthly Salary | Total |
|---|---|
| US Dollars (USD) | 600 to 1,200 USD |
| Argentine Peso (ARS) | 23,000 – 47,000 ARS |
Living Costs
When you account for living costs, this gives you enough to survive but not thrive. Although time differences can be challenging, a lot of teachers turn to teaching English online. Airfare, accommodation, and work visa costs are usually paid for by the teacher.
It’s also important to note that Argentina’s economic problems haven’t gone away since defaulting on its high debt load. It often becomes a break-even situation when you add the cost of food, commute, and general living. Inflation is still a concern in Argentina so keep this in mind if you are considering teaching English in Argentina.
Certification
English teachers in Argentina are highly sought after, and if you’re an English native speaker with a degree or certification to back it up, there’s no better time to put your skills to good use than right now. Whether you want to live in Buenos Aires or another part of the country, there are plenty of opportunities for native English speakers who are also fluent in Spanish.
Although some TEFL providers may try to convince you that certification is required to teach in Argentina, this is completely untrue. TEFL certification is a qualification that shows your proficiency in teaching English, validates your skills, and lets you showcase your expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unless you work in an international school or university, you will likely not need to have a Bachelor’s degree to work there. Although TEFL certification gives you more skills and knowledge to bring to your classroom, it is also not necessary to obtain one to teach English in Argentina.
Foreign teachers enjoy things like Argentine beef, Fernet, and wine. The nightlife, the arts, history, culture, and tango are certainly great, especially in Buenos Aires.
Crime is still a big issue in Argentina. Be cautious of petty crimes like pickpocketing with occasional protests.
Portenos or Portena (people from Buenos Aires) are generally lovely, funny, dramatic, cultured, and love to chat. This makes planning and teaching them exceptionally easy as students will often talk on a single subject.
If you’re going to work for an agency or do private lessons, a decent Spanish ability is necessary for arranging classes with these clients. In general, the agencies and clients don’t care about teachers’ qualifications or experience. They are just looking for long-term commitment as there seems to be a huge turnover.
Buenos Aires is gigantic with millions of people living there. The transportation system is cheap but chaotic. It’s usually packed at peak hours so expect a lot of commuting.