Are you interested in going to teach in South America? There are so many reasons to choose Chile as your destination. This is one of the safest and countries with the best quality of living in the region and you can find teaching jobs throughout the country. Be a part of this exciting opportunity as Chile is taking great strides in creating new and real opportunities for both students and teachers to practice English.
Top Rated Programs
Locations
The best places to find TEFL jobs include Santiago, Puente Alto, Antofagasta, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Talcahuano, San Bernardo, Port Montt, Temuco, Concepción, Rancagua and La Pintana.
Teaching Jobs in Chile
Some recruitment and placement companies provide full-service assistance for qualified applicants to receive a job offer from a reputable Chilean school, visa processing arrangements, and preferred housing reservations, all of which are confirmed before the applicant boards the airplane to teach in Chile.
Recruiters work closely with Chilean schools and universities, all with the common goal to advance the nation’s working knowledge of English. We offer a number of teaching opportunities to work with students in three distinct categories: children ages 5 to 18 (grades Kindergarden-12), university level, and adult learners, based upon your interest and experience level.
Schools are not seeking volunteers to work for free or for a small monthly stipend. Instead program participants receive a full monthly salary, directly from the school, comparable to what local Chilean teachers earn.
Chile’s school system is divided into two semesters:the first commencing roughly the 1st of March and the second around the 1st of August. Opportunities are typically five- and ten-month programs which include an in-country orientation and extensive training prior to each semester’s session commencing. Some institutes require teachers from abroad commit for one full year; others are flexible.
As a participant in our program, you will be afforded opportunities to learn more about Chile’s culture and the impact your contributions will have on its economy.
Based upon your interests and experience, and the demand at the time, participants will be placed in a public or public-private school (ranging from grades kindergarden through 12), in a university (undergraduate level only), or within a language institute (adult learners). For univeristy level and adult-learner students, teachers take sole responsibility for the English class instruction. For the K-12 students, teachers will most likely be involved in a co-teacher setting, working alongside a Chilean teacher with full shared responsiblities.
In all cases you will be involved with preparing lessons, outside class activities such as an “English Club”, creating instruction materials, grading and more. Your host teaching institution will provide an in-country orientation and institution-specific methodology training relevant to your assignment.
The Need For English
Chile continually rates highest amongst all Latin American countries for safety, and for economic and political stability. In an effort to further establish the country as an economic leader, Chile’s former president, Ricardo Lagos, stated the country must have a better working knowledge of English if it intends to be more competitive. The Ministry of Education has reiterated that point stating “Education is the wealth of Chile and English opens doors to increase that wealth.” Your effort will work toward the common goal of improving English skills throughout all of Chile.
Cultural Exchange Programs
Some international agencies have been selected by the Chilean Ministry of Education and United Nations Development Program to provide native English speakers to assist Chilean English schools in beautiful cities like Santiago, Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales.
The objectives of this “English Open Doors” program is to improve the English skills of the local Chilean communities, and foster mutual respect and friendship between people of different cultural backgrounds. “Discover the Similarities – Share the Differences”
Classroom experience is preferred but not required, with a basic level of Spanish. Cultural Embrace provides pre-departure and local training prior to your teacher assistant placement. A 20 unit on-line TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course is available for you to feel more comfortable with the English grammar and language, as well as teaching methodologies prior to your departure. Upon arrival in to Chile, a two-week all-inclusive orientation will take place in Santiago before your included domestic flight to your selected school. This in-country training will include Chilean culture, cultural adjustment, health and safety issues, general country and local information, EFL teaching methods and teaching practice, and Curriculum training, workshops and field work with other English teacher assistants and Chilean facilitators.
Teacher Assistants will help Chilean English teachers in their classrooms for about 25 hours per week, with additional hours expected for class planning and preparation. They will also participate in extra-curricular activities which may include developing English conversational groups, cooperating in art, science and other projects, encouraging community involvement with activities related to the English language. The duration of the program is one school semester.
Highlights and Benefits
Teaching in Chile Offers:
• The satisfaction of helping others
• An opportunity to broaden your perspective and worldview
• An economical way to live and travel abroad
• An opportunity to participate in and learn local cultural activities (e.g. language, music, dancing, cooking)
• Memorable travel experiences with the chance to see exotic sites you have always dreamed about
• The ability to make lifelong friends from around the globe
• A valuable work experience that strengthens your resume
• A great way to develop and support your self-confidence and interpersonal skills
Requirements
• Native English speakers
• College students or professionals with good command of the English language. Classroom experience helpful, but NOT required.
• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
• Basic Spanish knowledge
• Mature, responsible, flexible and resourceful
• Enjoy leading groups and teaching children and/or adults
• Good lesson planning and organization skills
• Attendance at staff meetings
• Open to foreign cultures and living abroad
• High level of responsibility
• Dedication to the full term of commitment
• A criminal background check may be required by some schools and positions
Chile Education System
Education in Chile is considered to be inequitable amongst the population.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for pre-primary, primary, and secondary schooling in Chile. The pre-primary level is two years of non-compulsory education for children four to five years of age.Primary and secondary education are compulsory. Primary education is from ages 6 to 13, and secondary education is from ages 14 to 17. In 2000, 99 percent of school-age children were studying at primary schools, and 90 at secondary schools.
School Categories
In terms of financing, there are the following kinds of schools:
- Municipal: State-subsidized schools run by municipalities, which may also contribute monetarily to the schools. The majority of the population studies at these schools (64% at the primary level).
- Particular Subvencionado: Private with a government subsidy. At the primary level, 29% of the population attends this kind of school.
- Particular: Private. At the primary level, 7% of the population attends this kind of school.
- Corporate Schools: Schools run by corporations and which receive the same state subsidy that the municipal schools receive.
After graduation from high school, students may choose to go to college, to work, or to study at a professional institute or technical center. In Chile, a university education is much less common and much more prestigious than in the U.S.
Prueba Selección Universitaria (PSU) is the national exam that students must take in their last year of high school, if they want to enter college.
Chilean public universities are more competitive than private ones, although the private colleges may have additional entrance examinations. Some students opt to enter a pre-university program to prepare for the exam.
At the university level, students are divided by faculty and then by year. University students study for four to seven years; those studying for four or five years usually get the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. Degrees in engineering, medicine and law are given after six or seven years of college.
Chilean Government-Sponsored Programs
There are a number of Chilean Government-sponsored programs which support English-language learning, scholarships, and testing for Chilean citizens. In no particular order of importance or funding, following are at least five notable programs:
- CORFO: The overall mission of this agency is to encourage and support entrepreneurship and innovation. Of one of the many legs this organization supports includes offering adult professionals in selected and approved industries two- or four-months of intensive English courses.
- SIMCE: This yearly administered testing to children throughout the country, measures their skills in various topics. Recently, English-language acquisition was added to the skill list of the nation-wide SIMCE testing.
- ENGLISH OPENS DOORS (Inglés Abre Puertas): This multi-faceted, Chilean Ministry of Education-sponsored program, has morphed since its inception in year 2002, but has included inviting English-speaking volunteers into the country to assist English acquisition into the public school system (kinder through 12th grade).
- SENCE: The Chilean government provides income tax credits to employers that pay for employees that participate in language courses from companies that meet the SENSE requirements as set forth by the Chilean governmental standards and regulations.
- BECAS CHILE: Educational scholarships provided to advanced Chilean university-level students that intend to study abroad in those countries where English will be the primary language of instruction for any variety of career studies.
FAQ
Do I have to know Spanish to apply?
Most employers can place you do not require knowledge of Spanish, although recently only one university in our network has required an intermediate level of Spanish. (In most cases, as a rule, Spanish is not allowed in your English class). However, any knowledge of the Spanish language will certainly enrich your social experience in Chile. View recommend Spanish language schools in Chile should you desire.
Is teaching experience necessary to participate?
No, but an interest in teaching is necessary.
Salary
Schools in Chile usually pay a minimum monthly salary of $445,000 Chilean pesos (more can be earned if more hours are worked). In all cases the monthly salary is paid directly to the participant from the teaching institution. The salary is competitive to the wages that local Chilean teachers earn and sufficient for participants to meet basic living costs at the local standard of living. For most this salary is sufficient; some choose to augment it with their own personal funds and or pick up side jobs teaching/tutoring with private clients.
Program Duration
Most programs involve a minimum five-month/one semester commitment. Some companies do offer ten-month (two semesters), and one-year programs as well. Participants in the first semester programs will depart end of February and can return mid-July. Second semester participants will depart for Chile end of July and can return mid-December. While most teaching institutions hire only on the semester basis, some recruiters do work with some that hire new teachers every month, without regard to the semester academic calendar. For all programs, the participant’s teaching term will be prefaced by an in-country orientation and training session.
Testimonials
“Living in Chile and teaching English in Santiago was hands down the best experience of my life. I had a wonderful living situation with a Chilean woman who is also an English teacher, just a short 10-minute bus ride away from the center of the city. In just 5 months I felt like I had been living there forever, all thanks to the warm and welcoming Chilean people. Santiago is a fun, lively, bright, and beautiful city with so much to offer. My recruiter provided readily available support whenever necessary, while still allowing participants to be independent to live and travel. I absolutely loved my time spent with my sweet, affectionate students. I learned so much from them, and can only hope they learned just as much English from me! To me, being in their classroom was just as exciting as it was for them to have a foreigner teaching them English. Every day was an exciting learning experience full of fun surprises, and I would work at my colegio again in a heartbeat! Nothing compares to the relationships I formed while I was in Chile, I made lifelong friends in Chileans as well as fellow participants. I miss Chile every day and cannot wait to go back for a visit, or maybe something a little more permanent!” – Katie, from the United States