Latin America
A Guide to Teaching English in Latin America
Latin America’s close trade links with its prosperous neighbour, the USA, have driven a huge (and growing) demand for English teachers. Most of the jobs are centred around major cities like Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Quito.
TEFL Job Hotspots in Latin America
These are our top destinations for TEFL teachers looking for work in Latin America. They all have lots of TEFL job opportunities and they’re also great places to live and work.
TEFL Jobs in Brazil
Brazil has one of the world’s fastest growing and most robust economies. This growth has led to an increased demand for English teachers and there are now more English teachers in Brazil than ever before. There isn’t the huge number of TEFL jobs that you’d find in other major TEFL destinations, but people with relevant experience and a TEFL certificate shouldn’t be job-hunting for too long.
TEFL Jobs in Argentina
Argentina is one of Latin America’s best TEFL job destinations: there are a quite a few jobs to be found and the visa situation isn’t as prohibitive as in Brazil.
TEFL Jobs in Ecuador
If your main motivation for teaching English is to make lots of money and improve your bank balance, don’t go to Ecuador! Wages for teaching English in Ecuador are pretty low, but so is the cost of living. This means that, although you won’t be saving much (if anything!), you should still be able to live comfortably.
TEFL Jobs in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is by far the most affluent and stable country in Central America and much of this is due to the country’s close relationship with the US. English is taught in all primary schools and the government actively encourages English language education.
Wages and Cost of Living
As we’ve already mentioned, Africa is not a great choice if you’re hoping to make loads of money from a TEFL job. However, people with a recognised TEFL certificate will always find work and because the cost of living is usually relatively low, you should be able to live quite cheaply. There are also lots of volunteer teaching positions available across the continent.
