A Warm Welcome in Chile

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by John Shannon

It is fair to say that Chile is only just beginning to appear on the ESL map. For many years geographically and politically isolated, Chile has not seen the same massive developments in ESL that have taken place in, for example, Brazil or Argentina. It is significant that International House, one of the major international players in the ESL market, has only just opened a center in Chile (in Santiago, in April of 2002), although it has been well established in places such as Buenos Aires for years.

Now, however, the need for English has reached Chile, as it has in just about every other developing country. Consequently, as Chile becomes more involved in international affairs, an increasing number of professionals require knowledge of English, at least at basic level, while many universities are now making English a mandatory component of courses in subjects such as medicine, engineering and architecture.

The Ministry of Education has stressed the importance of the English language for the country’s development. Its recent reforms (Reforma) recommend that English be taught earlier—at primary levels—in schools. This is partly a reaction to a grounds-well of pressure from parents in Chile who, like parents in many parts of the world, see English as a passport to the future for their children. However, the Reforma stresses the importance of reading and listening skills, not communication. In addition, the funding and resources do not match the promises; many state secondary school teachers face English language classes of 40 to 50 mixed ability students. There is, too, an enormous deficit in the number of suitably trained and qualified English-speaking teachers to teach English at primary level.

The demand for English, and perhaps the lack of development in ESL in the state system, may explain why the number of private English language teaching institutes has increased so dramatically in the past five years (in Santiago, from less than half-a-dozen to hundreds).

The Job Market

In spite of (or probably because of) the recession, which is still affecting parts of Chile, and because of the reasons mentioned above, the demand for English has remained strong.

Santiago, the capital, has literally hundreds of language-teaching institutes, from fly-by-night operations to large, well-established ESL institutes. The Norteamericanos, known as bi-national centers (BNCs), were founded all over South and Central America and Mexico during the 1940s and 1950s. The Britanicos, known as Anglos in some parts of Latin America, share a similar pedigree. They are teaching and examination centers for the Cambridge suite of examinations: PET; KET; FCE; CAE and CPE.

The largest and most important universities are located in the city, such as the Universidad Catolica, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Metropolitana de Chile, and the Universidad de Santiago, and English is taught in all of them. Some of these (such as the Metropolitan University) are teacher training universities. In addition to these institutions, there are many private schools, both primary and secondary, where English is an important part of the program. Several of these are “British” schools, part of an association network, dating back to the days when there was a much greater British presence in Chile.

Like any capital city, Santiago has all the benefits of its size and importance: cultural programs, museums, art galleries, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, and a far greater range of professional opportunities. However, Santiago is well on the way to becoming one of the world’s most polluted cities (if it is not already the worst), and also experiences all the other problems associated with large cities: noise, congestion, a higher crime rate than the rest of Chile (although Chile in general is a safe country—in my opinion). A solution, if you can afford it, is to live up on the hills above the smog line, along with the diplomats, the embassy staff, the bankers and politicians.

Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar, west of Santiago, on the coast, about 1 1/2 hours from Santiago by bus, have several ESL institutes, including the above-mentioned Norteamericano and Britanico; the operations are generally on a much smaller scale, but there are usually jobs available, and the air is clean and life is infinitely less hectic than that of the capital. There are also several universities, with English as a significant component of their programs, in these cities. In Vina, there are also a few of the private “British” schools, both primary and secondary, already mentioned.
There are also ESL institutes in the other cities of Chile (such as Punta Arenas in the extreme south, Puerto Montt and Temuco in the south, Concepcion nearer the center, La Serena and Antofagasta further north and Iquique and Arica in the far north).

Although these are smaller operations, they are surviving well, and are always on the look-out for qualified native-speakers, although very few “gringos” decide to settle in these places—most of them just pass through on their way to the tourist attractions of the Patagonia region: the Torres del Paine and the lakes district, or the altiplano of the north.

Private English language teaching is another option: most teachers have private students/tutoring groups in addition to their work with institutions; although the income is not as guaranteed as that from working in an institute, it is generally much higher (somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 pesos per hour).

Qualifications and Formalities

It is important to remember that the degree courses in Chilean universities (including the qualification to become an English teacher: Profesor(a) de Ingles are five-year courses. Certainly, Chile is obsessive about qualifications, and anyone considering applying for a post in a university would need at the very minimum a Master’s degree. It is not uncommon to find university lecturers in the English departments in Chile with Ph.D.s. It is also worth remembering that Chile is obsessive about bureaucratic procedures, especially those concerning documents, and this includes certificates. Whenever you are applying for teaching positions, you will be expected to produce the original certificates for your degrees. Photocopies will not be accepted.

Finding a Job

Coming to Chile without a guaranteed job, or for that matter a place to live, might seem to be a daunting prospect, but opportunities here are excellent, especially for someone with an ESL qualification. It is possible to say that anyone with a reasonable background, personality and appearance will, without any problem, be able to find an ESL position in Chile. There are very few institutions that recruit by distance, which is why there are so few, if any, ads for TEFL in Chile appearing in the media. Institutes may respond to inquiries, but they rarely, if ever, offer positions without face-to-face interviews. Very few institutions are prepared to commit themselves—which means arranging contracts and accommodation, paying airfares, and committing scheduled classes—to someone they know only from a CV.

When to Arrive

The Chilean academic year runs from March to December. If you plan to spend a year or more in Chile, the end of February would be a good time to start arranging interviews. Universities have a “winter” break, usually two weeks, in July. They usually only recruit teachers for the whole year, beginning in March.

Contracts and Salaries

Some teachers are given a contract for a fixed period, with a specified salary (which is usually based on an hourly rate), and providing access to medical and social security schemes. Salaries are usually paid by check or directly into a bank account, from which tax and medical and social security scheme payments are deducted.

Some institutions pay teachers as part-time, or honorario teachers, which means they are paid, by the hour, for the hours they teach. There are no medical or other benefits with this type of arrangement. Teachers must obtain (after receiving permission to work) a book of boletos, or receipts; each month they complete a receipt with the amount they are entitled to be paid. Of this amount, 10 percent is deducted for income tax. Incredibly, this tax is all refunded the following year, simply by completing an official form (which is provided) and handing it in to any bank.

The hourly rate ranges widely, from 3,000 pesos in the smaller institutes to 15,000 pesos in some of the larger universities the highest rates being in Santiago—(US $1=690 pesos).

After two years, you can apply for permanent residence in Chile.

Cost of Living

Chile is an expensive country, one of the most expensive in South America. However, teaching is relatively well-paid, and there is enough work available for teachers to live reasonably comfortably, and to travel within Chile and probably the rest of South America. Public transport is inexpensive.

Virtually everything you can find in the U.S. you can find here: there are very large, well-stocked supermarkets in all towns and cities. Of course, there is the added bonus of Chilean wine, which is extremely good and cheap.

Accommodation is plentiful, in all cities, but shop around for the best prices. Along the coast, in the resorts, accommodation is usually only available from March to December, because the owners can make a fortune letting their property during the summer months of January and February.

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