Can some Native English teacher in Medellin share their experiences to the rest of us?

usher127 says on Sep 17, 2007, 14:39:

I've only ever taught English privately. My impression of working for institutes is that its a lot of work for little money, unless of course you get into one of the posh schools, like Mermount. That said, it's a guarenteed income which is a huge problem for private classes, due to cacellations, etc.

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bradenmiami says on Sep 17, 2007, 15:06:

Good luck with private classes - as stated above. Also, every institution in the world down here will offer you the world, and make amazingly dreamy promises about raises, more classes and longer hours. Bottom line is that they are usually underpaid (for the job) but still paid well to live locally. Really the only hard part is to find fulltime - something to live off of if you have no other form of income.

For private classes, tutoring or part-time at an institution 15k COP or less an hour your getting ripped. You should make 25-35 COP and hour. Find a good job, fulltime, and hang onto it with your life - nobody will give you any good leads because everyone who is already here wants to hook up the best opportunities themselves! I work locally AND have a great online opportunty making a regular US salary...but keep them both hidden in my back pocket! hah

The "lovemedellin website" is a piece of crap made by some moron who has only been to Medellin once...you'd be better off reading the Lonely Planet advice from a guy who never even came here!

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ahda007 says on Sep 17, 2007, 15:49:

Great!!!!! that sure gave me so much inspiration to teach here in medellin :/ Oh well, which other latin country can give good income and easy to find jobs?

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coffee beaner says on Sep 17, 2007, 16:10:

You can actually get jobs in Medellin at local schools teaching if you have a hook up or not, it helps if you know Spanish. I am currently attending school at UPB to be an English teacher and its not all that hard to get a job here as an English teacher from what I have seen... some people complain about the pay, but if you want to live in Colombia you have to adapt to the standards of living in the country. If your looking to make money then get into politics =)

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annieb says on Sep 17, 2007, 16:19:

There is a teaching job open in Armenia. It is a great city and great place to work. Contact me if you want more info.

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ozgringo says on Sep 17, 2007, 16:36:

just out of interest coffee beaner do UPB do a Spanish course for extranjeros ?

tried to think of something deep to write here.. but couldn't think of anything..

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coffee beaner says on Sep 17, 2007, 17:13:

ozgringo they don't at UPB but I think they do at EAFIT.

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mranderson says on Sep 17, 2007, 17:48:

I don't speak much spanish and I don't have any expierience teaching nor have I ever studied english grammar but I got a job right away. Of course the pay is not very good but It's ok to get expierience.(and enough to live on for the time being) One thing is for sure is that you cannot trust a language institute for anything. They take classes away just as fast as they give them. Absolutely no loyalty and they expect you to work strange hours...for example: 6 am, then 10am, another class at 2pm and finally the last class at 6:30 at night. The director tried to pull that kind of schedule on me(going and returning to the institute 3 times a day!) but I refused which put me on the shit list so to speak. (if a colombian boss doesn't get his way they can be very childish). I also got an offer at a colegio which I think is like a high school but the pay was so bad. Literally it was pennies for the amount of work..not enough to even survive on in my opinion.

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Leeroy says on Sep 17, 2007, 18:58:

"I don't speak much spanish and I don't have any expierience teaching nor have I ever studied english grammar but I got a job right away."

"I also got an offer at a colegio which I think is like a high school but the pay was so bad."

Beggars can't be choosers. I think the saying goes something like that.

There are many Colombian teachers with lots of experience teaching, and who know a lot about English grammar, who would very much like to get a job that pays anything at all.

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ahda007 says on Sep 17, 2007, 19:38:

when you guys say bad salaries, are you guys refering to under 1000 usd?

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Leeroy says on Sep 17, 2007, 19:51:

I would say that any job paying under 1,000 usd would be a bad-paying job.

A lot of people would jump on me for saying that - I mean, what percentage of the Colombian populace earns more than that?

The point is that I, a spoilt westerner, am used to the luxuries to which I am accustomed, which include hot water, broadband internet, and electric fondue makers. Hey - at least I am honest.

One cannot guarantee all the above on less than 1,000usd a month.

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ahda007 says on Sep 17, 2007, 19:57:

Whats the chance of getting a teaching job in medellin for 1500 usd per month?

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coffee beaner says on Sep 17, 2007, 21:04:

No experience and no Spanish? practically none, unless you have someone that can hook you up and even so it's not a guarantee.

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john_stark says on Sep 17, 2007, 21:36:

My wife had hot water and broadband internet while living on a $US 1000 a month. The vast majority of Colombians would be thrilled to have $US 1000 a month.

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englishhunk says on Sep 18, 2007, 05:07:

$100 US a month..........if you got that teaching at most institutes you would be elated lol

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usher127 says on Sep 18, 2007, 06:14:

1000usd per month is more than enough to live on in Medellin... I would say less. You can rent a decent room for 200usd per month with broadband, hot water and bills included. Just stay clear of all the ads posted by Gringos as they are asking for crazy money... or just any ads posted on this forumn generally.

Of course, if you want to live here for the next 10 years you need to think about other costs, but it sounds like your coming for 6 months, so I wouldnt worry. Maybe try to combine some work with an institute with some private classes.

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mranderson says on Sep 18, 2007, 07:34:

I live on $600 usd a month. But my rent is only $100 usd and no utilities. That includes hot water too.

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ahda007 says on Sep 18, 2007, 13:02:

I am actually planning to live in Colombia for life, if is somewhat the kind the living could enjoy. I do know spanish, since I was born in Panama and raised there till I was 8. However, I know my grammar is poor, but I know wont take long before I can be fluent (my accent to spanish is fair). I do hold a TESL diploma and have taught more or less 30 lessons ( I don't know if you consider that experienced). The dollar value on the salary don't mean much to me in comparison to what living accomodations I can do with my salary. By saying I meant: $1500 us/per month might be good in colombia but wont be sufficient in Canada. I am hoping to get an amount of pay in $ that can provide for a rent of a single room appartment, essential grocceries and some allowances ( I consider myself frugal ). Would $1000 or $1500 or $500 provide me that?

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ahda007 says on Sep 18, 2007, 13:05:

Hey Englishhunk:

Did you mean elated for $1000 or for $100???

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usher127 says on Sep 18, 2007, 15:35:

If you are coming here for good, you should definately try to bring some 'dollars' with you, just in case the first few months are difficult. At the end of the day, if you have discipline, it wont be a disaster, as the cost of living here is low, so long as you dont get carried away.

I myself havent really made a profit yet in the last 6 months, but thats because im addicted to expensive foregin food and taxis... and i've had to relocate once from bogota to medellin. On the plus side, in terms of private classes, every month is a little better than the month before.

Grammar... alot of native speakers have poor knowledge of grammar... you need to find a teaching methodology that you believe in... that you can sell to your students. You need to know the basics, but complex grammar rules are often more trouble than theyre worth... and modern teaching methods are based upon more practical ways of learning.

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spigrimace says on Sep 18, 2007, 16:44:

In Medellin, I have a Colombian friend who is a bank auditor with an Colombian accounting degree. Makes on average $2´500.000/month. I have a Colombian friend who is a nurse and has her Colombian masters. She makes about 3 millones a month working TONS of hours/on call time.

So there´s some hints on what PROFESSIONALS make here.

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mranderson says on Sep 18, 2007, 17:35:

Bring enough money to buy a house. Then you won't have to pay rent. You can get a decent house in a lower stratus for about $15,000.usd

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Leeroy says on Sep 18, 2007, 18:33:

I have my "relative currency translation" system pretty much worked out. It is slightly flawed, but good enough for me.

I take the amount in Colombian pesos, remove three 0s from the end, then imagine that it is British pounds.

2,500,000 pesos=£2,500 ($5,000 US?)

So, someone earning 1,500,000 pesos would be earning, relatively speaking, £1,500 ($3,000) a month. Not enough for a penthouse apartment in the city centre, that's for sure.

Someone earning 3,000,000 pesos (£3,000, $6,000) would be comfortable.

A beer, according to this system, costs £1.20 in a tienda or £8 in a "pub".

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Leeroy says on Sep 18, 2007, 19:01:

Students often expect their teacher to know grammatical terminology. While super-complex metalanguage is not normally necessary, the basics do come in handy. In terms of methodology, what is "cool" nowadays is termed (in a rather blanket way) "The Communicative Approach". Basically, it means that whatever the language point in question is, it must be practiced in some form of authentic communication.

Thus, if you are teaching past tenses, this should be followed or preceded by having a chat (if it is a 1-1 class) or doing an activity (if it is a larger class) where people talk about something in the past (like what they did last weekend, or whatever).

Critics of this approach point out that English classes are not really "authentic" communication, and that any such conversation/activity is inherently artificial anyway.

An older approach is called "The Direct Method", which is basically listening and repeating. The teacher states a phrase ("I went to the bar", let's say) and the students repeat it. For a bit of variety, sometimes the students are required to transform the statement in some way (like making it negative - "I didn't go to the bar"). Critics point out that this is based on behaviourism (which is fine for animals, but not so much for humans), and that students might often be parroting phrases which they do not understand and/or are decontextualised.

An even older approach, and one much despised, is the "Grammar Translation Method", whereby students simply translate phrases from Spanish into English (and vice versa). The problem with this is that it is even less authentic, and many people frown on including Spanish with English learning.

I think a mix of all three is a good bet.

The book "Grammar in Use" (red=elementary, blue=intermediate, purple=advanced) is a fine weapon for any English teacher to have.

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ahda007 says on Sep 18, 2007, 19:37:

hey leroy:

according to my calcutions 3million peso = more or less $1500. How did you get you $6000??!!

Whats the chance of landing a full time teaching job securing $1500usd a month?

BTW : thank you mr.anderson, usher127,englishhunk, john_starks and LEEROY for the insights :)

keep feeding me your knowledge, I think you guys are feeding me encouragement to teach there....

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ahda007 says on Sep 18, 2007, 19:40:

Mr anderson:
$15000 can buy me a house in what stratus?! would i be able to get a apartment near Boston? Laurales? Poblado? thank you guys for tolerating my ignorances :)

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john_stark says on Sep 18, 2007, 20:14:

You might be able to buy a very small aprtment for $15,000 but the days of cheap real estate in the better areas of Medellin has passed for the moment. At one time you could have bought my wife's 4 bedroom, 3 bath apartment (with a large patio and a garage space) for about $30,000 Now it's about $75,000. Which I think is insane but there you have it.

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ahda007 says on Sep 18, 2007, 20:46:

Ouch!!!! John_stark, you just SLAP me and woke me up from my dreams!!!! :P

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john_stark says on Sep 18, 2007, 20:52:

I still think these prices are ridiculous and maybe the market will eventually wake and think, "WTF?!!?! 75,000 or 100,000 for a Third World apartment????????". Some say that this is a peak for Colombian real estate and valuations will come back to earth. I hope they're right.

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coffee beaner says on Sep 18, 2007, 21:16:

I bought my apartment for $29,000 USD in "Los Colores"...3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room kitchen and I love it!

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Leeroy says on Sep 19, 2007, 02:49:

ahda - it is my "relative currency translation". 1,500,000COP isn't *really* £1,500 - it just is relatively speaking.

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englishhunk says on Sep 19, 2007, 03:47:

yeah, sorry i made a typing error. i would be elated with $1000 a month teaching english. the money is really poor in general in south america for teaching english. Not that its the greatest in any part of the world but in Asia there seems to be better pay for it.

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kalder says on Sep 19, 2007, 07:38:

Leeroy- your "relative currency translation" system is very good. A handy little reckoner. Go to the head of the class.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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curramberochris says on Sep 19, 2007, 07:46:

I have always found the 1 pound to 1000 pesos conversion useful to see the relative cost of something! When you use this, electric goods and rents become pretty pricey!

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mranderson says on Sep 19, 2007, 14:47:

I live in la colinita which is in guayabal. It's close to the 52nd avenue which is a major avenue. Also close to the 80 avenue. It's a stratus 2 nieghborhood but I think it's pretty decent. There doesn't seem to be any problems with crime or violence.(most people seem to know each other here). I've been going around looking at houses for sale in this particular neighborhood within the last couple of weeks and the average price is about 30 million pesos. The last one I looked at was 3 bedrooms with an indoor patio for 27 million and it was pretty nice too. About a 20-30 minute walk to the metro but plenty of buses. If I had the money I would definately buy a house here. (also not far from champion sports bar for all the u.s. sports)

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ahda007 says on Sep 19, 2007, 15:16:

how long have you lived in that same address for Mr.Anderson?

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mranderson says on Sep 19, 2007, 15:27:

I've been living here since february of this year but my wife has lived in this nieghborhood all her life. She likes it here(mostly since just about all her family lives here), and I'm also pretty happy in this neighborhood. Although the prices I get are NOT gringo prices. I guess I have a pretty good connection through my wife and her family. I did inquire about a house once without my wife and they refused to tell me how much it was even though it was advertised and on the market. My guess is that they needed a family meeting to decide how much to raise the price for the gringo. All these prices I see on this site for renting seem outrageous to me.

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Leeroy says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:02:

Thanks kalder, do I get a gold star?

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john_stark says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:42:

La Colina and Guayabal are two barrios which are in the far south of Medellin just north of Itagui. It's not somewhere I would choose to live but it's ok. I am not sure that many gringos would choose to live there fixated as they are on El Poblado. OTOH, I'm kinda fixated on Belen and Laureles so there you have it. Actually I'm really fixated on my wife's beautiful trasero.

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coffee beaner says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:51:

Guayabal, Belen, Los Colores and Laureles are all nice in my opinion, I hate El Poblado but thats just me.
john can we see some pics of that trasero?

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coffee beaner says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:52:

Please!!!!!!!

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ahda007 says on Sep 19, 2007, 17:54:

so which one of you will meet up in medellin for drinks?

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john_stark says on Sep 19, 2007, 18:06:

Actually I do have a pic of her bent over in a pair of tight jeans but I'd have to scan it in. Those fibers were stretched so tight they were crying for relief. This is a little video she made with terrible production qualities.

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mranderson says on Sep 19, 2007, 18:15:

Guayabal is pretty close to el poblado. I prefer living in the south...try taking the metro north at 6 o'clock. It pretty much sucks.

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kalder says on Sep 21, 2007, 00:34:

Leeroy- I've been playing with your ready reckoner for a couple of days now. I'm seeing things in a whole new light. So that beer I buy so 'cheaply' from the tienda, is pricier (for a Colombian) than the stuff in Asdas. It's quite the eduction.

Have two gold stars.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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rocinante says on Sep 23, 2007, 17:44:

"I think a mix of all three is a good bet." - Leeroy

You are so right - however the sequence and weight and integration of these methods, a quantitiative method - is THE best way for second language acquisition for an adult. And unfortunately NOT having the despised grammar/translation really impedes the process exponenetially. It is totally necessary if an adult wants thing to progress quickly.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

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Leeroy says on Sep 28, 2007, 12:25:

"And unfortunately NOT having the despised grammar/translation really impedes the process exponenetially. It is totally necessary if an adult wants thing to progress quickly."

Quite. I see nothing wrong with the Grammar Translation Method. If we (as learners of a foreign language) are translating things in our heads anyway, then why not externalise the process?

Critics (including my boss) argue that the end goal is to have students "thinking in English" (or Spanish, or whatever) - and that the best way to achieve this is to operate solely in English from the outset. I disagree - as I see this mixing up one's objectives with one's methods of getting there.

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john_stark says on Sep 29, 2007, 00:17:

I never translate in my head. I just think what I want to say whether it's English or Spanish. I know absolutely no grammar and communicate like a profane and twisted six year old. Which I guess explains why my wife says I'm a gringo costeno.

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