completamente loca? well am I?

I am wondering if u came up with a solid plan....and what u decided.  I am currently headed toward South America.   I am leaving Central America with some drag as Guatemala and Honduras are both in my comfort zone now as I have been around since March.  I am in Costa Rica but not spending any time here as I was here in 2005 and 2009.  Here is a blog from a couple that I met at a hostel and they  have travelled the past 2 years in the Americas.    www.roadtripthroughtheamericas.synthasite.com This is a pretty nice pict of South America.

And just one other thing...when u start a new idea it is so overwhelming to look at the whole picture.  So ya gotta break it down...finish this 1st and then ....much more manageable and surprising how much easier to complete.

Hope u r on your way...I am just thinking about doing more than travelling and still wishey washey att.

Hi! I'm from Australia too and I am going overseas by myself! I only decided at the beginning of the year to go and teach English in South America. So I have almost finished the 120 hour TEFL course and I am flying out in 4 weeks! I will be working here at ILC, Chachapoyas, Peru: http://internationallanguagecenter.blogspot.com/

I was just looking around at places to teach and I found their website and sent them an email and then they told me what positions were available and I went for it! It is volunteer but with a stipend (little bit of compensation) but I am doing it for the experience not the money!

Good luck with your adventures!

Hi,

I'm getting questioned about my plans to go to South America quite a lot too. I think people see the news about a few people with guns in Mexico and Columbia and think the whole continent is to be avoided. Everyone who I've spoken to who has been there has absolutely loved it. Everyone. I'm planning to go to Buenos Aires in January or February. Having read Honor's comment it seems it'll be tough to get a job but I'm going to try! If I end up teaching in Chile or somewhere then so be it.

I traveled a lot last year and wasn't nervous at all. At times I get a little nervous when I think about teaching English but on the whole I'm really looking forward to it. I reckon you should go for it. The TEFL course takes effort so I'd like to make the most of it, but if I hate teaching once I start I won't do it for long, and I'll just travel around and come home (with excellent knowledge of my own language!).

Do it! And good luck!

PS we will win the Euros in 2012

Your so not crazy, definately better to give something a go rather then keep wandering what ined up to this, i called up i to i today after sitting at my desk on a rainy day in England thinking "this can't be it"!

I've travelled a fair bit over the last 10 years and know lots of people who have taught and had awesome experiences and some not so great but have learnt lots from them. South America is on my to do list and i'm thinking of trying to do my TEFL course over there...just trying to work out some funds (online is much cheaper!) So keep in touch:)

Hey Amy,

Welcome to Chalkboard - that's great you're thinking of teaching in S. America - I don't think it's mad at all!

Spiwak's right - getting your TEFL certificate is a good place to start as it'll prepare you for life in the classroom and also give you the best chance possible when it comes to securing work. If you're not already enrolled you can check out some of i-to-i's courses here: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-course/

Once you've got your certificate, it's just a case of getting out there and finding work. You might want to have a chat with this lady who's teaching in Chile at the minute to get her advice on how to go about it:

http://www.tefl-chalkboard.com/sofiakamila

Berlitz is a good company and has opportunities in Chile: http://careers.berlitz.com/South_America/cl/default.asp?aInfo=5&cInfo=CL&cCode=9

Argentina is a bit less easy - it's quite expensive and there aren't as many opportunities so you might want to stick with Chile.

Ecuador might be another option, and is much easier as you can apply through i-to-i (meaning lovely Rachel in our jobs team does some of the leg work for you!): http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-jobs-abroad/tefl-ecuador.html Chat to Alix, who's a real Ecuador expert and has just got a job out there if you want to find out a bit more about it: http://www.tefl-chalkboard.com/alixm09

Hope that all helps - if you have any questions give me a shout, or you can always call the guys in the aussie office on 1300 88 42 70.

Rule #1 in my life:  Do what my heart tells me to do... I jumped on a plane and moved to another country I had never been too. :)  Best damn thing I've ever done for myself too.

Honestly, do not bother with what others think unless it directly affects them.  As for teaching in South America...I think that's a great idea!!!  Tons of people are always rushing off to China.  True the offers are normally nice, but I think it's nice to be in the not so popular locations.  I'm in Eastern Europe.  Live in Serbia, but will be headed to Ukraine to teach in August.  And because some of these places aren't the very popular locations, the deals can be quite lucrative because not everyone looks to those countries.  (i.e. I landed a deal with 2x the average monthly salary, paid for flat, and near the school - this is my first teaching job). 

I think South America would be awesome.  As for how to get started.. a certification. While working on the course, start searching through specific countries you want to be in and look for jobs, daily life and culture, and all those other goodies.  Start looking for which countries you qualify to work in (degree/no degree requirements), those kinds of things. 

GOOD LUCK!