Summer English Teaching Program in Chile:

TEFL Institute and the National Volunteer Center of the Chile Ministry of Education have partnered to offer this summer program. The program is geared to those who would like to immerse themselves in the Spanish culture of Chile. Participants receive housing, meals, and a stipend.

You will serve as a volunteer English instructor teaching mostly in the small villages and towns throughout Chile. The majority of the English teaching assignments are alone but couples and friends can be grouped together as well. You can expect to teach English about 20 to 25 hours each week plus spend 10 to 15 hours on activities outside of the classroom. Each class period is about 90 minutes and there are 40 to 45 students in each class. You will be placed as an individual teacher in your town.

English classes are taught in 100% English immersion, you do not need to know any Spanish to teach or live in Chile.  The ministry of Education of Chile will provide online Spanish classes prior to arrival for you.

Requirements:  TEFL Training

Your TEFL Institute course prepares you to teach students at all levels using a variety of methods and approaches. You will be prepared to teach various class sizes as well. You can complete your 120 hour TEFL training online or onsite (in-person) at over 21 international locations.  You may start your training at anytime but it must be completed by May 31, 2009. 

Your TEFL Institute certification is a lifetime TEFL certification and you enjoy lifetime job placement assistance as our graduate.  TEFL Institute graduates teach in all corners of the globe as paid full time teachers.

 

 

Arrival in Santiago, Chile

Upon arrival in Santiago, participants will be met by representatives of the Chile Ministry of Education. Participants will spend the next 2 – 3 days in Santiago preparing for their teaching assignment. On the third or fourth day each participant will be taken to the town and home of their host family.

 

Orientation in Santiago, Chile

The Santiago orientation is designed to help you become acquainted with teaching English in Chile. It is a 2-3 day orientation that includes teacher training and cultural workshops conducted by the staff of the Ministry of Education. Santiago is a fascinating city, during your free time you are encouraged to take in the sights and enjoy the food.

Traveling to Your Assignment

You will travel to your respective village or town by bus. Through the Chile Summer Program you will teach English for about 10 weeks. The majority of the assignments are located in the small villages and towns throughout Chile. Most assignments are located south of Santiago and north of Puerto Montt, with some projects located north such as north near Concepcion and so on. Your actual assignment will be determined by the Ministry of Education.

 

About The Summer Chile Teaching Program

This is our third year partnering with the Chile Ministry of Education Volunteer Teaching Program.

Your accommodations and meals are all covered by the Chile Ministry of Education. Housing is provided in the form of a homestay. Your school will provide you with a small monthly stipend of about $150* USD to cover the cost of personal items. Participants are recommended to have an additional $750.00 - $1,000.00 with them in Chile for additional expenses – gifts, travel, emergency needs, etc.

There will be an orientation and cultural training in Santiago at the start of your teaching program.  Then for the next ten weeks you will live, work, and teach English in Chile. There will be ample time to sightsee and connect with other volunteers around the area. In the middle of the program, during the month of July, you will have one week off for this purpose. Last year, many of the teachers traveled to Peru or Argentina with their friends in the program.

Finally, everyone will return to Santiago by the weekend of August 23rd or 24th. Most will return to the USA, some will stay to travel, and others may choose to go on and teach English in other countries with the assistance of TEFL Institute.

In this program you are responsible for your airfare, course tuition, health insurance, entrance fee into Chile and incidentals. Most other costs are covered either by the Chile Ministry of Education.

Requirements & Eligibility

• Native English Speaker or highly fluent in Conversational English
• 18 years of age or older (45 years old is the maximum for this program)
• Current college student or college graduate at the Bachelor’s level or above
• TEFL Institute 120 hour TEFL Certification

TEFL Class Requirements: 

Any of our 120 hour TEFL courses will qualify for the Chile Summer Teaching Program:

a)  120 Hour TEFL Professional Online Certification – 2 months  - Tuition $ 1,350

b)  Any of our 120 hour 4 week in person locations: - Tuition:  $ 1,995- $ 2,095 plus expenses

Dates for all of our TEFL courses are listed here:

Other fees to register:
$ 50 activity fee

Due date for registration is November 30, 2008

Late fee:  December 1, 2008 – January 31, 2009:  $ 100 

Late fee:  February 1, 2009 and later:   $ 200

What 2009 Chile summer program participants can expect
at the orientation in Chile…

“…it is very organized and although there are some long hours in the classroom, there is definitely time for fun and exploring.  I was very impressed with all of the people who were involved in the orientation and the orientation itself.”

“A complete, though quick, review of all the TEFL material, some sample activities for L, S, R, and W, and getting to work with other volunteers and Chilean teachers.  Also, a general overview of the Chilean education system and how it works – specifically regarding handling discipline, etc.”

“Well thought out preparation sessions to help along the way of English teaching in Chile.”

“Some of the speakers would speak in Spanish to the TEFL students, which helped us assimilate into a new language that we would be hearing every day.”

Cultural Differences and Embarrassing Moments

“I speak Spanish fluently, but not the Chilean Spanish!  Every time we would meet Chileans at asados I would try to use my newly acquired Chilean slang, but they never understood me so my sister would have to translate.  …and it came to be known that she was the cooler younger sis…”

“Students always laughed with me when I had to read the roll; we also laughed at how each group would impersonate the other: Americans imitating Spanish-speakers and Chileans imitating English-speaking Americans.”

What previous participants wish they knew before they went to Chile

“How useful teaching material form the US would have been.  For example, the flag, magazines, newspapers, cd/cassette school songs.”

“…if going to Chile in the summer (June, July, August) bring layers of warm clothes.”

“Although the full English immersion is important for the students, it is also imperative for the teacher to have a great interest in the host language and be expecting to have to speak the language often, in not in the classroom, then around the school, etc.”

Reflections and Advice about host families

“My host family in Caleu, was a dream come true.  I cannot say one bad thing about my host family experience, I have made lifelong friends and I was treated like part of the family.  Chilean people are truly amazing and open, by the end we had many families that were constantly offering us meals, excursions, etc.” 

“Invite the family places (they may feel it is too forward to invite you), offer to share your talents with them, cook with them, bring them fun and meaningful things from home, teach them little pieces of English, and don’t let the language barrier break down or shut off communication.”

“Be patient.  Most Chilean families like to talk and eat meat so be prepared to answer many questions if you are quiet or vegetarian.”

Most useful Material learned from the TEFL Course

“ Various ways classrooms are set up.  It helped me work with a class of 50 students per period.”

“Speaking English as much as possible to create an immersion environment for students.  Also the practice teaching in front of peers and the feedback from it were helpful.”

“Lesson plans and examples.  I learned that without a lesson plan, holding a class is very difficult, so I planned for classes better.”

“The different ways to begin a class to refresh the previous day’s lessons.”

Future Plans for our previous participants

“I am interested in the possibility of teaching English overseas after I graduate.”

“…I will be studying in Mexico this Spring semester.  I may choose an option to teach English in Mexico.  I also plan to utilize my certificate this summer, hopefully teaching in Philadelphia.”

“I would like to go abroad with TEFL for another 6 months after graduation, possibly in South America again.”

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

PRE-DEPARTURE

1. When will I know about my zone, region and school placement details?
In most cases, accepted applicants will know about their region placement and school placement information, in general during the first week of the Santiago orientation training period.

2. Do I need to get vaccination shots prior to entering Chile?
It is not necessary to get any type of vaccination in order to enter Chile. We recommend you contact your physician or check on the Centers for Disease control for traveling, www.CDC.gov .

3. What kind of teaching material should I bring?
Please refer to the Pre-Departure checklist on our website in the Prospective/Accepted Volunteers section.

4. What kind of clothing should I bring to Chile?
We will provide you a list of suggested items and packing information in our Chile information packages.

5. What are the weight limits for domestic flights in Chile?
Please refer to the Pre-Departure checklist on our website in the Prospective/Accepted Volunteers section.

6. Do I have to organize accommodations during the Santiago orientation?
No. We provide accommodations for 8, 6 and 4-Month Program and Summer Program Volunteers during the Santiago orientation period.

HOST FAMILY

1. Would I have to pay for accommodation?
No. Full-Time Program Volunteers, either live with a host family within the community where they are placed, or are provided an alternative accommodation arrangement in some special situations (Couples). During your participation in the EOD Volunteer Program your accommodation and meals are provided by the host family. Your host family is given a stipend to supplement the additional costs to house and feed you. This amount is just about enough to cover the extra expenses; the family is not benefiting financially.

 

2. What is the host family selection process?
First, schools request to have a volunteer be placed at their school. The school then starts looking for families living in the community. The Chilean Ministry of Education requests various prerequisites from possible host families, such as: separate bedroom for the volunteer in house in a safe neighborhood, and if possible located near the school. The EOD Volunteer Program then contracts social workers from the placement region to visit the families to establish preliminary interviews. The host family also has the opportunity to submit a profile of a volunteer that they would like to host. We then cross-reference the host family requests with that of the volunteer to find the best match.

The selected families receive preparatory material directly from the MINEDUC, which includes the volunteer's profile, contact information and a dictionary. They will also be sensitized to cultural differences and possible difficulties that may result because of these. For example, although your family may seem comfortably middle-class, you are probably used to a higher standard of living. There may be some things that you might take for granted in your host-home that are actually budgeted for very carefully.

3. When would I find out about my host family accommodation arrangements?
In most cases, volunteers will be advised of their regional and city placement in advance of departing for Chile, then learn about their host family and school placements during the first week of the Santiago orientation.

 

 

4. Could I make certain requests regarding my host family placement?
Volunteers have the opportunity to let us know personal preferences (non-smoker, vegetarian etc.) on the application form. Program staff will do their best to match these preferences, although in some cases, it may not be possible. Applicants are requested to remember that families today come in many different forms, and are not always composed of a mother, father, and children, but instead may be comprised of a mother, grandmother, and children, etc.

HEALTH INSURANCE

1. Is health insurance mandatory?
Yes, health insurance is mandatory. All volunteers participating in the EOD Volunteer Programs must obtain comprehensive international health insurance for the duration of their volunteer program, before arriving to Chile. If you are currently living in Chile and applying for the EOD Volunteer Program, you will be required to show proof of the same comprehensive health insurance before beginning the orientation training period.

2. Does the English Opens Doors Volunteer Program provide or recommend a health insurance plan?   
You will get recommendations to international health insurance agencies.