Becoming a TEFL Teacher in Argentina

Years ago when I first started out as a TEFL teacher, Argentina was where I "cut my teeth" as the saying goes. And not just in Argentina  but in the big bad world of Buenos Aires, home to over 14 million people and one of the most vibrant, pumping capital cities in the world.

I was fortunate enough to have chosen a TEFL course whose trainer was magnificent; a natural teacher who inspired us all, and the course encompassed practical teaching of real students on Friday evenings. This was an incredibly important experience and integral to our future success as teachers, which is why I strongly recommend to any future teachers that they ensure their TEFL Certificate course includes practical observed teaching of real students. 

So, back to Buenos Aires - after completing our TEFL course and with the priceless teaching experience behind us, we were ready to throw ourselves into the corporate world, as the majority of English teaching in Buenos Aires is Business English. Small and large companies and corporations contract teachers to deliver in-house classes to their employees, which is how I found myself in one of the major banks delivering an English class to a powerful executive in his lunch break. This, and many other similar teaching experiences in Buenos Aires, were rewarding for me on both a professional and personal level. Not only was I learning as much about teaching as my students were about English, I was also given the opportunity to learn about Argentina and South America from my students. These incredible insights also taught me how much I can learn from my students and incorporate their knowledge into the classroom and their English language learning experience, something which I still strive to do as a teacher. 

Despite the many challenges I faced in my first few months as a TEFL teacher in Argentina, I will always remember it with fondness and I hold a deep appreciation for the country and culture that first welcomed me, both as a teacher and as a person.