Next stop, Brazil...

Yesterday I accepted a job teaching students English at a university in Brazil. To some, this might seem a bit unexpected or dare I say it, a tad bit crazy, so I'll attempt to explain myself...

I have been considering the possibility of pursuing a career in teaching for a while now. I might not be the quinntessential teacher, sporting bumper stickers with slogans like, "If you can read this, thank a teacher" or "Save our schools!" But, I have concluded that there are not many other careers where you can actively make a difference in people's lives, and spend two months a year traveling. However, with a marketing and journalism degree, jumping into teaching is a long process. Before engulfing myself into classes and certifications, and the debt that is bound to come with it, I figured I should give teaching a try. I have been tutoring for a few years now, but I am aware that tutoring one-on-one is very different than teaching an entire classroom of students. And I might as well give in to my irritable little travel bug that has built itself a nice little home with me.

I completed my TEFL certification a few weeks ago. With a TEFL certification I am certified to "Teach English as a Foreign Language." I opted for the 120 hour online certification to save both money and time (and to be honest, because I thought I would breeze through it!) The certification was a bit more difficult than I imagined and I was surprised to learn how many rules of the English language I am still unfamiliar with.

Upon completion, I began applying to jobs everywhere in the world...literally. Okay, I am stretching the truth a bit. My mom made me promise not to teach in a Communist country or a country in war or on the brink of it, which oddly enough eliminated the possibility of me teaching in America, and in her opinion, a fair share of other countries.

It is fairly difficult to get a position teaching in Europe without any experience or EU citizenship (would you believe I am STILL waiting for my German citizenship?!). However, native English teachers are a hot commodity in Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. It seems as if the day I completed my certification, it made headline news in Asia and I've been receiving emails and telephone calls non-stop. I would love to teach in Asia, but unfortunately most of the commitments were for a year and I was looking for something a bit shorter. 

So, Brazil it is.

The university is called Centro Cultural Brasil Estados Unidos (http://www.ccbeulins.com/), and I have been hired as a teacher of upper level to advanced students. The job begins on August 2nd and I must arrive to Brazil on July 28th to begin preparations (yes, three weeks from today). I will be working with university students 26 hours a week, with Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off to travel. The university is located in the town of Lins, which is apparently a university town four hours or so outside of Sao Paulo. My accommodation, food and Portuguese lessons are provided and I receive a whooping monthly stipend that would make me rich in Brazilian's eyes, but a pauper in America.

When asked if there is anything I need to bring with the reply was "Most Americans like to bring their own bathing suits, because they find the ones in Brazil to be a little on the smaller side." Should be interesting...