Well, I went to the Career Services at my most recent alma mater to get advice on my TESOL cover letter and résume yesterday. Got lunch, came home, worked on them until they were each just one page long. Had a couple of family members look them over one last time. And now I submitted them to Oxford Seminars teacher placement service. My job placement specialist, Alison, is supposed to look them over and send them off to schools in my country of choice.
Now we wait…
I have an interesting problem. Granted, there are much worse problems and more pressing concerns in the world, like Haiti. But this is what is currently on my mind, and related to my overseas adventures.
As you know, I’m currently working on a plan to teach English in Chile. It’s not ideal, but it’s a plan I’m more-or-less content with, I guess you could say. The Chilean school year starts in March, so were I to get a job, I’d probably leave in about 2 months.
Well, my parents are doing this real estate stuff. They recently bought their first property to flip, but it won’t be official for possibly 6 weeks, when they go to the courthouse and do whatever is it they have to do, I don’t know.
Anyway, Mom told me that if their real estate stuff works out, they could pay for Spain for me.
This should be exciting. But I’m a little…not confused, but…in limbo, in a sense.
Chile is more-or-less a sure thing. I’m qualified, and right now is their peak hiring season. Spain, now, is completely dependent on my parents. When I was working, I had some pride in knowing that I was completely financing my dream. Without loans, and without substantial help from anyone. I had a dream, and I was working to make it come true.
But then I lost my job, so I felt I had to change my dream.
Spain is what I want. I want to leave in September. I wanted to take Spanish classes before I went. I wanted to work more on my research, and hopefully finish editing it for publication, and present it at least once (that part I’m doing). And on a personal note, I wanted to lose more weight and grow my hair out. I wanted to take Spain by storm, and I felt I could in September.
Chile is happening now. Without my personal and professional goals being met first. Without me taking a single Spanish class past high school. Like I said, it’s not ideal, but I felt this was where life was taking me, and I didn’t want to stay stagnant. If I wait for my parents, I’d most likely have to say no to Chile, a more-or-less sure thing, to wait on Spain, something not-at-all certain. And then if Spain didn’t work out, what would I do?
I know, I KNOW, this is not a major problem. I’m kinda impressed that I’ve reached the point where this is a problem, as opposed to 2 years ago at this time, I was in the hospital, not sure if I could ever live a normal life, much have realize dreams that I have.
It’s hard for me because in order for me to reach my ultimate dream, I have to give up control. I have to just have faith that everything will work out.
I got an 85% on my English grammar specialization and an 87% on the children’s one. I needed a 90% to get Honors Distinction. Oh well. I doubt the distinctions would have done much for me in the real world.
I initiated the teacher placement service last week. I plan on submitting all my stuff within a few days. My resume is almost done, just needs to be edited, and I did a lot of work on my cover letter today. And I need to work on my poster for my research conference. Lots to do.
My TESOL specializations are now finished. I liked the grammar one more than the children one, but both will help me in my teaching.
I figure they’ll email me my results in a week, and the updated certificate in a month or so.
Once I get that email, it’ll be time to officially start applying for jobs i.e. utilize the teacher placement service.
Today I prayed about my future, particularly the more immediate possible going to South America part. I never like to pray, not really. Mainly because I always wish I had more reassurance that it would do any good, or at least that I was heard.
Anecdote though- I prayed about what to do about my friendships last week on Monday or Tuesday morning, at like 7:15am or so, and when I was in the car with my mom on the way to work that morning, she told me how she prays about Raven and I a lot, for our needs and whatnot, so I figured, Hmm, let me see what she has to say about this situation. Could have just been a coincidence, but a welcome one. I need more of those coincidences in my life. My Facebook horoscope said, “You’re facing something big today — and you can’t really avoid it this time! It’s a good day to draw on resources from friends and family in order to get things back into balance.”
I think my main hesitation is that I had a plan for my life that I was really happy with. I wanted myself to be my best possible self before leaving. I wanted to lose more weight, work on my appearance, work on my research, and speak better Spanish before fleeing the country. It’s not that I *can’t* do these things abroad, though. Although I was really hoping my Spanish would have been better before *having* to use it everyday. I’m always nervous when coming up with a new plan, or reworking an old one.
“Chile is probably one of the best places to teach in South America because here you have the best salaries, the most variety in terms of what you can do, the highest standard of living and security and doubtlessly the best wine.”
TEFL Chile info website, you know how to sell me on an already great idea. Lol
Actually, it turns out my last day isn’t the 15th. It’s today. In fact, I’m at home right now, officially unemployed.
So I came up with another plan.
Plan C: Go teach abroad now.
I really want to do my language immersion program in Seville, *however* I don’t NEED to do that before I teach. I’d just prefer to not teach in a Spanish-speaking country until I know the language. Since both the EFL TA program in Spain that I want to apply to and Latin America (at least Spanish-speaking Latin America) in general have pretty pitiful salaries, it’s easy for me to not go there now. I’d be upset if I lived in a Spanish-speaking country and left not knowing the language well, if not fluently.
However, I don’t feel quite as strongly towards any other language. There are several languages I would like to know conversationally, or at an intermediate level, but if I lived there for a while and wasn’t more-or-less fluent upon leaving, it wouldn’t kill me.
I have about $3K in savings. That’s enough to get me pretty much anywhere I’m interested in going, meaning airfare about a month or so of expenses, roughly. Ideally, I’d want to go somewhere that would allow me to put aside savings for the language immersion and about $100/month for student loans.
I’d prefer to not go to Asia, but those are where the best-paying TESOL jobs are.
Time to do some research, and time to do some thinking.
EDIT: Well, I did some thinking since I last posted this. And well, maybe trying to find a job now in Latin America- the better paying parts, like Chile- is the way to go. I gotta think about it. I remember seeing a posted job for Russia that included Russian lessons, so maybe I could find something similar in Latin America. Or take Spanish as a second language classes. They can’t possibly be all that expensive.
Expected average EFL salaries and teaching conditions for Latin America. Other regions linked at the bottom.
Lots to think about.
Well, I lost my job. Last day is the 15th. My birthday is the 19th and my birthday get-together the 16th. Not pleased.
I have a semi-lead. Someone at the church needs a nanny for their 10 month old son. It’s from 7:30 – 5:30 M-F, and the town they live in is about 20 minutes away from my house.
We’ll see how this goes. This journal may have to take an indefinite hiatus.
EDIT: Ok. I talked to the mother for the nanny position. It pays $275 a week. I currently make $673.05. I’d be willing to go down to $475 or so, but any lower is really pushing it.
I’m going to see if I can find an ESL job in Chicago with my BA and TESOL certification and specializations. I don’t know though. I know of one guy in my college town who taught ESL part-time. I’m pretty sure he had no qualifications other than a BA. Made $20something an hour. But from what I see, it seems like most ESL jobs in Chicago require an MA.
I can’t wait until I’m really good at Spanish. Not just the language aspect, but the culture as well, things that are commonplace in the Spanish-speaking world.
For example-
I really like this song. My family’s been asking me what am I’m listening to because I play it all the time.
The chorus had some phrases that I was unsure of:
Te envío poemas de mi puño y letra
Te envío canciones de 4.40
Te envío las fotos cenando en Marbella
y cuando estuvimos por Venezuela
I found a site with the translation of the song. I knew what the chorus meant already, at least literally, but not the significance, or the idiomatic expressions, which are as follows:
(1) de mi puño y letra: literally means “from my fist and writing”. Fig. written by my hand, by me.
(2) 4.40 is Juan Luis Guerra’s band
(3) Marbella is a summer village in Malaga, South Spain. Is famous because wealthy people and the “Jet set” go there.
I find this stuff interesting. I don’t think you can really learn a language separate from its culture. Not if you intend to actually communicate. Like 4.40…I had NO idea what that was supposed to mean. Is that how long the songs are supposed to be? Lol. And I knew “de mi puño y letra” was an idiomatic expression, but not exactly what it meant. And I didn’t know that Marbella had any significance other than it rhymes with Venezuela, and compliments letra and cuarenta.
Classes start Wednesday.
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