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location
Chile is a country of extremes, from the arid Norte Grande, to the thermal and snow capped Andes on its eastern border, the lush vineyards in the central valley, and the chilly southern tip pointing towards Antarctica, not to mention the 2,700 mile Pacific coastline. The diverse geography affords opportunity for an active lifestyle making Chile a destination for adventure seekers.
The capital city of Santiago is located 60 miles from the coast and is the fifth largest city in South America. Home to over five million inhabitants, Santiago is both modern and dynamic, dominating the political, economic, and cultural life of the country. Its pleasant Mediterranean climate and proximity to the mountains permits many outdoor pursuits such as hiking, skiing, camping, river-rafting, and horseback riding.
Valparaíso and its twin city of Viña del Mar are on the Pacific coast, just two hours by bus from Santiago. Valparaíso is a port city, housing the Chilean Congress, and Viña del Mar is a modern resort city with shops, beaches, and recreational facilities as well as residential housing. The two cities each consist of 600,000 inhabitants, of which more than 60,000 are university students. With affordable mass transportation between the two cities, many find it a friendly location in which to live and work.
teaching assignments
Teach in Chile offers a diverse array of placement assignments for participants. Assignments are at primary, secondary, or post-secondary levels. Placements are driven by demand for native English speaking teachers of the host institutions, so CIEE cannot guarantee to honor your placement requests.
- Some placements are at DuocUC, a system of technical community colleges associated with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Here, participants are lead English teachers dedicating 18 hours to the classroom per week, and like all teachers contribute time to lesson planning, test correcting, and other site specific activities. There are 9 DuocUC campuses in Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar. Specific instruction on DuocUC’s methodologies are shared during the intensive orientation.
- Other English teaching assignments are available at private primary and/or secondary schools in one of Santiago’s affluent neighborhoods. These colegios have recognized the importance of English language learning at a younger age, thus the ever growing demand for foreign teachers. In this placement, participants should expect to be teaching half-time with around 20 hours of on-site responsibilities including classroom teaching. Above that, participants can expect to dedicate extra time for lesson planning, assignment and exam correcting, and other preparation activities.
- Some assignments may be at the Universidad de Chile in Santiago where participants work with students in English teaching other subject matter, such as economics or biology. This assignment may be working with classes, small groups, or individual work. Placements are assigned in accordance with the candidate's background and degrees. Teaching hours are approximately 18-22 hours per week, plus additional time dedicated to lesson planning and other teaching related activities.
orientation
All Teach in Chile participants receive an in-country orientation in Santiago conducted by CIEE staff and local experts. The initial focus will involve cross-cultural understanding and practical information to help with the adaptation process. After a few days, the group will split for training courses on techniques and resources to help make you an effective teacher in Chile. Housing and some meals will be provided.
housing
CIEE will provide each participant one month rent-free furnished accommodations that begin following the cultural segment of orientation. This provides participants with a base from which to locate a permanent living situation. During orientation we’ll focus a session on apartment hunting, and we also have local leads in the CIEE Santiago office to assist participants in their search. Participants should plan to live with roommates to help make ends meet. Keep in mind that due to locations of some of the schools, most participants should expect to commute to campus from their permanent housing.
details, details
| school levels |
primary, secondary, college/university |
| school locations |
Santiago area, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar
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| typical teaching load |
18-22 hours weekly* |
| contract |
Chilean academic year: February - December |
| application deadline |
September 1 |
*Teachers must devote additional time including class planning, presentations, faculty meetings, and extra-curricular activities.
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