Read More About Peru at TEFL Tips

In addition to blogging here at the Ultimate Peru List, I have a couple of other blogs. On TEFL Tips, I have written quite a number of posts about living and work in Peru. You can read all of those posts about Peru by clicking here.

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TEFL in China vs TEFL in Peru

From blog.simplek12.com

One of the most common questions I get asked about Peru (in addition to marriage, divorce, and visa info) is what it's like to teach English there. Many people know what it's like to teach English in China, so I thought I'd compare TEFLing (not international schools) in Peru and China.

Here is a basic summary of what it's like to TEFL in both countries. 

	China	Peru
Salary	About $1000-$1600 a month. Jobs in the south and big cities pay more but may not include accommodation.	About $700-$1500 a month. Hourly pay is usually about $10 an hour. Institutes usually pay hourly.
Flights	Included. You usually get half of your flight paid for after six months and the other half at the end of your contract.	Usually not included.
Accommodation	Usually included or a stipend is given.	Usually not included.
Visa	Legally you should get a Z (work) visa, though some places will have you work on an f (business) visa or an L (tourist visa).	Most places will not get you a visa and will either hire people who already have visas or people on tourist visas.
Types of jobs	Kindergarten, institute, and university jobs are the most common.	Most jobs are at institutes. Universities do hire native English speakers, but few will go through the trouble to get work visas.
Contracts	12 months for kindergartens and institutes. 10 months for universities with some universities paying you during the two month vacation if you renew your contract with them.	12 month contracts are the norm, though if you're on a tourist visa you might not sign a contract at all.
Extra work	The British Council often looks for IELTS examiners. You can also find private students.	Many teachers work at a couple different places as well as teach private students.

If you're looking for more info about TEFLing, you can find a lot of articles about teaching in China and teaching in Peru at TEFL Tips. If you decide to go to Peru, you should start learning the language. Knowing Spanish will help you assimilate to the culture and you'll be able to communicate easier.

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Reader Request: Getting Peruvian Residency If You Have a Criminal Record

From peoriachronicle.com

Note: Full disclosure here I have never been detained, arrested, or charged with anything; I don't have a criminal record. I have run across people who have records and have managed to get visas. Here's all I know.

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, laws in Peru are not black and white, but shades of grey. I've had a couple people email me over the years and ask if it's possible to get Peruvian residency if they have a criminal record. They never tell me what's on their record, which is totally understandable. Everyone who has written to me has told me that they were young and stupid and haven't had any run-ins with the law since then.

One tip to remember is that speaking Spanish will help you greatly. You'll be treated differently than if you speak English all the time, it'll help you assimilate to the culture, and you'll be able to communicate easier.
I believe that there's no way you'll get a visa for Peru (or pretty much any country) if you have certain things on your record such as rape, murder, sex crimes, etc. In fact, here's what will definitely exclude you according to Peru this Week: convicted murderers, drug smugglers, illegal miners (gold, diamonds, etc), and being involved with organised crime. Take note that sex crimes aren't mentioned, though I'm willing to guess they would deny a visa to anyone convicted of them.

Expat Peru has contradictory information. They say that anything on your record will deny you a visa, but then say that they got their CE way before they got the results from their CBC (criminal background check). That's not to say that their home country and Peru aren't in contact though and Peruvian immigration gets the results before they do. 

There are three things to consider when applying for a visa.

1. Will it even show up?: You'll have to undergo a federal check in order to get a visa in Peru. For Americans, that means an FBI check. Misdemeanors that happened over 7 years ago shouldn't show up. It varies by state, but 7 years seems to be the most common. The best way to find out is to ask a friend in law enforcement to run your name. If you get fingerprinted and it's been less than 7 years it will add another 7 years to whatever time is left. Once you find out your record is clean then you can get an FBI check. Most police stations charge about $20 to fingerprint you and you'll pay about $20 to the FBI to get your record. You can find the steps in apostillisations and criminal background checks.
2. Misdemeanors: Now if you have misdemeanors, such as possession of drugs (not trafficking!) or underage drinking or drunk driving, it is possible to get a visa. I'm not saying that you will definitely get once, because each and every immigration officer is different, but it's possible. 
3. When it happened: Let's say that you're 50 and when you were 17 you got busted for underage drinking. It was a one time thing and you've never had any issues, not even a parking ticket, since then. If it happened a long time ago and you haven't had any other issues, then it's much different than a 25 year old who has been busted three times for drugs.

If you are denied a resident visa you still might be able to live in Peru. Many people are allowed up to 183 days in Peru as a tourist at a time. You could go as a tourist, then travel for a couple of days and then go back to Peru as a tourist. Be aware that there's no guarantee that you will get 183 days. If you've border hopped a lot, or if they decide that they don't want to let you in because of your criminal background, they can deny you entry to Peru, so keep that in mind. If you're looking at teaching, you might also want to check out teaching with a criminal record. The latter has a list of countries where you can get a visa even if you have a criminal background.

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Reader Request: Alternatives to Teaching English in Peru

From livingthai.org

Updated: 16 June 2014

While many people who come to Peru end up teaching English, there are lots of other things that you can do.

Many foreigners have set up businesses overseas. There are foreign owned language schools, bookstores, bars, and everything in between. Below are ways you can make money off line. Business Ideas dot net also has a lot of ideas. If you're going to offer products and services you usually have two choices: sell other people's stuff (and get a commission or buy wholesale and sell resale) or sell your own stuff. 

Remember that speaking Spanish will help you greatly if you're trying to start a business in Peru, whether big or small. You'll be treated differently than if you speak English all the time, it'll help you assimilate to the culture, and you'll be able to communicate easier.

Some do it legally and others work under the table. Some countries make it super easy to start a business, others have a high investment requirement and lots of paperwork, which is why people work under the table. Chances of getting caught are often slim though. If you're looking to make money online, check out the article I wrote about making money online.


Art: Sell what you create or teach classes. Check out what Anajali does.

Babysitting Service: Charge a monthly fee, annual fee, and / or a booking fee in addition to an hourly fee.

Baby Stuff: People are always having babies!

Bake: People love homemade goodies.

Bar: There's no doubt that English teachers like to drink. If you're going to set up a bar, you'll have to go the legal route though. Look at what Old Pub and Wolfhound have done. 

Beauty: Hairstyles, makeup, and more

Bookstore: There's always a demand for English books. Look at what Confederate Bookstore and What the Book have done.

Childbirth Educator: People are always having babies and you can help them learn about the options available to them. Look at what Tender Embrace Birthing does.

Children's Classes: Music, dance, crafts, are all great activities for kids.

Clothing: You can cater to kids or adults.

Cook: People always miss food. If you can cook you could try catering or even shipping ready to made meals. Look at what 6th Floor Cafe does.

Cooking classes: Teach people how to make the local dishes. Look at O'ngo.

Course Book Writer / Materials Writer: You can try to approach big name publishers (like Longman, Oxford, Cambridge, or MacMillan), local publishers, or chains.

Crafts: You could sell items you've made or teach people how to make things.

Dance: Teach dance classes.

Doula: Doulas have been proven to help women in labour. More and more families are hiring them.

Ebook: Write an ebook, You can even set up an affiliate scheme.

Editing / Proof-reading: Although getting a position at Oxford or Cambridge University Press might be difficult there are plenty of local publishers that would welcome a native speaker to help them out.

EFL / ESL Examiner: IELTS or Cambridge examiner. Recruitment information packs for applicants can be downloaded from the British Council and the Cambridge website.

Exam Writer: Someone's got to write the exam questions, so it might as well be you. Cambridge, IELTS, Michigan, and TOEFL are the big exams, so try contacting them for more info.

Facebook: Creating fan pages or writing content for them is possible if you're good with words.

Food: Sell items that expats want, like cereal, cheese, or chocolate. Look at what High Street Market and Fat Bag do. You could also export local foods like Afex Peru does.

Foreign exchanges: Help foreign students who come over to study. Check out what CCCAsia does.

Foreign goods: Although iherb is pretty reasonable, you could sell other items, cosmetics, clothes, shoes, etc.

Group classes: They could be in your home or you could rent out a small office.

Homestays: People who host students in their homes can be paid pretty well. You will probably also have to cook for them and may have to do their laundry.

Hostel: Open up a hostel. Look at Hostel Trail in Ecuador.

Interior Decorating: From giving advice about major revamps to the little details.


Language Institute: You could open up an English institute or better yet, open up one that teaches the local language to foreigners. Look at what El SOL does.

Magazine: Start an English magazine.

Newspaper: Start an English newspaper.

Organise classes: Find a teacher and a venue and organise a class. Charge people a registration fee for your services. Some people have organised CPR and first aid classes and charged $20 for the registration fee which is in addition to the teacher's and venue's fees.

Photographer: Many people want a professional photographer to capture moments such as an engagement, wedding, birth, or their children.

Private Students: Try to find a niche, whether it be teaching kids, Business English, exam prep, etc. Look here to find out how to teach private students

Property, see rental income.

Recruit Teachers: Check the local laws and immigration requirements. Your best bet might be setting up a business back in your home country. You'll have to establish contacts and might have to make guarantees (recruiters often promise to replace a teacher for free if they leave within six months). Most recruiters can earn up to one month of the teacher's salary for each teacher they place.

Rental Income: Houses in other countries may be cheaper than at home.Put the full downpayment on a property, keep it mortgaged, and use an agent to manage it. Buy a couple properties since it's better to have 4 properties with the tax advantages and rise in value than tying all your capital up in one property that just generates rent with no expenses to offset the income. Dmocha from Dave's ESL Cafe says that you may be able to get tax breaks for property as far as interest, improvements, and agent's fees go. Look at what Apartment Club Peru does.

Sell stuff: Buy low, sell high.

Sports: You can teach classes, such as yoga.

Subbing: Contact schools and ask to be put on their sub list.

Teacher: Teach other subjects like martial arts, visual arts, drama, sports, yoga, meditation, photography, childbirth education, or school subjects. The possibilities are limitless.

Teacher Training: If you've got the quals and experience try contacting intensive TEFL course providers. Some may have weekend courses or may need trainers during the breaks. Check out what Kagan Korea does.

Toiletries: Natural soaps, butters, and oils are in high demand.

Tour Guide: Being an English tour guide is a good way to earn extra money during the high season. You can give tours when you have time. You can have set prices or do free tours with donations like Guided Bucharest.

Translating: Contact local businesses and offer your services or put an advert up on Craigslist. Here's a list of where to advertise your translation services.

Traveling with students: Organise trips for students. They can be daytrips to local places or even longer trips overseas. If you get enough students together, you could take them back to your home country for a vacation where they could study and learn about the culture first-hand.

Workshops: Lots of publishers offer training sessions so contact publishers and ask if they can put you on their list.

Writer: Write a book or article, online or in print.

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Reader Request: I'm Going to Live in Peru Forever!

From dogwalkmusings.blogspot.com

Updated 20 October 2017

It's not uncommon for me to get emails from people who say that they want to live in Peru forever, but don't know how to do it. It's usually accompanied by statements saying that someone (their husband / wife / partner / boyfriend / girlfriend / fiance / fiancée) is living in Peru / going to move to Peru and they'll get married and live happily ever after. More often than not the person emailing me has never been to Peru or has spent less than two weeks there.

Keep in mind that marriage is no longer forever. Divorce rates are high enough between people from the same culture let alone those from different cultures. The good news is that there are alternatives to residency besides marriage.
Differences in culture can also wreck havoc on cross-cultural partnerships. There's a reason why I wrote think carefully before marrying a Peruvian and that's it's one of the top 5 posts on my blog.

Moving is hard but it can be even harder if you move to a different country, don't speak the language, or if you don't have a job waiting for you. More often that not people end up begrudgingly teaching English. While there are other options than teaching English in Peru, they do take time to set up. If you do decide to to move to Peru, definitely take time and read the advice that other long-term expats have written.

While there are plenty of people that do end up living in Peru forever, just remember to keep your options open. Don't limit yourself to one country. Take things in stride and realise that there are many things beyond your control.

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Interview with Ken Jones at Maximo Nivel

About Maximo Nivel
Ken Jones started Maximo Nivel in Cusco in 2003 and since then they have expanded to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the US. Teachers are able to work and travel around nearby countries in Latin America.

Many people take TEFL certificate to help them get into TEFL. There are a couple TEFL Training Institutes in Peru. One of them in Maximo Nivel in Cusco. Ken Jones, the owner, has provided The Ultimate Peru List with the following information.

TEFL / TESOL Program
Their program is accredited with the Peruvian Ministry of Education and with Assentis in the UK. This is a 150 hour on-site program with 8+ hours of teaching and observations. Cost is $1600 for the 4 week course; plus housing and books. They are partnered with the following organizations for TEFL/TESOL: Bridge Linguatec, INTESOL, TEFL Institute, ITTO, EBC, and Global Crossroad. They also have two other options.

1. A hybrid TEFL/TESOL Program, which is 2-4 weeks of self-study followed by 2 weeks on-site. 
2. An online / distance learning TEFL Program, which is done via Skype and (unlike other online programs) includes 6 hours of practical teaching via Skype—these are 1-on-1 lessons with Peruvians and Guatemalans.

ESL Teaching
Their teachers must be TEFL / TESOL or CELTA certified via a course of at least 100 hours and which included a practical teaching component. Minimum contract is 6 months. Teachers must be native English speakers. There are a limited number of positions where TEFL/TESOL certified non-native English speakers can work as tutors. They generally hire 5-6 teachers per month. With respect to their contracts, they do not have a non-competition clause. There are various bits of mis-information on Dave’s.

They do not pay teachers hourly—they receive a fixed monthly salary. In Peru the salary is $450 - $600; in Costa Rica the salary is $690 - $800; and in Guatemala the salary is $450 - $600. Teachers teach six (6) 1-hour classes/day. Teachers can earn more if they choose to teach a 7th or 8th class, though this never required.

Their ESL program in Peru has 1200 learners and a staff of 20 teachers; their ESL program in Costa Rica is 150 learners and a staff of 6 teachers; their ESL program in Guatemala will begin in January 2011. Class size is strictly limited in Peru to 12 learners; in Costa Rica to 8 learners; and in Guatemala to 12 learners. They have a full in-house developed teachers’ guide and curriculum, books, and all quizzes and exams are standardized by the institute.They  have a 2 hour in-house teacher training each month.

In Peru, they have a large Teachers’ Lounge with dedicated computers, Internet and WiFi, satellite TV, lock-able cubbies, 2 refrigerators, bottled water, and teachers-only bathroom. In Costa Rica, they have a small Teachers’ Lounge with dedicated computers, Internet and WiFi and lock-able cubbies. In Guatemala, they have a small Teachers’ Lounge with dedicated computers, Internet and WiFi, cable TV, lock-able cubbies, refrigerator, and bottled water.

Volunteering
They offer volunteer and internship projects in all 3 countries. These last for as little as 1 week and as long as 1 year. Most people are with us for 2-4 weeks, and the average stay is 3.3 weeks. They are partnered with the following organizations: IVHQ, Global Crossroad, IFRE, RCDP, Bridge Volunteers, GVN, and Rustic Volunteer & Travel. They offer projects in the following areas:

• Orphanage / Childcare
• Medical / Healthcare
• Conservation
• Construction
• Teaching English

Native Spanish Program
Their Native Spanish Program is accredited by the Ministries of Education in both Peru and Guatemala. As well, Brookhaven College in the U.S. and Universidad Rural in Guatemala provide university credit for our Spanish program. They are partnered with the following organizations: Tucan Travel, LanguageCourse.Net, and 121 Speech.

Classes are offered in small group (max 6 people) and 1-on-1. Teachers are all native Spanish speakers and are certified in teaching Spanish as a second language OR hold a Bachelors or Masters in Education.

They have a program called Adventure & Culture which combines 1-4 weeks of Spanish with various tourism programs that clients do on the weekends—to see the sites in Peru, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.


Contact Information

COSTA RICA
Maximo Nivel
Del Antiguo Higueron 100m sur y 50m este
San Pedro Montes de Oca
San Jose
Telephone: +506 2253 9220
Email: info@maximonivel.com

GUATEMALA
Maximo Nivel
6ta Avenida 16-16A
La Antigua
Telephone: +502 7932 1500
Email: info@maximonivel.com

PERU
Maximo Nivel
Avenida El Sol 612-616
Cusco
Telephone: +51 (84) 58 1800
Email: info@maximonivel.com

Other Information
Maximo Nivel is no longer associated with Chris Larsen in Arequipa. Chris has his institute called Extreme Superior English Alliance. He began in Arequipa as a Maximo Nivel franchise. They parted ways amicably in early 2008. Their institutes are no longer related.

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Finding Teaching Jobs in Peru

Updated 1 May 2014

I've put together a basic guide for those who would like to teach English in Peru. For more comprehensive information on teaching, try looking in The Ultimate Guide to Teaching in Peru, which was featured in Transitions Abroad. If you're going to be going to Peru make sure you take advantage of all the things you can see and do here. There are a number of great Peru guide books out there that will help you pick and choose what to do. 

Finding a Job Before You Arrive
In general it’s difficult to secure a teaching job before you arrive here, but not impossible. You might try contacting schools before you arrive, and can find a list of schools in The Little Black Book of English Institutes in Peru. Keep in mind that only institutes are mentioned in the link above. If you're a qualified teacher and interested in primary or secondary schools, try IBO or TES.


Side Jobs and Working Online
Nowadays there are many places that need online teachers. Usually you will be a conversation teacher, but there are other positions available, such as assisting with writing. Pay varies, but is around $10 an hour. You can find more info at Teaching Online.

If you'd like to do something other than teaching, there are lots of possibilities, such as selling art, being a doula, or even a tour guide. For more ideas read, Supplementing Your Teaching Salary. There are more things you can do besides teaching, selling photos online, editing, or creating database are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out more ways in the article, Making Money Online.

Getting Teaching Work
Although it might take a lot of work at the beginning, you{ll soon build up a solid schedule. Try looking at the advice in What to do Upon Arrival to find out how to get a good job quickly. If you're a single parent or have children, you'll have more things to take into consideration. Be sure to read TEFLing as a Single Parent and Teaching with Kids in Tow.

In most places, employers will want to meet you before having you sign a contract, they might also have you take English tests, psychological tests, and do a demo lesson. Don’t worry too much about TEFL certs. Having a degree and being a native speaker are usually enough to get a job. Experience and is also a big help. And if you have a teaching license, you can get a job just about anywhere. Watch out for chain schools, although some are good, they may not treat their teachers as well as other places. And remember don't just accept the first job offer just because you need a job. Look at the article, Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job before you sign a contract.

Working Legally
Getting permission to work legally is difficult, however, this is Latin America, so laws tend to be shades of grey rather than black and white. Some options are getting a permission to sign a contract visa, see Permission to Sign a Contract Visa for more info. Have your work get you a work visa: schools and universities are more likely to get you a work visa than institutes. Or if you’re married to a Peruvian and get a llamado de familia / marriage visa, you can work legally.

There might be other visa options for you that let you work legally, such as student, independent worker, artist, immigrant visa, and religious. Here's the general foreigner information from Migraciones. You could also work under the table and border hop. Keep in mind that this is illegal.

Job Placement 
If you’ve done a TEFL certificate programme or are planning on doing one, often they have a lifetime job placement service that you can use. If this isn’t an option for you, there are places that specialize in job placement for teachers. There’s usually a fee involved, but they tend to have good contacts with schools. Some good places are Innovative English and TEFL Job Placement, they have placements in Cusco. Lastly, although it may be a long shot, try your local college or university. If they have a career service centre, they might be able to provide you with some places that are looking for teachers.

School Year
The school year goes from March/April until November/December. International schools may start looking for teachers as early as May to start in February. Recruiting usually starts in May and runs until the first week of February when schools are desperate to fill vacancies. Universities may wait until the beginning of the year (January or February) to start hiring. Many institutes hire year-round.

Where to Go 
Some people are certain what city they want to live in while others aren’t. Many people want to go to Cusco. Keep in mind that there are lots of tourists and it is similar to Europe, so if you want the real Peru experience, I would advise against Cusco. Smaller towns are an option. Piura and Chiclayo are close to the famous beaches. Trujillo is a uni town. Lima is the centre of everything. Arequipa is famous for its volcano. Puno has snow. Iquitos is in the jungle. Do some research; what appeals to some many not appeal to others. Go to your local library and get a Peru guide book or two. You can also read more about Peruvian cities in this article.

Interviewing
Sending your CV works, but going in person is better. You will probably have to have an interview and might be asked to do a demo lesson. For tips on how to make a good impression, see The Interview and Demo Lesson. Also, with lots of places, you will need Recibos de Honorarios, and unless you are legally here, you can't get them. You’ll have to find someone who does have these. They're like receipts. Many people won't want to give you theirs since there's a limit on how much money you make a month without paying taxes. If your recibos de honorario total more than 2550 soles a month, you have to pay taxes. So if you don't have these, start looking for someone who does.


Short-term Work
If you want to come here for a short time it's difficult to get a job and a visa before you get here. It's not impossible though. Look at Working Holiday Visas and Short-term Teaching for more info. However, if you want to stay for six months, you could sign a year-long contract with a school and simply leave after six months. It’s not that honest, but it is an option. Chances are that they would get you a visa. But, if you have a work visa, the school has to give you papers in order to leave the country to prove that you have paid taxes. See Leaving Peru and taxes for more information.

Many people simply come here and hand out their CVs. You will probably make about $5-$10 an hour. Keep in mind working without a visa is illegal. However, many people do it though and chances are slim that you will run into problems. You get up to 183 days upon entry. There are no visa extensions, you'll have to border hope. Some places hire people on tourists visas. Expect to get around $6-$10 an hour. For lists of schools try Breaking into the TEFL Market in Peru, and The Little Black Book of English Institutes.


Answer Adverts
Advertised jobs in Peru are few and far between. If you’re in Peru try buying El Comercio on Sunday. The good jobs can be found in the Empleos section. Here are some more websites for finding jobs.

• Expat Peru
• Living in Peru
• Teach Abroad 
• Volunteer Abroad
• Volunteer South America

Cold Calling
This comes in many forms. Applying to schools can be discouraging. Many places won't reply. This may be because they usually hire in Jan or simply because they would rather have you come in person before they hire you. Don't give up. Being persistent pays off. You can try emailing places.

Another option is calling or going in person. If you’d prefer to work in a school or university than an institute, check out the Education section for links to Peruvian schools and universities. Top Institutes in Lima might also help you if you want to work in an institute. The Little Black Book of English Institutes has info about the pay for the best institutes in Peru. The Ultimate Guide to Teaching in Peru has info about schools, institutes, and universities around Peru. Try also contacting top hotels as they often need to train their staff English.

Networking
Many jobs aren’t even advertised and are filled by word of mouth. Learning how to network is key here in Peru, look at Using Connections to Get a Great Job to find out more about networking. People often find jobs through friends of friends and that it especially true here in Peru. Be sure to tell everyone that you’re looking for a job. Who knows, your cousin’s girlfriend might know of a perfect job for you. You can also make contacts through forums as people tend to help each other out.


Private Lessons
Another option is coming and teaching private lessons. Try posting at private schools and universities. You can also try posting your advert at Expat Peru and Living in Peru. You can also post in the local paper. Privates outside of Lima pay around $5-10 an hour. In Lima they can pay up to $20 an hour. Have them pay in advance. You might also charge more if you go to their house.

Word of mouth, the yellow pages, and business cards work well. Sending out fliers, business cards to your target area. If you want to teach Business English, go to businesses; if you want kids English, stand outside schools. Try posting in El Comercio. Read the classifieds as well.  Read more about private students in this article.

Volunteering
Volunteering can be expensive and some places charge very high fees. The places below don't charge a fee or have a small fee. AYNI, Awaiting Angels, Cross Cultural Solutions, The Colour of Hope, and Habitat for Humanity. See Section 5 and Volunteer South America for more volunteer opportunities. More can be found at the Business Directory at Living in Peru and Trabajo Voluntario.

Other Jobs
If you can get hired in your own country and get transferred to Peru, all the better. You'll have a better salary and benefits. If you want to try to get a job while in Peru, checking El Comercio is good. Contacts and connections help as well. Try going to Living in Peru and Expat Peru and seeing what kind of jobs are there. Jobs which cater to foreigners and rich Peruvians pay better. You could also work online, read Supplement Your Income Online. The type of jobs you can get here are endless: secretary, tour guide, (see Amazing South America or Peru for Less) financial advisor, and many more. You can even start your own business.

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Teaching Tips for Peru

Updated 1 July 2013


You can find out more about the TEFL market in different cities across Peru by reading, Breaking into the TEFL Market in Peru. If you're new to teaching or TEFLing, you can find good tips at Learning about TEFLing and Teaching. Be sure to look at Know Before You Go as well so you know what to expect before you arrive in Peru. Even if you can’t arrange a job before you arrive, you should be able to secure one within a few weeks.

Money Matters
Money's always an issue. Learning how to budget is the first step to having enough money. Next you should look at getting a good paying job.         You can find ways to supplement your salary in Supplement Your Teaching Salary. But if you don't find a job with your dream salary, don't despair, there are plenty of ways to earn extra money.  Just take a look at Money Matters for a complete list.          Below you can find some ideas for teachers to earn extra money.

• Look at this article about supplementing your teaching salary
• Teach online. For a list of good schools to teach at see Teaching Online
• Teach night classes at a university or institute (About $5-$10 an hour)
• Teach private classes (About $15-$25 an hour). Here's info on Getting Private Students.
• Sub at primary or secondary schools.
• Give teacher training sessions. Check with local publishers.

Learning How to Teach
There are plenty of one month training courses out there, though not every institute will require one. Look at Is a TEFL Cert Necessary? for more info. Make sure the course has at least 100 teaching hours and 6 hours of teaching students. Your library is a good place to start researching about TEFLing. In addition, you can find plenty of resources online. Take a look at my list of Top Resources as well as the links below.

• Learning about TEFL and Teaching
• Maintaining Discipline
• Sites for Lesson Planning 
• Teaching Beginners 
• Teaching English
• Teaching Large Classes
• Teaching Mixed Level Classes
• Teaching Writing
• Teaching Young Learners
• TEFL Boot Camp 
• TEFL Tips
• The Peace Corps Guide

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Training and Professional Affiliations for Teachers in Peru

Updated 13 March 2014

If you are in Lima, there are many congresses and conferences for you to attend. If you are in the provinces, there are opportunities to go to conferences, just not as many as in Lima. Peruvians stress training sessions, so your school may offer these free to their employees. If not, try to attend a conference, as it allows you to do some networking.

Try to have a section on your CV that lists a few of the recent conferences that you have attended. There are lots of sample CVs and resumes out there to help you create a great one.

You can read more about training sessions in the article Conferences and Training in Peru. In addition, there are quite a number of professional affiliations that you can join. Some offer discounts for conferences and others publish newsletters.


Month-long intensive certification courses

Cusco

• Bridge Linguatec
• Cactus TEFL
• EBC
• English Abroad
• INTESOL International
• Language Corps
• Maximo Nivel. Read my Interview with Maximo Nivel.

Lima

• Britanico offers a part-time CELTA course for its teachers.

Trujillo

• Vive Trujillo

Zorritos

• TEFL Zorritos

Distance / Online Programmes in TEFL
There are many programmes out there. Click on the links below to find out more information.

• Certificate and Diploma Courses
• Diplomas and MA degrees
• How to Teach English Online and Get Money
• Master Degrees
• Teach English Abroad: The Complete Guide
• The Ultimate Teaching Position

Conferences and Training
Varies

• APPI
• Britanico
• Camelot
• Longman
• Macmillan
• Universidad de Cesar Vallejo

June

• Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola

July

• APPI
• ICPNA

August

• ADECOPA
• Camelot Training Centre
• TESOL-Perú

October

• Pacificio
• Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú

November:

• Camelot Teacher Training Center
• San Marcos
• Santillana

Professional Affiliations links

• Asociacion Peruana de Profesores de Ingles
• The British Council’s ELTeCS
• The British Council’s ELTeCS yahoo
• IATEFL
• Peru Teacher Network
• Perú-TESOL
• Sociedad de Profesores de Ingles del Peru

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Education in Peru

Updated 28 January 2015

If you're going to be moving to Peru with kids, you'll need to know about the educational options available. There are public and private schools in Peru and the majority of the private ones are religious. As expected, private schooling is more expensive and can range from $200 to $1000 a month, depending on the school. Most of the English speaking ones are in Lima, but you can also find some in the provinces.

Schools are broken into Primary (grades 1-6) and Secondary School (grades 1-5). There is also “Nido” which is Nursery school and usually starts around age 2. Since school is only 11 years, university is five years. A list of schools in Peru and International Schools (at the bottom) can be found in the LA Job List and this Guide to Peru. There's also, ExpoUniversidad which publishes a yearly guide for Peruvian schools. If you're considering homeschooling, you might want to look into virtual schools. You can also find helpful info at Moms help Moms.

Lima: Schools

International education can be very expensive in Lima. Some schools can cost more than $25,000 a year. Here's a list of the 10 most expensive schools. More schools can be found at the LA Job List and TEFL Tips.

• Colegio Peruano Britanico
• Hiram Bingham 
• International Christian School of Lima
• Markham
• Monterrico Christian School
• Newton College
• Roosevelt, (FDR)
• San Silvestre

Lima: Nursery Schools
Schools often have nursery schools that start at age two. However, if you're looking for places that just offer nursery school, try the places below.

• Beginners: Los Pinos 308, Camacho 4376242
• Donde Leslie: Alameda Corregidor 1310, La Molina 4953382
• Garabatos: Los Laureles 447, San Isidro 4410040
• Kids First Nursery School: Redon 134 San Borja 3461377
• Little Villa: Jose del Llano Zapata 454, San Isidro 4405835
• Medalla Milagrosa: Av Monte de los Olivos 145, surco 2791736
• Nido John Arriman: Av Nicolas de Rivera 948, Surco 4221084
• Nido Playschool: Islas Aleutianos 120, Planicie 4791058

Provinces
Here are some English schools in the Provinces.

• Davy College in Cajamarca
• Fleming in Trujillo
• Prescott in Arequipa

Special Education
Although there are only a few special education schools, they have high standards and will help make your transition to Peru easier.

• Centro Amanecer: Av del Parque Sur 668, San Borja
• Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru: Celle Petronila Alvarez 180, San Miguel 2636296
• Centro Peruano de Audición, Lenguaje y Aprendizaje: Calle Martin Pizarro 172, Surco 3440051 or 3440193
• Kallpa: Av Primavera 1860, Surco 3450805

Universities
Peru has one of the oldest universities in the Americas, San Marcos. It’s very difficult to get in, about 60,000 apply but only a couple thousand are actually admitted. University is considerably harder than in many English-speaking countries. The reason for this is that most grades are based on the midterm and final exams.

Some professors expect students to buy their books, memorise them and write their exact words on the exams. They may even take off points if they paraphrase, which is why many students think nothing of copying and pasting and then not giving any credit in the form of a bibliography. Here are some websites with statistics, such as the admission rate and number of students as well as other helpful information.

• ANR
• Butler
• Universia
• Universidad Peru

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