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: Understanding Peruvian Names

From grandhaventribune.com

Updated 11 October 2015

Peruvians usually have at least one given name and two last names. On Peruvian birth certificates there is no section for middle names. There is only a part for prenombres (given names) and then the father's last name and the mother's last name. When talking about someone, you usually only use their first (the father's) last name. Here's an example of how children get their names. (accent marks have been omitted):

• Mother: Maria Jose Sanchez Perez
• Father: Miguel Angel Rodriguez Gonzalez
• Son: Juan Pedro Rodriguez Sanchez
• Daughter: Maria Pia Rodriguez Sanchez

Marriage
When a woman gets married she may add "de" (which usually shows marriage) and her husband's first last name or keep her name as it is. For example, if the daughter above gets married, here's what her name could be:

• Daughter: Maria Pia Rodriguez Sanchez (if she keeps her name)
• Daughter: Maria Pia Rodriguez Sanchez de Hernadez (if she changes her name)
• Husband: Carlos Diego Hernandez Garcia

Divorce
If she changed her name due to marriage, she will be forced by Peruvian law to change it back to her maiden name. Idiotic. Way to go Peru for having equal rights. It doesn't matter why she's getting divorced (ie her husband could have cheated on her or abused her) or how long she'd been married (even if it's 25 years), she will still have to change it.

Widows
If Carlos dies, then Maria Pia would probably be known as his widow (viuda) and that will be added to her name colloquially even if she never changed it.

• Daughter: Maria Pia Rodriguez Sanchez Vda de Hernadez
• Husband: Carlos Diego Hernandez Garcia

"de" in names
It can get more complicated if the person already has "de" in their name. For example:

• Before marriage: Maria de la Soledad Rodriguez Sanchez  
• After marriage: Maria de la Soledad Rodriguez Sanchez de Hernadez
• Before marriage: Maria Rodriguez Hector de las Torres 
• After marriage: Maria Rodriguez Hector de las Torres de Hernadez

Men
Sigh. Men don't change their names when they get married. Maybe someday they'll be like Brazilian men and change their names.

Conclusion
Names can get really complicated in Peru, but it's really cool to learn more about names and the history that goes along with them. I also like the fact that children get their father's and their mother's last names. One tip to remember is that speaking Spanish will help you greatly. Knowing Spanish will help you assimilate to the culture and you'll be able to communicate easier.

Disclaimer:

• Please join my Patreon page
• I use affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on links. Read more at my FTC Disclosure and Privacy Policy Statement