How to Teach English in Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America and there is now a high demand for English teachers than ever before with more and more people wanting to learn or improve their language skills to progress careers and opportunities. More and more local people are looking to learn English to boost their careers meaning more openings for foreign teachers. You can find English teaching jobs in places like Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Curitiba and smaller towns and cities. 

 

Top Reasons to Teach in Brazil

  • Brazil is beautiful and somewhere you must visit at least once in your life
  • The people are so friendly and there is a great blend of internationals living and teaching here
  • The crime isn't as bad as what is sometimes portrayed in the media 
  • Get to live in spectacular places like Rio de Janeiro
  • There are some of the beaches in the world hee
  • It's an exciting challenge to live overseas in a foreign speaking country
  • Perfect opportunity if you are keen to spend a gap year in Brazil and would like to get a paid job

 

TEFL Courses in Brazil

You could take a TEFL course in Brazil - some providers have excellent links with employers and can give you a heads up as to any vacancies or places to seek jobs

 

Best Places to Find TEFL Employment

You can find language and TEFL jobs at: 

  • Language school
  • Private tuition

 

How to Get a Teaching Job in Brazil

  • Seek out teaching jobs locally, you could walk around the city or location and find
  • Use the internet to your advantage - you can search language schools on search engines and
  • Find addresses on Google Maps, we recommend typing things like 'escola de ingles then city' e.g. 'escola de ingles Sao Paulo' which will bring and then walk around and talk to staff direct
  • Network and make contacts - speak to current and past teacher and get top tips and recommendations. You might want to visit expat or Western bars and meet other internationals currently living and working in Brazil
  • Book a Portuguese language course in Brazil - especially if you looking to give private lessons you will need a base knowledge of the local language to chat to potential students and employers
  • There are a range of volunteer programs in Brazil where you can gain experience - positions are unpaid but you will meet new people, improve your skills and language and boost your teaching prospects

 

Best Language Schools Hiring TEFL Teachers in Brazil

  • Fisk 
  • Wizard

It can be difficult to find esl jobs in Brazil by viewing online forums and esl websites. The following job sites in Brazil list companies and vacancies but you will need to be able to understand Portuguese.

  • Adzuna
  • Buscojobs
  • Catho
  • Empregos.com.br
  • Indeed.com.br
  • Infojobs.com.br
  • Empregocerto by UOL
  • ZAP

 

Visa & Eligibility

You will need a visa to work in Brazil, this requires getting a formal application for employment in advance of arrival and then having an employer in Brazil sponsoring your stay. Visas are notoriously difficult to secure and do not be surprised even if you a job offer to have the application rejected. Having previous teaching experience will help your chances of getting a teaching visa.

If accepted you will be given a CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Fasica), the Brazilian equivalent of a Social Security Number. A lot of people do work under the table (unofficially without a visa) which is cash in hand but risky. You will be taking a risk doing this and you might have be thrown out of the country if caught working illegally. Another option is to enter the country on a tourist visa then work as a freelance teacher via Skype or a website.

 

Peak Hiring Times 

  • March and August
  • Year round for private lessons

 

Typical Hiring Process

Applying either online, or locally. You will be required to have an interview either in person or on the phone.

 

Working Hours & Salary

You can expect to teach around 20–25 hours per week. It can be difficult to earn a good wage teaching in Brazil by Western standards. Teaching salaries in Brazil are quite low compared to other worldwide teaching abroad destinations. We highly recommend trying to set up private tutoring on the side of a normal job to boost your income. You will usually be paid in Brazilian Real (1 real = £4.5 / 1 real = $3)

 

Cost of Living

Please note the cost of living, especially in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are high in terms of food, transport and housing. You should be able to break even, or make money if you are giving lots of private lessons but it can be tough to keep savings when rent, shopping and going out are quite expensive.

 

What to Think About Before Applying 

  • Don't expect it to be easy to get a teaching job in Brazil, it takes time to effort to start getting seasonal-jobs-working-holidays and students. It can be easy too read online about foreign teachers making 6,000 real a month teaching in Brazil - getting to this point can be tough
  • Know what location appeals to you, both Rio and Sao Paulo are huge cities but there are also lots of relaxing destinations in the country you might want to live and teach
  • You will also need to follow local safety advice, crime is quite high in Brazil compared to other countries but if you speak with locals keep your wits about you you shouldn't have any problems.