Teaching Internships in Peru – The 3 T's To success

Written by Premier TEFL Published 18 February 2015 ~4 min read

Teaching internships in Peru give you the opportunity to see this beautiful South American country without worrying about booking hotels and managing travel costs. Although Peruvians often struggle with financial opportunities and about 25% of the entire population lives in poverty, the country is rich in culture and wildlife. If you decide to embark on a Peruvian adventure, expect to see pink dolphins, giant river otters and the most interesting bird species (since they have more almost 3000 different ones). In spite of the poverty rates, teaching jobs are gaining popularity in Peru, not only due to tourism but also as a way to improve career prospects for locals. If you are looking for a South American adventure, whether you want to earn some money or just get travel expenses covered, there are lots of opportunities to teach English as a foreign language in Peru. To help you make this a reality, here are the 3 T’s to success:

Train
Travel
Teach

Train – With Accredited TEFL Courses

Whether you want to apply for a volunteer summer job, a teaching contract with a local school or an opportunity to train business people, you need to be qualified. Train to teach English as a foreign language with one of the accredited TEFL courses from Premier TEFL. They will teach you everything you need to know about teaching internships, from teaching psychology to how to structure a lecture. When you have trained and qualified as a TEFL teacher, you improve your prospects of landing a good TEFL internship. If you want to work for universities or language institutes for business professionals and advanced English courses, you might need a relevant bachelors or Master’s degree in addition to your TEFL certificate.

Travel – Before Or After You Got the Job, Your Choice

You have two choices to find TEFL jobs – get your TEFL qualification and apply online or travel to Peru and apply there. The capital, Lima, is one of the best places to find paid teaching internships, as well as other main cities such as Cuzco, Arequipa and Trujillo. When you arrive in Peru, you are issued a tourist visa that can be as long as 183 days. You can usually use that to find employment and then the institution will help you get a business visa. If you find a teaching job before you travel to Peru, you will apply for the business visa from home and your employer will help you through the process.

Teach – There Are Many Type of TEFL Jobs To Choose From

Volunteer Teaching Internships

The most common way to teach English in Peru is to volunteer. Since Peru is a very poor country with many rural areas living without healthcare or education facilities, organizations around the world are taking action to help the locals. You can join a program to volunteer as an English teacher in Peru, or even find one once you get there. Most of these programs are either unpaid or you have to pay a fee yourself, but include accommodation and food.

International Schools and Universities

You can find long term teaching jobs contracts with international schools, most likely in the capital. These institutions usually sponsor your business visa and might even help with travel and accommodation costs. The pay is among the highest, but you usually need a bachelor’s degree along your TEFL certificate to get this TEFL job. Most contracts last 2 years, and you need to apply around December since the school year in Peru starts in March.

Private Language Academies

One of the most common teaching jobs in Peru is to work for a private academy. You will find plenty of them in Lima and other major cities. With the academy you will most likely teach business professionals and adults during weekends and after work hours. You can expect to be paid around $5 per hour, which seems very little but is reasonable considering the low costs of living in Peru.

Understanding Peru – Salaries And Cost of Living

Since Peru is a very poor country, the living expenses are also considerably lower than other parts of the world. Teaching internships are paid between $500 and $800, unless they are volunteer roles. This is enough to cover living and travel expenses. If you have a volunteer role, living expenses are covered for you, but you might need to subside your own travel expenses. If you want to earn better or work in better schools, stick with the major cities or the capital.

What To See In Peru

Some of the most visited and cultural cities in Peru are the capital, Lima, Cusco, which was the capital of the Inca Empire and Trujillo, the 3^rd largest city in the country. However, each corner of Peru is rich with beauty and culture, whether it is the heart of a main city, with beautiful architecture, or the underprivileged rural areas. Train and travel through teaching internships in your favorite Peruvian locations. See what teaching jobs are available here.