Can I Teach in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is an extremely popular relocation destination for people in search of a more relaxed lifestyle, however they find out that moving there isn’t as easy as the “pura vida” philosophy would have them think.
The biggest reason is that it’s almost impossible to obtain “legal” work and as such, foreigners are usually stuck with tourist visas that force them to leave the country every 3 months.
The country presents an opportunity to native English speakers who can obtain teaching positions at the countless language schools all over the country. Great trust is put onto native speakers who don’t even need to have a teaching degree to find work. They must be aware of course, that in no way is their work considered legal and they won’t enjoy the benefits of most Costa Rican employees.
Usually ads looking for English teachers will pop up in websites like Craigslist and classifieds in all the major newspapers in town including La Nacion and La Republica. Teaching works pay according to the prestige of the center where you teach and usually pay by the hour. Most of these jobs are understood to be temporary and employers are usually quite flexible with teachers.
