TEACH ENGLISH IN COLOMBIA
Program Overview:

$2 million Colombian Pesos COP monthly salary

Housing allowance of $290,000 Colombian Pesos COP

Colombia's average monthly salary is about 640.000 COP

Round-trip air-ticket – up to 1400 USD paid by school. If the flight amounts to more of that
the teacher will have to make up the difference

Airport pick up in Bogota

Full orientation upon arrival – 3 days orientation in Bogota with other teachers to get
accustomed with the local culture, language, customs, etc. and then further orientation in
job placement town/city

Free accommodation provided during 3-day orientation

Assistance in finding accommodation close to school – provided by teacher’s coordinator at
the school (part of the 24/7 support)

Transport arranged and provided from Bogota to placement city

Placements available in many towns and cities in Colombia including Cucuta, Bogota, Cali,
Medellin, Cartagena (most popular placement cities). Placement location is subject to the
availability of teaching jobs in a particular city and the applicant’s qualifications and profile

Visa fee reimbursement

Paid holidays (2 weeks a year) plus national holidays off

All public holidays off

24/7 support team to assist teachers in Colombia

Assistance in opening up Colombian bank account and getting a Colombian sim card –
school’s coordinator will assist with this

Colombia travel guide

6 or 12 month placement

Placements available throughout the year

120-hour online TEFL course provided through Connecting Worlds prior to job placement

Interviews with schools are scheduled no more than 3 months prior to the job placement –
the school has had issues with interviewing and offering jobs more than 3 months prior to
placement and then the teacher loses interest and doesn’t show up
Application and Interview Process:
1. Complete the online application form which will be sent to you
2. Your application will then be sent through to our school partner in Colombia who will inform
us on whether they wish to set up an interview with you
3. If they wish to interview you, you will be required to pay a 250 USD application deposit to
schedule the interview and to provide you with advice and guidelines in preparation for the
interview
4. The interview with the school in Colombia will be done via Skype and there will usually be
two interviews
5. If the interview goes well, you’ll be enrolled in a 20-hour online training course which will be
completed over 5 days
6. Upon successful completion of the online training, you’ll be presented with a job offer to
teach English in Colombia
7. You will be required to pay the remaining program fees of 750 USD to secure your job
placement, enrol you in an online TEFL course (if you haven’t completed one yet), and
receive assistance in purchasing flights to Colombia, travel insurance, and your work permit
8. Fly to Bogota, Colombia where you’ll undergo 3 or 4 days of orientation with other soon-tobe-teachers learning about Colombian culture, customs, language, and day-to-day life in
Colombia. Airport pickup and accommodation during the orientation will be provided for
you
9. Upon completion of the cultural orientation, you’ll head to your placement city to begin an
adventure of a lifetime teaching English in Colombia.
Placement Locations:
The demand for English teachers in Colombia is higher in the larger cities, namely; Bogota, Cali,
Cartagena, Medellin, and Cucuta. One can expect to be placed in one of these cities and the choice
between the placement cities depends largely on the demand for teachers at the time of application.
Below is some information on each Colombian city:
Bogotá
Bogotá is one of Latin America's cosmopolitan cities complete with all the excitement, diversity,
traffic, and fast-paced life that you would expect from one of the continent's largest cities, with a
population of approximately 8 million. Bogotá is the city that never sleeps. Day and night you will
find countless events, restaurants, cafes, bars, libraries, museums, and cultural centers all across the
city. Yes, you may need to battle some intense traffic to get from point A to point B, but it's worth it
to check out all the cool things that Bogotá has to offer. Bogota's weather is not for everyone. But if
you like fall, then you will LOVE Bogotá. Bogotá is fall weather year round. So if you enjoy crisp
autumn mornings, chillier nights, and peeling off layers when the sun comes out, then Bogotá is for
you. If you ever get sick of the city or the cooler climate, then warmer, more tranquil towns are
merely a hour away. You can find picturesque hikes both IN Bogotá and an hour or so outside of
Bogotá. There is never a lack of things to do and interesting people to meet. People from all over the
world and Colombia gather in Bogotá to pursue their dreams. It truly is a city of opportunities.
"Rolos" or Bogotanos are more cautious than other Colombians because there is a higher level of
crime in Bogotá than in most other cities. That being said, common sense and basic safety measures
go a long way in preventing misfortune.
Cali
Cali is a spicy city of approximately 3 million located in the southwest of Colombia in the valley of
River Cauca. It is the salsa dancing capital of Colombia and there is an energy that runs through its
streets that anyone who visits it cannot escape.
Santiago de Cali is the second largest city in Colombia after Bogotá and the third most populated city
in the country. Known simply as Cali, it has tropical weather, it can be hot during the day, around 30
Celsius, and warm at night. During the rainy season it gets cooler. Having such tropical weather leads
one to assume that there is a beach here, however, the closest beaches are located in
Buenaventura, a 3 hour bus ride away. Nevertheless, this city holds its own. The public bus
transportation, called the Mio covers the main areas of the city, making it easy and affordable to
travel around. If you want to get a great view of the city then you should visit Cristo Rey and Los Tres
Cruces, both places have interesting histories that any local will be proud to tell you about. Caleños
also love to cool down from the hot weather by visiting Rio Pance on Sundays or on public holidays.
If you’re a foodie, then you must visit Granada and el Peñon to tickle your taste buds. One way to
connect with the locals is to learn to dance caleño salsa, which is distinguished from Cuban salsa by
small fast kicks. Another popular type of dance is salsa choke, which is the latest craze of urban salsa
that is characterized by hip-hop style moves mixed with salsa. As well as being the self-proclaimed
salsa capital of the world there is an energy that runs through Cali’s streets that anyone who visits it
cannot escape.
Cartagena
Cartagena is thought to be Colombia’s quaintest coastal city, and Colombia’s fifth largest city. The
historical section of town is a maze of cobblestone alleyways lined with colorful balconies, colonial
churches and plazas overlooking the Caribbean. The distinctly different newer part of the city is
home to the working class, plenty of open air cafes and the bustle of a modern city. It is very hot and
sunny year round. The population is approximately 900,000.
This Caribbean city offers the perfect combination of fun tourist activities with authentic costeño
living, creating an atmosphere that is both fast paced and relaxed. You will find a huge selection of
museums, restaurants, stores, bars, and lively plazas. There are many landmarks such as the Clock
Tower, Las Bovedas prison cells turned shops, and San Felipe Castle. Nightlife in Cartagena is
incredibly vibrant- Getsemani’s Plaza Trinidad is constantly packed with street performers, food
vendors, and locals drinking and dancing champeta/salsa till dawn. To find the more traditional
costeño life, one needs only to look to the neighborhoods outside the centro, such as the famous
Bazurto outdoor market. Despite its size, Cartagena is surprisingly easy to navigate as there is only
one main highway and nearly every major landmark and bus line passes through it. The people in
Cartagena are incredibly friendly and warm but the weather can get even warmer, with an average
yearly temperature of 28 °C. Luckily, Cartagena is located right on the beach and it is incredibly easy
to seek refuge of the beautiful local Playa Blanca, Baru and Rosario Islands. Easy day trips outside the
city include Santa Marta, the infamously odd Mud Volcano Totumo, Tayrona National Park, the Lost
City and the coffee region Minca.
Medellín
Medellin is Colombia's second largest city, set inland in the foothills of the Andes mountains in the
North West region of Antioquia. The city sits at a comfortable altitude of 1.500m above sea level and
is known as 'La cuidad de la primavera eterna' or 'The city of eternal spring' because it's average
temperature is 24 degrees, all year round. With a population of 4 million, the city boasts arguably
the best transportation system in Colombia, with a metro, cable car and tram link which makes citytravel quick and smooth for commuters and tourists alike. Medellin is known for it's people,
nicknamed 'Paisas' they are extremely kind and welcoming, as well as being entrepreneurial of spirit
and very sociable - they tend to be intrigued by foreigners and are very happy to help with directions
or local recommendations. In recent years there has been an influx of tourism as the city has shaken
it's reputation of violence and turned around to winning an award for 'The World's Most Innovative
City' in 2013. Along with the tourists there is also a thriving expat community and in comunas like
Poblado and Laureles, where it's common to see other foreigners. This increasing mix of people has
had a profound effect on Medellin's recreational offerings - you can experience world cuisine in a
huge range of restaurants, go out dancing in a traditional salsa bar or hit a techno club, practice yoga
in the park or join the national stadium complex to use their olympic-sized pool or velodrome - free!
Home of the artist Fernando Botero, the city is also a hub of culture, being praised for its civic
spaces, libraries and art galleries.
Every August Medellin comes alive with the annual flower festival, celebrating the flower trade that
started in nearby pueblos, with 10 days of parades, flower sculptures and free public concerts. It's a
must-see! From Medellin you can easily access many town and villages in the surrounding area. A
short bus ride can take you to Guatape, Jardin or Rio Claro - all famous Colombian getaways, so
you're never short of options to take advantage of the 18 public holidays (or 'puentes') that
Colombia celebrate every year.
In short, Medellin has a little bit of everything for everyone! It's climate makes it a very liveable city
and means you can enjoy the outdoor life to the max and with a people who have been voted the
friendliest in the world, you certainly won't be short of a few friends to share it with!
Cúcuta
Cúcuta is the capital of the department of Norte de Santander. The climate is hot and humid, with a
population of 570,000 (1,000,000 including the metropolitan area) and all manner of restaurants,
modern shopping malls, decent hotels, trendy neighborhoods and an airport. It is characterized by
having a large number of parks and green areas. Cúcuta also has one of the longest boardwalks in
Colombia where you will find discos, bars, restaurants, parks, places of entertainment and lookout
points.
Program Fees and Costs:
TEFL and Job Placement: 1,050 USD
Program Fee Breakdown:


300 USD application fee - to be paid once notified that our school partner wants to schedule
an interview with you. This must be paid in order to secure an interview with the school
750 USD TEFL and Job Placement fee – to be paid once a job offer has been made by our
school partner. This must be paid in order to be enrolled in the TEFL course and to secure
your job placement with the school.
Job Placement Only: 900 USD
Program Fee Breakdown:

300 USD application fee - to be paid once notified that our school partner wants to schedule
an interview with you. This must be paid in order to secure an interview with the school

600 USD Job Placement fee – to be paid once a job offer has been made by our school
partner. This must be paid in order to secure your job placement with the school.
Options Available if not offered a job placement:
If you are not presented with a job offer from our partner school in Colombia, you will have two
options:
1. Apply for another TravelBud program and if accepted, your application deposit for the Teach
in Colombia program will count towards the program fees of the TravelBud program you are
accepted for
2. Receive a 200 USD refund if you do not wish to apply for another TravelBud program or if
you are not accepted for another TravelBud program
Requirements:
Minimum Requirements:








Native English speaker
Passport holder from SA, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand. If they are
fluent in English but are not from one of the above listed countries then there is a chance
that they can be placed but this cannot be guaranteed
Degree holders
120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate – this can be completed through TravelBud if you haven’t
got a TESOL/TEFL certificate yet
Commit to 6-month or 1-year contract
Committing to successfully seeing out one’s contract is a major concern to the schools as
they fear teachers breaking contract and leaving early because of home sickness or
disinterest in the program. Therefore past experience travelling and working abroad can aid
in assuring the schools that the applicant will not leave early
400 USD refundable commitment fee (separate to program fee and explained under “fees
and costs” section)
500 USD to pay for the visa – this is reimbursed to the teachers at the end of their contract
when they have returned all the materials provided by the school (explained under “fees
and costs” section)
Additional Characteristics:
The following characteristics are not minimum requirements for the Teach in Colombia program but
will definitely boost your chances of being accepted for an interview with our school partner:



Ability to understand and speak Spanish
Experience travelling and/or working abroad
Experience teaching English abroad
Job Placement:

At private language centres in the major cities in Colombia - Cucuta, Bogota, Cali, Medellin,
Cartagena

Choose between 6 or 12 month placements – placements can be renewed for longer time
periods

40 hours of teaching per week: 53 lessons per week which are 45 minutes long

Placements available throughout the year – Demand for teachers is at its highest in January,
February, August and December

$2 million Colombian Pesos COP monthly salary

Housing allowance of $290,000 Colombian Pesos COP

Monthly pay in total including housing allowance: 2,290,000 COP

Average monthly salary in Colombia is 640,000 COP

Round-trip air-ticket – up to 1400 USD paid upfront by school or reimbursed before arrival in
Columbia. If the flight amounts to more of that the teacher will have to make up the
difference

24/7 in-country support

Airport pickup

3 to 4 days of orientation upon arrival in Bogota

Transport to your placement city

Assistance in finding accommodation close to your school
Accommodation Allowance:
Living in large cities (Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena. Cali and Cucuta) are notably more expensive than
rural areas or smaller cities. Therefore, rent depends on the city and can range from 350.000 to
650.000 Colombian pesos. You will receive an accommodation allowance of up to $290.000 COP
from the school.
Flight to Colombia:
Once you’ve received your job offer and paid the final program fees, the school will book a return
flight for you to Colombia. The school will pay up to 1400 USD and if the flight costs more than that
(which it shouldn’t) you will be required to pay the difference. The school will discuss with you your
preferred departure date and destination before booking the flight.
Work Permit:
Once you have received a job offer from the school and paid the remaining program fees, you will
receive all the documents required to get the work permit. This is a quick and easy process and
should only take up to 8 or 10 days to obtain after applying. Complete guidance and assistance will
be provided by the school when applying for the work permit.