Spotlight On Chile

Chile of course a long thin country, but did you know it is over 2,700 miles from north to south and never more than 150 miles wide? It is also home to the Lake District, the Atacama Desert, the foggy island of Chiloe and the Torres del Paine national park: “The (granite) towers, some of which are over 2,600 meters high, drop abruptly into a valley bursting with sparkling blue lakes, tumbling creeks and rivers, cascading waterfalls, huge glaciers, impenetrable forests, and copious plant and animal species.” (from Geographia.com)

Geographically, it doesn’t sound like a bad place at all. Information seems thin on the ground at the Chile forum at Dave’s ESL Café, at least in comparison to other country boards, but this is still a good staring point. You can also check out the TEFL Logue’s Working In Latin America Overview.

There are currently a few jobs in Chile advertised on TEFL.com, and one established program is Bridge Linguatec’s English Opens Doors, where participants pay a fee to volunteer and receive online TEFL training (or a discount on an on-site course), housing and a small stipend.

If the Geographia.com description of Torres del Paine hasn’t convinced you, check out a Bootsnall travel story by Gerry Schwartz about making a connection with a local in Vina del Mar. Or, find ten reasons to visit Chiloe with Phillip Blazdell in the Chiloe Witch Project. Any way you stack the cards, if you’re headed to South America, Chile looks like a fascinating destination.