So, my brother and I are looking to teach Spanish overseas somewhere for a year or so, very soon (almost certainly Sth America). He is fluent, my Spanish is terrible, but apparently that won't be a problem. The organizations I have spoken to so far say they are always on the look out for Australians because we speak English better than anyone. Ha.

You guys are closer than I am to that neck of the woods, so lay it on me. I don't think we want to be in a big city.

I've only been to buenos aires, Santiago, an Ushuaia. If I were you I might look at Valparaiso or Bariloche.

And I should also add I don't want to be teaching rich kids.

what the fuck, you need help picking out a school system? try the iron maiden message boards.

Ha. No. This is my brother's request. He was really pissed off to find out that when he volunteered in Hanoi for a year, he wound up teaching kids whose parents make more money than ours, unpaid, and had to go out of his way to find time away from this to teach the truly needy, so he was flat out. This is different, because we won't be entirely volunteering, but i guess it's the typical self-loathing westerner in me that wants to "make a difference".

I've only gigged in cities in South America. Cool to visit, wouldn't want to live there for a year.

You probably will make a difference, but like almost every other teacher, you will be well on the way to cirrhosis of the liver within 3 months because you're certain that you are not.

Wait...let me get this straight. You want to teach Spanish to a continent that predominantly speaks Spanish? Maybe your best bet is to go to Brazil where Portuguese is spoken and teach Spanish there.

I wondered that too. Maybe they want to spread castellano.

Or Vegemite.

You mean teaching English, right?

Truth. South Americans don't display a lisp. Nor do Andalucians, from where most of the Conquistadores arose. So, when Hugo insults the King of Spain, it seems even more an effrontery than it is.

Oh shit. Yes. I'm insane.

Teaching English to Spanish speakers is what I meant.

I assumed this from the beginning but thanks for confirming.

I know a guy that did this in Costa Rica but none in S. America so I'm good for nothing here.

my dad went to peru and liked it

but i really have nothing else to offer

I'd love to go to just about any good city in South America, and I'm sure there are several.

And I'm sure there are plenty of poor people in all of them.

i've read that argentina is affordable and the food is good

that would probably be my first point of entry into the southern 'merica's if i ever decide to pop in for a visit

didn't tania go to buenos aires last year?

Believe it or not, it's been almost two years since I've been to Argentina.

If I were to want to teach English in SA, I'd go to Peru or Brazil. Lotsa indigenous people there.

You don't want to be in a big city? Peru is nice but apparently even more dangerous these days than Colombia. Of course, the commie in me is interested in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador has interesting socila stuff going on, and all three would clearly prefer Aussies over norteamericanos to teach Eng. Of course Argentina is the most European, city and countryside... but I would pick Chile which socially, economically, politically is in a very interesting stage in its development and has spectacular countryside.

I think Chile, Argentina, and Colombia have a castile lisp in general. Could be an education /class thing since I've only heard that difference in south Florida compared to other Latin cultures here.

The castillano "theta" is pretty much isolated to Spain. Argentina, and to a lesser degree Chilenos, have a "sh" consonant sound to s/z and occasionally y... as in "sho se" instead of yo se. Colombians have distinct pronunciation but not this "theta" thing.

Thank you. I didn't think the "theta" was common outside of non-Caliphate Spain.

As well, glad on the head's up on the Argentine & Chilean "shh". I only previously knew of the Southern Cone's penchant for the "voseo", using what would seem the direct object pronoun as a shorthand for the 2nd person singular.

... Oh, & the "che". Not THE CHE, just the Italian-inflected what. No se habla la que.

My wife visited Peru a few years ago and loved Cusco.

My parents dug Cusco as well when they toured the continent a couple of years ago.