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Teaching English in Bogota

The easiest way for an English speaker to make money in Colombia is by teaching English; and teaching English in Bogota has become a big business. Everyone seems to be setting up a ‘School of English’ nowadays; needless to say therefore, that there is a huge variation in quality, working conditions and pay.

If you don’t have a CELTA certificate but are considering moving to Colombia for some time, and expect to earn a living teaching English, doing a CELTA course will be a sure investment. There are far too many ‘cowboy’ language institutes which are exploiting  native English speakers who are desperate to start making some money in Colombia, and don’t have any formal qualifications. Some pay as little as 15.000 pesos/hour, and don’t reimburse you for the time you have to spend travelling to classes, which can often be all over Bogota (and sometimes outside).

CELTA courses in Bogota

The two places which offer the CELTA course in Bogota are the British Council and International House. IH runs intensive one-month courses every month, and is a bit cheaper than the British Council. The British Council’s CELTA courses are less regular, and you’ll have to keep a regular eye on the website to see when the next one is coming up. As of 2017, the British Council offers the intensive one-month course (which I did, and would recommend!), and occasionally the blended CELTA course, which means you study all of the theory independently and then go to the British Council for the teaching practice part. The blended CELTA is part-time over three months. The one-month intensive course is well worth doing at the British Council, as the teaching quality on the course and the teaching facilities in the classrooms are outstanding, in my opinion. Also, if you do well on the course, you already have British Council contacts if you want to try to get a job at the best English teaching organisation in Colombia. You will also find that the contacts you will make at the BC will be really useful.

Teaching English at institutes and universities in Bogota

The best place for teaching English in Bogota, without a doubt, is the British Council. If you have a CELTA qualification and some post-CELTA teaching experience (they say at least 2 years, but they often accept less if you perform well in the interview and demo lesson), this will provide the best working conditions – free training, 61,000 pesos/hour as an hourly-paid teacher or around $5 million/month starting salary as a teacher on a full-time contract, and a lot of support and good people to work with. Furthermore, most of the classes are on-site at the British Council, and when you need to travel to an off-site class, the BC will arrange for private transport to take you to and from the class, and reimburse you for the time spent travelling.

International House

International House is an ‘OK’ option for teaching English in Bogota post-CELTA; the pay is less, at around 25,000-33,000/hour for hourly-paid teachers, and I think contracted teachers are paid a bit more than 2 million pesos/month. If you are on a contract, you will be obliged to work a certain number of hours a week, and to accept whatever classes (in whatever part of the city) you are given if it means making up your contracted hours. It is a well-known global organisation, and would look good on your CV if you’re considering making a career out of English teaching, however, the IH Bogotá operates as a franchise, and I have heard rants/grumblings from a number of former employees about how they treat their staff. They will sponsor and pay for working visas, but if they pay for your visa they will expect you to commit to working for them for at least a year, and if you don’t honour this commitment, the cost of the visa will be deducted from your final wages. I heard from a couple of hourly-paid teachers that they ended up leaving before the year was up because they just weren’t being given enough classes to be able to earn a living from.

Executive English Training

Executive English Training offers General English and Business English classes to business executives at their offices. The pay is 40,000 pesos/hour for General English classes and 60,000 pesos/hour for Business English, and the lady who runs it is very nice, organised and professional. Rachel, the director, can be contacted by email at info@executiveenglishtraining.com. Note that only CELTA-qualified native English speakers with a confident knowledge of English grammar will be accepted, as clients are often keen to improve their accents through contact with native speakers, and often ask very specific grammar questions which they expect to be answered!

Bogota Business English

Bogota Business English pays between $30,000-38,000 pesos/hour for off-site business English classes and all of the materials are provided. You will need to travel to wherever your classes are, and they will sponsor (but won’t pay for) work visas. You will need to have a teaching certificate and a university degree or teaching experience. They will set up your health insurance (EPS) and pension funds for you. BBE also works with a foundation just outside of Bogotá where teachers can go and play football with the children, help with cooking classes and teach the children English – excellent for people who are looking to do some voluntary work while they’re in Bogotá. There’s more information about this project on their website.

American School Way

American School Way is an option for native and non-native English and French teachers. It doesn’t pay brilliantly (around $1.8 millon – $2.2 million per month for full-time native speakers, working Monday – Saturday (45-ish hours a week); up to $1 million per month part-time), and doesn’t require the CELTA (but they will test your knowledge of English grammar). Personally, I don’t agree with their teaching methodology, and it is clear that profits have been prioritised far above quality or student progress. One person described studying there as more like gym membership; go and study what you want, when you want, with a teacher there supervising. Apparently SMART institute works in a similar way. However, if you don’t have a teaching qualification and want to earn a fixed monthly wage in Bogota (and get a working visa so that you can stay in Colombia and eventually move onto better places!) American School Way is not the worst option out there. At least the people there are friendly (in my experience, when I went there) and you’ll be teaching onsite, and therefore not have to travel all over the city.

Con Inglés

Con Inglés is another well-known English teaching company, but I haven’t heard good things about the pay and working conditions; 17,000 pesos/hour (as of 2014) and they will send you to teach all over the city. They’ll sponsor a working visa, don’t require a CELTA qualification, and will pay your (public) health insurance and pension contributions, but from what I’ve heard, it’s not worth the trouble.

Wall Street Institute and Berlitz

Wall Street Institute and Berlitz are well-known globally and are fairly popular in Bogota. I’m not 100% sure about what they pay (I think about 25,000 pesos/hour), and some people have expressed doubts about their teaching methodologies (including former students that I’ve met).

Personal Growth

Personal Growth – There are some bad reviews online about this company, but I don’t have experience with the company myself

Teaching English at Universities in Bogota

Some of the universities in Bogotá may be options in terms of teaching English, but in my experience universities have a habit of requiring you to have a master’s degree (in any subject) in order to teach English there. Most won’t have heard of or won’t recognise the CELTA/DELTA qualifications. This was what I was told at the Universidad EAN at my interview. They had some off-site classes where the requirements weren’t as strict, offering pay of $55,000 pesos/hour, but I was told ‘Forget about working at a university as a teacher if you don’t have a master’s degree’.

In an online forum, I saw a post saying that Universidad Central pays punctually, helps you to get a visa and offers employees free gym membership.

The English Workshop

The English Workshop has been mentioned in terms of having ‘great teachers and great people’ on the Facebook group English Teachers in Bogotá! The contact email address given is: EnglishWorkshopBogota@yahoo.com.

Questions to ask when you’re looking for a teaching job in Bogota

How much will they pay you per hour?

Remember, you could spend 1-2 hours planning a lesson, an hour or more travelling to a class, 90 mins to 2 hours teaching a class, and an hour travelling back home. If they’re paying you 50,000 pesos for the 2-hour class, when in total you’re actually investing 6 hours of your time, is it really worth it?

Is the hourly wage before or after tax deductions and benefits contributions?

Income tax is less than 10% here (up to a certain amount) once you’ve been a resident for 6 months (before that it’s a staggering 33%) but it’s important to check.

Will they pay health insurance and pension contributions?

Or will you have to pay for those yourself out of what they pay you?

How much and how far will you need to travel to get to classes?

The time you can spend on public transport in Bogota is shocking, and if you’re going to end up travelling a total of 3 hours each time you have a class, you need to ask yourself if it’s really worth it for what they’re paying you. (you can of course request classes which are easy/quick to get to from where you live, but you might then restrict yourself).

Will you be obliged to accept classes at any time of the day?

If you are on a contract where you have to work a minimum number of hours per week, how far will they expect you to travel, and what times will they expect you to work? (bearing in mind the busiest times of day for English classes are from 6.30 – 8.30am and from 17.30 – 9.30pm, and on Saturdays).

Will they provide you with free training/professional development opportunities? (as the British Council does)

Have you had any experience teaching English in Bogota for the companies I’ve mentioned (or any that I haven’t)? Please do leave your comments and opinions below.

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30 Comments on Teaching English in Bogota

  1. Hey Naomi, very useful info!I’m a Chinese and will be moving to Bogota in September this year. Am thinking about getting started by teaching English and meanwhile learn Spanish as soon as i landed!Not sure if my English level will be qualified for any of the above institutes but will surely try to apply a few. Thanks!

  2. Yes teaching Chinese will definitely a better option! But reading through your tips, I’m also thinking about getting a Celta in case my boyfriend and I move around and having a Celta would greatly help to get a decent teaching job. But I’ve also noticed that it’s not easy and mostly taken by English native Speakers. So probably will see when I get to Bogota first:)

  3. Great post, I’m a local and will start giving classes soon. Not sure for how long but I’m pretty excited 🙂

  4. Jheremmy Marquez Ruiz // April 16, 2016 at 5:56 pm // Reply

    Hi, I’m Jheremmy 42 I’m living in Bogota for about four years now. I’m from here but I grow up in Venezuela as a kid. And move to Miami that I live for 19 years. I learn English and I don’t have any certification just the one I did few year ago in here Colombia. Just for testing. And a got C1 level in Berlitz Proficiency English on 2012. It was just to see how it was. Now I’m interesting on teaching because I see I have a few kids and adult people that like the way I’m teaching or help them for they schools or universities. I thinking on doing the CELTA. For now, what is your recommendation on looking for a job or any open opportunity now before I get the CELTA and any other class I have to get?

  5. Great article!
    I can state that Wall Street English pay 13000 an hour for out of house teaching, and don’t pay enough travel allowance to cover the cost of travelling to classes. This information is correct as of May 4 2016

  6. Harvey Wallbanger // November 19, 2016 at 4:40 am // Reply

    the problem with english as a business in Bogota is that money supersedes teaching. The corruption is right out in front and teachers nor students give a Sh*t. Personal Growth is a scam. Michigan masters is the worst school in Bogota STAY AWAY.

    • Thanks for the comment, I agree that teaching English in Bogota is big business, hence why you have to really consider the questions that I suggested at the end of this post! Michigan Master was actually criticised by El Tiempo newspaper last year for offering English courses without the authorisation of the Ministry of Education – http://www.eltiempo.com/bogota/michigan-master-cursos-de-ingles/16657564

    • hey Harvey I’m a HR Manager and I wnat to know about your experience with “Personal Growth”. Because we need english teachers.

    • Martin Greenland // January 22, 2017 at 11:19 pm // Reply

      Do not get involved with this group. it is like a temp service and they will rip you off.
      Michigan Masters is the worst school in bogota, They hustle the students into 15 minute classes. funnel them through and the pour students learn nothing. The majority of the teachers are locals who can not speak english themselves. The designed their own text book which is a joke. STAY AWAY.. The owners do not know anything about education, how language is taught or learned . VERY VERY SAD

  7. Hello Naomi,
    Thanks for this very informative article.
    I have an interview at the British Council tomorrow (12th January 2017) for the CELTA course in Salitre.
    At 62 and +45 years of working in the oil industry, teaching English will be a huge step-change. I am English and have lived outside Bogotá for 10 years.
    Apart from your great advice above, do you have any tips on what to expect during the interview and do top English schools hire people without degrees?
    Thanks and regards
    Andy

    • Hi Andy, thank you for your comment 🙂 It’s great to hear that you’ve chosen to do the CELTA course with the British Council; although I found the one-month course very intensive and exhausting, it was brilliant and I got so much out of it. If it’s still being run by Dan Flynn, he was an outstanding tutor, really supportive and inspiring as a teacher. In terms of the interview, it’s been over 3 years since I had mine (via Skype), so I can’t really remember the details. But don’t be too worried about it – think about why you think you’ll be a good teacher; what do you need to have in mind when you’re preparing a lesson (eg. the students’ varying needs, different abilities within the group, different learning styles, different ages, their different reasons for learning English etc); what skills and experience do you already have that you think will help you as a teacher? The interview, I felt, was fairly relaxed. I wouldn’t worry about it too much!
      Regarding your second question, I’ll say this: in my experience, Colombian employers look at qualifications first, and then maybe the person and their experience. I think it would be difficult for you to get a job in a top (primary/secondary) school or university without having a university degree, even with the CELTA qualification. Most universities will actually ask for a master’s degree (in any subject!) before they will consider employing you as an English teacher. But in terms of the top language institutes (such as the British Council/International House), in my experience they do show flexibility if the candidate has teaching experience, or, for example, has done very well in the CELTA course (a Pass A or B).
      I wish you all the best in your interview tomorrow, and hope that you enjoy the CELTA course!
      Naomi

      • Thank you so much for your positive support Naomi. My interview will be with Oliver Sandon who is the Training and Academic Quality Manager at the Teaching Centre.
        I decided on the one month intensive course because a) I live 33 kms from Bogotá and (b) 13 weeks online seemed way too long. If all goes well tomorrow, I’ll find out more about what’s entailed.
        The biggest pain, will be the commute during the worst part of the nightmare; that is Bogotá’s traffic.
        All best wishes for the coming year and I’ll keep you posted with any updates!
        Cheers
        Andy

    • Michigan master?? you can feel the corruption oozing off the walls when you enter their building.

  8. Robin Trenbath // March 2, 2017 at 1:54 pm // Reply

    Hi Naomi,

    Thank you for all your work on this website. I might be moving to Bogotá in early 2018 (yes, for love; and yes, because she isn’t allowed to stay in the UK), and I’ve found all the articles very interesting and useful!

    I just had a quick couple of questions about teaching English, if you have the time. I have an MSc from the University of Oxford, and I would ideally teach in a university because I want to gain some academic contacts in the field of land rights and transitional justice before doing a PhD in the topic. For university teaching, do you know if a TEFL qualification or a CELTA qualification is preferred? And would you recommend completing it in the UK or in Bogotá? I get the sense that you would recommend CELTA in Bogotá, but for me that is quite expensive and I reeeally need to use that time learning Spanish instead!

    Best wishes, and keep up the good work!
    Robin

    • Hi Robin, thank you for your message, I’m glad you’ve found the blog useful (and I’m sorry for our government’s despicable policies!).
      I think a master’s degree from Oxford will be your golden ticket in terms of getting a job at a university in Colombia! To teach English I’m not sure if they would even ask for a TEFL given your qualifications, it would depend what you’ve studied. However, it would certainly be useful for you! (And a certificate with “Cambridge” on it wouldn’t hurt over there either – definitely choose CELTA! ;)) I would only recommend doing the CELTA in Bogota if you did it at the British Council and wanted to apply for a job there afterwards, as you’d have a better chance if they already knew you. But if you’re planning to apply to work at universities then it really doesn’t matter where you do it. Do it in the UK in that case.
      To teach any other subject at university you would most likely need to have an upper-intermediate level of Spanish, but you may be able to negotiate contract work as a visiting lecturer or something at the more prestigious universities (such as the University of the Andes or the Univerdad Javeriana) where you may be able to give classes in English. I have a few contacts who might be able to help you regarding the university contacts, if you could email me with a bit more information about what you’ve studied before and exactly what you’re looking for. You can email me at naomidalton1@gmail.com.
      All the best!

  9. Hey I’m interested in teaching english. I’ve lived in america my whole life and am a american full blood. My english/slang/terms are 100% and can do different accent’s. But my spanish on the other hand is maybe 5-10% at best. Is that okay to start teaching cheap english classes? How good much my spanish be to teach english? Will most students know basic english? Like say, If I am to show them a picture of an apple and in their language and then I teach them how to pronounce it into english is good?

  10. Greetings, my name is Fred and we are helping foreign teachers become independent, this is what we do, we advertise client calls us, we then turn the client to the teacher, the teacher pays us a one time commission for the student, and he/she is 100% yours, select the area you want to work, schedule and no more. Pay can go from 60 thou to 90 thou all depending on experience and certificates. My contact gekofred@gmail.com

  11. Hi, sorry I didn’t leave our website http://www.geko.com.co

    I have been a teacher for more than 15 years. And have worked with many institutes, then moved on to private classes, same history repeating itself but at a different level, working for others and companies keeping your hard earned money. My associate and I have decided to solve this problem by offering the students to the teachers for a commission, and no more contact with the client, obviously we do pre-screening to make sure the teachers have experience, after all it is our reputation on the line. As mentioned before you could contact me to my mail gekofred@gmail.com

    Fred

  12. David H Dennis // December 14, 2017 at 7:30 pm // Reply

    Are there informal options where you can advertise as an individual entrepreneur on Craigslist or a similar online venue, and offer personal teaching services without the extra overhead of a school? I would think that would be much better for many people.

    • I think I’d recommend LinkedIn for that sort of thing. I’ve actually had people approach me via my LinkedIn profile asking for private English classes.

    • 4M/mo COP for Canadians and Americans in Bogota, as 1-on-1 tutors. Please reach out, we can hire all of you! J just need one year of experience and a TEFL. WhatsApp +57-323-505-5710

  13. Diana Robbins // December 21, 2017 at 1:04 pm // Reply

    Is it possible to offer private lessons in English without travelling to other locations? In other words, if you are somewhat mobility compromised (but a writer and articulate as well as bilingual in English/Spanish as I am), can you teach privately from home? If so, what are the legal requirements to do so?

    • Hi Diana, I can’t advise on legal requirements I’m afraid, but if you were working informally at home and being paid cash in hand and earning less than 42 million pesos per year (this amount changes year on year, so check this) then you wouldn’t need to declare your earnings annually to DIAN, the tax authority. Normally students will prefer the teacher to travel to them, but if you managed to get some students who were living close by, or even in your building, then they might be willing to go to your place for classes.
      If you prefer to work from home I’d recommend checking out http://www.upwork.com, a freelancing platform. You could try LinkedIn also, though Colombian employers will probably require you to have a visa that allows you to work.
      All the best, Naomi

  14. Wayne Field // January 6, 2018 at 9:10 pm // Reply

    Hello I am a Canadian and I have been living in Granada Meta for the past six years. I have been teaching English for the past five years using the British Council criteria for the different levels. I am now founding the Canadian Institute of Engish of Granada Meta. I have been working with the Ministry of Education in Villavicencio to get my Institute licenced as an educational facility but I am finding the process tedious and discouraging.The most difficult stipulation is that the location must have a construction certificate which only the most recently built facilities have. I have hired a fully qualified teacher as well as myself to teach classes of students varying in age from 5 years to mature adults.I have designed a course that over three years advances students through the A1 to the B2 levels of English proficiency. I will be using British council exams to ensure the quality of proficiency at the different levels and arrange for the English Proficiency exam with the British Council in Bogota upon graduation from the course.I am keeping my tution fees as low as possible to give students the opportunity to study because helping young Colombians improve their lives by being bilingual is the most important objective of the Institute. The profits we realize will be channeled into construction of a facility that is in full accordance with the specifications of the Ministry of Education.
    Any comments you may have about my endeavor would be greatly appreciated.

  15. Evangeline Press // April 27, 2018 at 8:18 am // Reply

    Good morning, Wayne. I’m a Nova Scotian senior with many, many years in business with a focus on entrepreneurial training and self-employment initiatives.

    I also have an English Honors from University of Regina where I taught English 100 and ESL. I also taught ESL full time at Regina Open Door (Immigrant Service Agency where I developed a course in LMLT (Labour Market Language Training)for professionals with a TOJ component.

    I am exploring the opportunities in Columbia for someone with my qualifications.

    Hopefully, you have worked through the trials of licensing and you have a website or FB page so I can follow your progress (and possibly my own).

    Wishing you all the best with your endeavors.

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