The ELT Two Cents Cafe

Teaching in Brasil

FAQs - BRAZIL (and some not so frequent FAQs!)
Income & Savings Job Prospects Qualifications
Visa Problems Payment Health
Accomodations Supermarkets and prices
Eating Out Entertainment
Recreation/Sports "Macho Man"
Transport Traffic Buying a Car
Corruption Pollution Violence
Portuguese Climate
The People
The following information has been prepared to help you if you are thinking about coming to teach English in São Paulo, Brazil. It is a simple guide prepared by someone who has been living and teaching English here for over 10 years, is married to a Brazilian and knows the lifestyle and culture of this fantastic city and its people. If you have any comments or observations that you think might help other colleagues, I would love to hear from you. The only thing I ask is that if you send this information on please also send my contact details so that that person can get in touch directly if he/she so wishes. It has been fun preparing this. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful. Pelé, carnival, coffee and the burning Amazon forest come straight off the tongue when thoughts turn to Brasil (yes, Brazilians are proud of their Brasil with a "s"). Pelé is still around kicking a few balls as Minister of Sport, carnival is in February, the coffee (expresso style) can be found on every street and the forest is still burning.
But there is far more to Brasil than this. A few years back Brasil had the eighth largest economy in the world and that at a time of hyper inflation approaching 50% per month. Today the economic situation has calmed down - inflation running at around 12% a year and massive investments being made by foreign companies in all sectors. The economy is growing very fast. Although the middle class know how to complain that money is tight they nearly all have new cars, go abroad at least once a year and pack the restaurants and bars every night of the week. They also know that if they want to be part of Brazil's current and future success they must have fluent English on their C.V..
Companies invest in employees and parents invest in their kids so basically whatever your area of English teaching there is a market for you in the big cities.
So what's the nitty gritty?
All prices / costs are calculated at US$ 1.00 = R$ 1.00 [Please note that The ELT Two Cents Cafe lists daily updates on many Worldwide Exchange Rates] All the following information is unashamedly based on living and working in São Paulo, the business powerhouse of Brasil. This is where the big money is!
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Income & Savings

Let's get the biggie over with first!!
How much money can I make if I teach English in Brasil (São Paulo)? In English schools this ranges from US$ 7.00 an hour to US$ 35.00. Privately you can get US$ 40.00 and for business English US$ 50.00. The standard is 250,000 in Brazilian currency, but a university job can bring 360,000 depending on how much free time your job gives you. Big schools like Nova, geos, and Aeon work ou long hours, but the smaller schools are more lax.
And now the second biggie!!
Will I be able to save any money there? It's very possible. I knew a guy saving $2500 a month - if you watch yor pennies, you can put away $750 a month quite easily. It just depends on your lifestyle. You will get a feel for an answer to this question by reading on.
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Job Prospects

You do not need to have a contract with a school before you come. Possibly 95% of the "native" teachers here just get jobs by walking into schools, doing a short test followed by a short interview and then participating in the school's teacher training programme which can last all of 5 minutes or go on for over a month. The norm is 2 weeks with no pay. You will need to work at two or three schools to get the hours you need for a decent pay packet at the end of the month. January and February are quiet months - it is the summer holiday season - and things do not get going again until after Carnaval (in 1999 the week beginning 22 February). July can be a quiet month too because of the winter holidays. The Sunday newspapers always have ads from schools needing teachers.
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Qualifications

Having done the test, the interview and the schools training programme, any qualification you may have becomes almost redundant! Its only use seems to be for negotiating a higher starting pay rate!!
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Visa

Unless you are pre-contracted by one of the big language schools, the simple fact is that you won't get a work visa. If a school does pay for a visa for you, then you are legally bound to them and shouldn't (being the operative word here) work anywhere else. When you leave the school your visa is automatically invalidated. So where does that leave the 95% of teachers (or "long stayers") who can't get a work visa? You come in as a tourist and are given a 90 day tourist visa on arrival. This can be extended for another 90 days by the Federal Police. At the end of this 180 day period you MUST leave Brasil. Most people take a weekend bus trip down to Paraguay to meet this demand and take advantage of the trip to buy some cheap electrical goods. The 90 day / 180 day cycle then repeats itself. You need to watch out for any subtle changes in these conditions that the Federal Police might make and also not to overshoot these deadlines. The hassle and fines are just not worth it.
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Possible Problems with Employers

Even though there are no contracts as such, problems are very few and far between. Perhaps a slightly late payment, a misunderstanding about a schedule, certainly nothing worthy of "greylisting". Common sense will tell you about the school once you have seen the set up and talked to the co-ordinator. Remember that as a "native" speaker you are marketable and they want you.
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Payment

Because you don't have a visa, and consequently the necessary Brasilian social security numbers, you won't be able to open a bank account so nearly all payments are made cash in hand. In the case of cheques you can discount (cash) these at the branch of the issuing bank by presenting your passport.
In the absence of a bank account, buy US Dollars.
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Health

Unless you work for one of the very big schools you will not be offered health insurance. You do need cover as doctor and hospital charges are very high. No health plan or no money to pay = no treatment! A good plan that covers everything costs about R$ 110.00 per month. There are cheaper plans available but look carefully at what they cover - or more importantly what they don't! Look into travel / health insurance before you come. You might get a better deal from home. Bring your own prescription medicines. Expect a dose of the runs shortly after arriving. This is normal.
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Accomodations

Expect to pay the equivalent of about US$ 700.00 per month for a two bedroom apartment. One bedroom places come in only slightly cheaper. There is also the dreaded monthly condominium (service) fee which varies from place to place. Cheapest - R$ 100.00. To rent a place on your own you need a "Fiador" who acts as a guarantor that you will pay. Normally a relative or friend. Difficult to find if you are new in town. Also possible to flat share. Expect to pay about R$ 250.00 a room. Harder to find and you have to be careful about the location and with whom you will be sharing. Advantage is that no "Fiador" is needed. Sunday newspapers are full of ads. Oh! By the way, a motel is a place you rent by the hour!
Electricity / Gas : You pay for these separately.
Supermarkets & Food Prices.

Brief Intro

Wonderful range of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat and all at prices lower than in the UK or USA. Some day-to-day items are more expensive, however, and this pushes the monthly shopping bill up a bit. Prices vary due to seasonal availability and also demand. Expect to pay:

Loaf of bread - R$ 2.50
Milk (litre) - R$ 1.00
Bottle of water* (1.5 litres) - R$ 1.00
Mozzarella cheese (kilo) - R$ 5.00
Ham (kilo) - R$ 5.00
Orange juice (litre) - R$ 1.00
1 kilo rump steak - R$ 9.00
1 kilo chicken - R$ 1.00
Beer (bottle 600ml) - R$ 1.00
Beer (can) - R$ 0.60
Whisky (litre) (Johnny Walker Red) - R$ 40.00
Vodka (litre) (Smirnoff) - R$ 8.00
Pinga -the local fire water (litre) - R$ 2.00
Fruit and Veg. (kilo) - R$ 0.70
Water. Buy a small inexpensive filter. In 2 / 3 weeks it will pay for itself.

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Eating Out

Last year São Paulo was voted Gastronomic City of the World. You name it and you can eat it here at virtually any time of the day. Other cities here have a much narrower but still excellent choice. Excellent Italian food (pizzas and pasta) and out of the world "Churrascarias" (bar-b-que) restaurants where there is a never ending supply of first class meat and salads. Speciality here is buying good quality food in self-service restaurants by the kilo at lunchtime. Restaurant prices range from R$ 4.00 for a simple but filling meal to ... well, sky's the limit!
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Entertainment

If you imagine 125 million dancing Supremes then you have got a pretty good idea of Brazilian entertainment. Whether or not you are a groover you soon will be after a few "caiparinhas" (the local fire water mixed with lemon and sugar). Samba, Pagode and Forro (For All) predominate. Theatre, cinema, shows, concerts you can find in all the big cities but the choice is more restricted further afield. Bars and clubs, covering every possible taste in entertainment, are packed every night of the week but especially so on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The real action only begins about midnight and goes on until the wee small hours.
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Recreation/Sports

Brazilians are "outdoor" people. Just by looking at the people on the beaches you know that some serious training has been done to get bodies into shape. Gyms can be found nearly everywhere as can football pitches! Membership costs about R$ 80.00 per month for a good club with the latest equipment. Brazilians love the "3 Bs". Beach, Bar-b-que and Booze. There is a fourth. Bums - walking down the beach in the skimpiest of bikinis, but that would be sexist wouldn't it!
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"Macho Man"

Not as bad as in some countries. Here EVERYBODY flirts. Women give as good as they get because it is basically good humoured and everybody knows the limits. If you pass the limits you are in for either an excellent evening or a damn good slap in the face!
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Transportation

Local Buses - plentiful and cost R$ 1.00 regardless of distance. Bit smelly during the summer months!
Long distance buses - good value for travelling between cities and on holiday.
Tube/subway/metro - Efficient, clean and safe! R$ 1.00 regardless of distance but limited in coverage.
Taxis - Used to be very cheap but now quite expensive. R$ 3.00 just to sit in one without going anywhere. Impossible to find when it rains!
Air. All flights are really expensive. Check out the VARIG airpass if you want to travel in Brazil.

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Traffic

In the big cities expect gridlocks from 08:00h - 10:00h and the same again from 17:00h - 20:00h. When it rains - all day! The motorways / freeways are horrendous during summer weekends and any holiday period.

Green light = Go Amber light = Go Red light = Go!
Be careful if you drive and even as a pedestrian. Try to anticipate what the next guy is going to do. Normally the crazier the choice he/she has the more likely he/she will do it!!

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Buying a car

New cars are much more expensive than in Europe or America and the quality is poorer. Second hand cars are freely available but if you do not have a visa and the necessary Brasilian social security numbers it will probably be very difficult to register in your name. Don't try any tricks here because if you are stopped by the police and the documents are not in order they can confiscate the car.
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Corruption

Traffic cops are notorious for opening the way for backhanders. It is your decision based on the facts at the time to give or not. Sometimes a R$ 20.00 "coffee contribution" avoids a R$ 100.00 fine. Don't ever try to give a backhander to the Federal Police (the guys who re-new visas). You will more than likely find yourself in court.
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Pollution

Pollution
São Paulo is blighted by this from May to the end of September. To help ease the situation on any one working day of the week 20% of private cars are not allowed to circulate. Doesn't help the pollution or the traffic problem!
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Violence

Yes, there are problems but none that you don't find in other big cities. There are a small number of areas of town that you would not feel comfortable in at night. Common sense will tell you where these are. Do not wear flashy, expensive jewellery or flash a lot of money around. If you do get into a difficult situation, the best advice is to react positively! Give them what they want, be it your car, your watch, your wallet or whatever. Try to stay calm. The guys are normally armed, on drugs and not able to cope with you giving them a hard time. They normally want it over quickly too!
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Portuguese

The official language and Brazilians are proud that they are the only South American country that speaks it. You can try speaking Spanish. Brazilians will understand you, but you won't necessarily understand them because of pronunciation differences! It's not the easiest language to learn but Brazilians love to try to help and go to extraordinary lengths to understand. After a few glasses of "caipirinha" (the local fire water mixed with lemon and sugar) everyone is fluent.
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The Climate

In the main tropical. In São Paulo be prepared for 35°+C in the hot months (November - May). In Rio de Janeiro and anywhere further north expect 40°C. Cool months (June - October) are mild by European or American standards. The sun is extremely strong and you need to invest in some good protection cream. Local brands are good and not too expensive.
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The People

They are some of the warmest, friendliest people that you will ever find. Their genuine kindness and generosity can at times be embarrassing but that is out of a desire to show the best of their country and culture. Once you are here it is virtually impossible to leave!

Michael J H Clarke
Business English Consultant
Brasil
mclarke@uol.com.br

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