In Costa Rica, knowing how to speak and write in English can work wonders for one's career, like in every other nation where English is not a primary language. Thus, it is not surprising to find out that there are a lot of ESL teaching posts available for hiring.
As an expat, teaching ESL is a good opportunity for you not only to get a good source of income, but also for genuine interaction with the locals, which is something that every expat must've liked to do.
The nice thing about teaching English in this country is that necessary certification, like the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). These certifications are only required if you are looking a job from overseas. Otherwise, a Bachelor's degree is good enough for most of the schools located here, though getting certified is always a plus to your advantage. Just don't expect to get extra compensation.
Now, if you decide to go to Costa Rica for the sole purpose of searching for an ESL job, the next practical question would be when you should schedule the visit. It actually depends in which kind of institution you would actually want to be in. The typical school year typically ends in December, so you won't see most of the schools hiring midyear. The best time of the year to look for a job is during the months of October to December, when positions are usually opened for the next school year.
Of course if you don't want to teach in a university and decide to be, say, a tutor or a company consultant instead, the time when you will apply for the ESL post does not really matter.
As for the income, it is typical to earn around five dollars an hour as an English tutor, though this rate can go up to an extent if you decide to teach as a private tutor to some businessmen. Now assuming you teach around 25-30 hours per week, then that translates to around six hundred US dollars every month. Though this may sound very low by US standards, it is already enough to provide you a decent living in Costa Rica.
