Spanish and Teaching

Living with a host family is a valuable experience, and a great insight into Chilean culture. However, obviously it has it's drawbacks from living in a swanky hotel. Firstly you have to fit with their culture, eating times and general customs; alhtough Chile isn't too much of a culture shock from our western lives, so it's not too difficult to fit it. Although, I would suggest that gaining a decent level of Spanish before you come would be a real benefit. My Spanish is pretty poor and at times it is frustrating as I can't communicate with people properly, although that fact that no-one speaks English means you learn fast!
The other thing I would say is that it's well worth getting at least some teaching experience before coming out. Kids are kids the world over, and some idea of how to handle tricky ones always comes in handy. Also, you may be expected to plan your own lessons and having some idea of how to do this would be a great asset.
Overall though it is a good experience, especially for those who want to really get involved in a longer stay volunteer teaching program