Teaching In Mexico: Myths and Reality
I often come across a colorful American advertisement about taking a TEFL course in one of our Mexican coastal tourist villages. The ad promises fun in the sun, snorkeling parties, and pictures a fat Mexican man on a donkey.
The very first thing that I would advise Americans and Europeans thinking about coming to Mexico, is to realize and to appreciate that even the humblest Mexican person has a deep sense of pride in their country, a personal dignity and an absolute love for the visitor. We are a country of song, color and history. We are also a country fully absorbed in the technology revolution. Constant communication through NAFTA and the European Union enhance Mexico's chances of being a strong economic partner in the next millennium. Thus, the need for us to learn English is even more urgent.
Anyone who considers teaching in Mexico should have a sense of adventure, dedication and the willingness to realize that Mexico is a country that often does things differently. We place much emphasis on family and friends rather than on things. Foreigners will have several opportunities to have a good and healthy laugh at some of our Mexican ways, but you must always bring a sense of respect or you will be writing a prescription for failure.
A very important stereotype to get rid of is that Mexico is a dangerous country. Yes, there are serious problems in the State of Chiapas and currently our nation's capital, Mexico City, is under tourist caution advisement by the American Embassy. While the need for caution in these areas of Mexico are necessary, foreigners should realize that Mexico is a vast country and there are many areas that are safe. Travelers should be aware that there are sections of any large city, be it London, Chicago or Bangkok that are dangerous. You will find our second largest city, Guadalajara, to be rich in history, very safe and boasting of a climate of perpetual springtime.
No matter what part of the country one chooses to teach in you will find that Mexicans hold the language teacher in a special position of respect.
Another oft-repeated warning about Mexico goes something like "Watch out for the water and the lettuce". Recently, we entertained a visiting professor from Tokyo. After a week in the city she was amazed she had not gotten sick. Like any other city, she had to exercise good judgment as to where or what she ate. Remember, we Mexicans do not want to get sick either. You will find hotels and homes use bottled water much like they do in many U.S.A. cities. In case of an emergency, doctors and medical facilities are numerous, and very inexpensive.
It is true that if you are a native speaker of English, some language schools will hire you immediately. However, more and more schools are realizing that it is better to hire a Mexican teacher who may still have slight accent but knows how to teach than an inexperienced or incompetent candidate who can boast mother tongue fluency. The reality is that any reputable language school, corporation or university would like to see some professional preparation and previous supervised practice teaching English as a foreign language. The sought-after foreign teachers hold TEFL certificates and increasingly, corporations are looking for certificates in teaching business English.
One has to realize that when one is considering employment in Mexico the salaries are extremely low by international standards. A foreign teacher usually makes better money than a Mexican teacher but, on average, earns approximately $600 a month. However, one can live moderately but comfortably on such a salary because rents are low and fresh food is very inexpensive. Travel is very reasonable and it is a surprise to many people that Mexico has a luxurious inter-city bus service. Many of the language schools are equipped with computers. However, nothing replaces the person who knows how to teach. In fact, in our country we often say that teaching is more a demonstration of love rather than a job.
Mexico City, Guadalajara and several other cities, offer very good TEFL certificate teacher training courses. For example there are good programs offered by the RSA/Cambridge Syndicate, Worldwide Teachers Development Institute of Boston, and Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano. There are some other courses offered by Americans and Canadians that seem to offer the foreign teacher a vacation which results in a paper certificate with very little study involved. These programs usually are not recognized by the Mexican government and lack international certification approval.
Mexican language schools need teachers not tourists. While we invite you to learn Spanish during your stay, we also want teachers that conduct English only classrooms and fully immerse students in the English language. Remember our salaries are low, and to pay for English classes usually involves a sacrifice for us and our families. We are becoming very cautious about English teachers who come to Mexico not to teach but to play.
A work permit is usually easy to obtain and I encourage you to consult your Mexican consulate for visa information. There are many people teaching here illegally and they do so at the risk of being arrested and deported. Further information For practical advice for living and working in Mexico I recommend Mike Nelsonīs book entitled "Live Better South of the Border"(ISBN: 1-889489-02-6). Also, there are wonderful resources sponsored by the British Council, and by the United states Information Service. For example, I recently attended informative workshops by John McRae of England and Dr. Thomas Kane from Harvard University. You will find many job opportunities posted in the Internet. You will find a free directory of language schools in the Internet at http://www.txinfinet.com/mader/ecotravel/schools/schools.html.
Sr. Guzman says that he is a Mexican totally in love with his country. "I invite you to consider being part of educating our people for a bright future as we enter the second millennium," and invites interested readers to contact him at teflmexi@jal1.telmex.net.mx.