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Enchilada Potosina
Joined: 03 Aug 2010 Posts: 344 Location: Mexico
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Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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Mexico could be a great place to teach but unless you're very lucky working for people here just wears you down after a while.
SLP is great example of this: there used to be a ton of foreigners here teaching English but now there are very few. This is mainly because the language schools here simply exploited natives to death and they stopped coming. The colegios and unis don't really pay enough to survive on, if you're interested in more than partying and eating beans, and there's not much else around plus the cost of living is now bordering on the ridiculous.
I think the key to doing well/being happy in Mexico is to get established then do your own thing. Working for grotty language schools is soul-destroying after a while, hence the plethora of negative comments. |
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Daytona
Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 3:57 am Post subject: Realistic expectation |
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BadBeagleBad wrote: |
WantsToTeach wrote: |
Thank Goodness!!
From what I understand from reading through the forums, is that it IS possible to teach in Mexico without a degree. I have my TESOL, but it is 10 yrs old (no teaching exp., life changed direction) so that needs to be re-done. I am willing to do that in Canada or in Mexico.
However, I am now curious about a teaching diploma from Universidad Panamericana. Do I need a degree to take that course? I can't find any "requirements" information on the site, and thought I would ask here before I emailed them.
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You can work yourself into a good position eventually without a degree, but you also won´t be eligible to apply for a lot of the best positions. I highly recommend the Teacher´s Diploma at the Universidad Panamericana, I did that course my self and it is easily equivilent to a CELTA in terms of content, practice teaching, etc. In addition, it is recognized by the SEP (Mexican Education Secretary) so can get you in the door some places. Since you said you needed to get a cert anyway, you might as well get one that will put you in a good position to offer good classes. Another option might be to teach online in the evening and give private classes in the morning, or half a half time position of some kind. |
I'm in a similar situation, only holding a TESOL qualification. Realistically, would you say a TESOL qualification is sufficient to secure a job that pays the bills? I'm not looking to save, but want to be able to enjoy my time. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 1186 Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:53 pm Post subject: Re: Realistic expectation |
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Daytona wrote: |
I'm in a similar situation, only holding a TESOL qualification. Realistically, would you say a TESOL qualification is sufficient to secure a job that pays the bills? I'm not looking to save, but want to be able to enjoy my time. |
Depends. If you want to live like many people live in the US - live in a trendy area, eat out at US style restaurants, drink coffee at Starbucks, the answer is likely no. If you can adapt and live like a middle class Mexican, live in a nice, but non trendy area, eat at fondas or cook at home, take public transfortaion, etc., sure. What you will make as a TESOL teacher, even working part time, is in line with what many Mexican professionals earn. Don't fall into the trap of comparing pesos with dollars, but rather look at what you can buy with the amount of money you earn. The cost of living in Mexico is lower, sometimes much lower, on pretty much everything, than in the US, so saying you won't take a job that pays $7 an hour isn't taking into consideration the fact that that $7 (something like 90 pesos) is going to buy about the same amount of goods and services as twice that in the US. |
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Daytona
Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 1:06 am Post subject: Re: Realistic expectation |
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BadBeagleBad wrote: |
Daytona wrote: |
I'm in a similar situation, only holding a TESOL qualification. Realistically, would you say a TESOL qualification is sufficient to secure a job that pays the bills? I'm not looking to save, but want to be able to enjoy my time. |
Depends. If you want to live like many people live in the US - live in a trendy area, eat out at US style restaurants, drink coffee at Starbucks, the answer is likely no. If you can adapt and live like a middle class Mexican, live in a nice, but non trendy area, eat at fondas or cook at home, take public transfortaion, etc., sure. What you will make as a TESOL teacher, even working part time, is in line with what many Mexican professionals earn. Don't fall into the trap of comparing pesos with dollars, but rather look at what you can buy with the amount of money you earn. The cost of living in Mexico is lower, sometimes much lower, on pretty much everything, than in the US, so saying you won't take a job that pays $7 an hour isn't taking into consideration the fact that that $7 (something like 90 pesos) is going to buy about the same amount of goods and services as twice that in the US. |
Thanks mate - your reply was excellent. I've been doing some research on Numbeo to assist, but have been getting caught trying to compare direct exchange rates. Would it be fair to say that the average monthly cost of living (middle-class) would be 10,000 MXN?
When you say my salary as a TESOL teacher will suffice to sustain a Mexican middle-class lifestyle, does that include my lack of Degree?
I have been doing as much research as possible, however am finding it hard to get a ball-park figure on what sort of salary having no Degree, only TESOL, will attract.
Any further help and advice is very much appreciated. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 1186 Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, 10,000 is what a lot of teachers earn. Being a native English speaker even without a degree will open doors. You can live quite well on 10,000 pesos a month. I live in a small town now, so what things cost here is not going to be of much use to you. But when I lived in Mexico City, here is an outline of what I paid monthly (I didn't pay rent, but apartments in the area I lived in rented in the 2500 to 3000 range)
Rent: 3000
Electric : 300 every two months
Phone/Internet: 380 pesos
Metro Tickets per month (40 rides) 120 pesos
2 or 3 taxis a month :100 pesos
Food: 500 pesos a week or less (I am a vegetarian, so if you eat meat it will be more)
Three lunches per week in a Fonda 100 pesos
Cell phone: (pay as you go) 100 pesos a month (I sent lots of text messages, instead of making calls)
Some things are incredibly cheap like public transportation and fresh fruits and vegetables in season, doctor visits and medicine, to name a few, whereas luxury items and imported goods are as expensive as they are in the US, for the most part. |
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Daytona
Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:21 am Post subject: |
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A very big thank-you, my friend! That info is exactly what I've been looking for.
I tried to put together a mock monthly expense table through research, however my numbers were way off. Even when I allowed for a buffer amount each side. Good to get it into some perspective.
Money wise, I'm glad I will be able to pay my way. I have definitely read a lot of negative remarks, and I used to worry. I then started to wonder if it is because they left for Mexico expecting to live a luxurious life similar to home, or perhaps expecting to make a profit. Just my (minimal experience) guess.
As long as I can live like a local, I'm happy. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 1186 Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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Daytona wrote: |
Money wise, I'm glad I will be able to pay my way. I have definitely read a lot of negative remarks, and I used to worry. I then started to wonder if it is because they left for Mexico expecting to live a luxurious life similar to home, or perhaps expecting to make a profit. Just my (minimal experience) guess.
As long as I can live like a local, I'm happy. |
There are a number of people who live or lived in Mexico that hated living there, insisted on comparing what they made to what they MIGHT have been able to make in their home country, and yeah, it looks bad on paper to say I earn $7US an hour, that would be poverty level in the US, or who want to pretend they live in the US/UK and go to Starbucks all the time, eat imported food, etc. Teachers are pretty much middle class people no matter where you go, and Mexico is no exception. If you get a job in a school with a full benefit package you will be in good shape, as the benefits required by law are far superior to what is required in the US. Some of them won't be anything you will use unless you stay in Mexico long term. If you go the private class route, you can expect to earn $150 to $200 pesos per hour, but it will involve more running around. You might also look into working online to round out your income. |
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mzuri
Joined: 30 May 2011 Posts: 78
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:42 am Post subject: |
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@ badbeaglebad -
I see you work online - how fast/reliable is the internet access in your location?
I teach English online and Mexico is a possible place for me to be in 2015. (My plan would be to get six-month tourist visa then renew for another six months by way of a visa run.) |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 1186 Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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mzuri wrote: |
@ badbeaglebad -
I see you work online - how fast/reliable is the internet access in your location?
I teach English online and Mexico is a possible place for me to be in 2015. (My plan would be to get six-month tourist visa then renew for another six months by way of a visa run.) |
I lived in Mexico City for many years and had very stable and relatively fast internet through the phone company. I now live in a very small town, and have the same internet package, which is actually faster here than in Mexico City, still just as stable, with no outages in the 15 months we have been living here. Having said that, though, it does vary somewhat from place to place, and there are times of the day that my internet is a little slower, typically the couple of hours after school gets out and Sunday afternoons. So I usually don't work at those times. |
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mzuri
Joined: 30 May 2011 Posts: 78
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks very much B3!
Reassuring info. |
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lagringalindissima
Joined: 20 Jun 2014 Posts: 105 Location: Tucson, Arizona
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:23 am Post subject: I'll say this.. |
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I taught at a school in Mexico in 1999 (tec in culican) where the students behavior was so out of line they came and went as they pleased-- and yes for most teachers, not just me. But I liked "the good half" of my students very much. If you weren't at a school that allowed behavior like running in and out of classes at will, it could indeed be a rewarding place to work. |
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