Job Discussion Forums

[MixtecaMike]

Hi, it seems there are almost no posters for the Latin American countries any more. Even the Mexico forum is pretty sparse, compared to 10-15 years ago. I know there are some of us foreign devils teaching in Central America, but there haven't been many questions for ages. Did all the gringo romantics finally realize there's no living to made here?

[HLJHLJ]

I find more people are messaging me directly, rather than posting these days. I don't know why.

[MotherF]

I think people have given up on Forums in favor of social networks.
Facebook groups on this topic/region are very active--though I find them chaotic and harder to use. I have directed a few people over here from some groups, but you have to register before you can post, then you can't pm right away. Facebook groups are a lot easier in that way.

[wanderingxelmundo]

I think there are many fewer postings everywhere on Dave's, but that this part of the world started w/ fewer participants. Having fewer participants also means that when a few very active participants leave the region and/or Dave's, their absence is really felt.

The antiquated system of signing up is a turn-off I'm sure: having to wait for a personal response to begin posting is unusual. It's nice not to have spam, but there's a trade-off. And then it becomes a vicious circle; people don't become invested in the site if their basic questions can't be answered, and also aren't going to return frequently if there's not much activity.

[Guy Courchesne]

Echo the above...social media is much more active, especially with younger teachers that have no idea what a forum or BB is.

Anyone know how to use snapchat by the way? I can't seem to figure it out...

[MixtecaMike]

Oh, thanks for the explanations. I'm definitely not a social media person, I see my daughter glued to her whatsapp/facebook/no idea what else and think it looks about as much fun as kidney stones.
Ahh, the good old days of forums, I remember them well...

[Jultime]

Reddit/r/TEFL seems to be a catch-all for all things ESL. But there's not much interest in Latin America or Mexico. Most of the questions are about SEA, China and Japan.

[reddevil79]

Could it also be that teachers are put off coming to this part of the world, especially Mexico? We’ve definitely seen a fall in terms of quantity and quality of candidates (qualifications, experience, etc.) where I work in southern Mexico. The plummeting peso, security issues, bad press, more complex visa procedure, etc. have all played their part I’m sure, though not everyone agrees with me.

Which other social network sites/groups seem to be catching on then? I’ll check out the reddit group mentioned.

[lovelatinamerica]

Hello! I have been lurking on this forum for awhile now. I just got a 130 hour university TEFL because I want to teach in Mexico for awhile. I studied abroad in Southern Mexico this year and loved it. I don't think anyone is forgetting about Latin America. There are just other resources to look at for ESL like Facebook groups, Google, and Reddit.

[CTravel32]

[PittsburghSound]

They key to long term success in Latin America is usually some combination of:

1. Biting the bullet and accepting low pay your first year in exchange for visa sponsorship.

2. Networking, networking, networking. You need to make friends for personal gain but also financial gain. This leads to...

3. Private lessons. Yes, I know they flake, they won't pay, etc... But if you're good at networking and you make the right contacts, you WILL make great money by the local standards of your country. The key is not to look for people who WANT to learn English (everyone says they WANT lessons until it is time to reveal the hourly rate...). The key is to look for people who NEED to learn it. I am talking about business people who travel abroad for business and vacations, people studying careers like medicine, law, flight attendants... you know. These people will pay big money and pay on time... and if they like you, they will recommend you to other contacts with equal means of paying... See what I mean?

4. If you're planning on being here long term, it is not a bad idea to marry locally. Don't force anything, make sure you know someone and their family well before you make this jump (obvious statement is obvious). But being married frees you up to work anywhere you want (on your own with the steps from #3, duh).

Any questions?

[HLJHLJ]

With the exception of 2 (networking and reputation are everything), none of this really applies to Ecuador. You can get your own visa as long as you have a least a bachelors degree from a bricks and mortar university. If you don't, you will struggle to find anywhere that will sponsor a visa for you anyway.

[PittsburghSound]

Fair point. I should have prefaced by saying that in real terms, I know this only works with certainty in Colombia. Though I am quite sure many other areas are similar. But yes, 2 and 3 are valid anywhere. You must must must MUST do it. No option.

[Samantha]

I haven't cruised through all the forums for quite some time. Sad it's gone so quiet. I'm in Mexico and have been for a long time. I intend to stay here so for my situation, I work online (not teaching English) to subsidize my private lessons and that greatly takes the pressure off. Combining these two jobs which I love gives me more free time and better pay than teaching in school all day (which I did for several years but where I live, jobs are few and pay is low). Where there is a will (and good Internet) there is a way!