Job Discussion Forums

[knotabus18]

Hello,

I recently accepted a job with Culturlingua Mexico. They have 4 different locations in Mexico including Periban, Los Reyes, Sahuayo, and Cotija. I still have many unanswered questions, and I hoped that someone out there may be able to shed some light on those specific cities (which would be a better place to work? I am looking for more of a city life but maybe not quite D.F.) Also, does anyone know anything about Culturlingua Mexico. I know that it is a private institution, but is it a legitimate opportunity?
Thank you in advance.

[Samantha]

Please do a forum search. There was a very lengthy discussion not so long ago.

[Aria Fani]

This is a feedback on Culurlingua, an English institute in Los Reyes, Michoacan

I worked for Culturlingua for two months (September and October 2010). My goal was to work in Mexico, therefore I didn�t mind the low salary given that TEFL market was extremely stagnant in August 2010 in Latin America. Most job offers are not posted on-line in Mexico, one would need to live here and find connections in order to find his/her ideal job. Therefore Culturlingua is a gateway into Mexico, a stepping stone for better jobs. But here is what you need to know if you are considering an offer from their institute:

The institute is extremely business-oriented. All policies are set to bring about profit. If a student registers a month after the semester has begun, they would not hesitate to place him/her in your class. You have to think of how she/he can catch up. Students are not allowed to fail; they would be allowed to re-take the same tests multiple times until they pass it. No materials are provided. The bookshelf where their materials from the age of Joseph Stalin are stored is always locked. If you care about your students, develop your own materials, you may be reimbursed. We were not.

Teaching: if you are looking forward to being challenged as a teacher, this job is not for you. You can only work within the structure of the book. Textbook comes first. The objective is to finish it, whether students learn or not. However, if you are a beginner teacher and are looking for a job where you can experiment without people breathing down your neck, this job is for you. The director, Ms. Cecilia Belmont, visits the school once in a blue moon. She may or may not sit in your classes. When she does, she will not offer any constructive feedback. She will isolate a few students and will criticize them for not participating or speaking Spanish in front of the entire class. That is why students do not have a good relationship with her.

Accommodation: The house is old, the T.V belongs to the World War I era, mattresses are uncomfortable, and there is a leak in most rooms. The kitchen has every gadget needed for cooking which is convenient, and a cleaning person comes every Friday to clean the house, paid by the school. This semester we had rats, the school did not take initiatives to remedy the situation until we threatened to leave. Cable, internet, cleaning materials, and gas are all paid by you. Services are relatively cheap.

Benefits: Money is sufficient for a simple living and traveling. However, you need to exit Mexico for your visa will expire in 6 months. The school will not provide visas. The whole program is structured in way to bypass immigration laws (yes! You work for them illegally), it�s been registered as a �language exchange program� where you teach English and receive Spanish lessons in return. Spanish classes were the highlight of our stay in Los Reyes, our teacher was wonderful.

Privacy (or lack thereof): the administrative staff of Culturlingua has some severe paranoia issues with their teachers. I understand that some teachers in the past might have given ammunition to this paranoia, but we were a group of professional teachers who went to work and came back to the house. No parties, no guests, no binge drinking. In spite of that, the receptionist would drop by unannounced to check around the house. We also suspect that she had come when we were in class and entered our rooms. The cleaning lady had been advised to spy on us while she was cleaning. Our Spanish teacher was admonished every time she spoke with us outside of class. She was advised never to interact with us after class.

Immersion into Mexican society: I came here thinking I would be guided to get to know this marvelous country by the school. The staff does not bother giving any sort of guidance, tours, maps, and tourist info. to their teachers. They maintain a healthy distance with their teachers. We worked here for 9 weeks not knowing exactly where the receptionist lives in this small town. We had to search everything on our own. I never felt a belonging to a group or an educational team, there were never any gestures made out of hospitality or mere friendship to ensure we are happy. Knowing how warm-blooded Mexicans are, this behavior surprised me.

We voiced out our problems from the beginning: lack of incentives, lack of materials, lack of openness and trust. They never listened. The entire system is set in a way to bring teachers from English-speaking countries (to sell their �native� image) keep them for five months, and adios! There is a myth about past teachers. They deny that numerous teachers have breached their contract and left in the middle of the night without informing the school. You might want to ask them for a recent reference. They do not have any, with the exception of one or two teachers who somehow survived. There were four of us here in Los Reyes and Periban. We gradually lost motivation; we found better jobs and left the school in the space of five days. I take with me the wonderful memories of my interactions with my amazing students. Overall, I do not recommend this position to anyone.

Best of luck,
Los Reyes Teachers, 2010

[Phil_K]

[Aria Fani]

I left an important piece of info. out. The money that they give you is under the table, worded in the 'contract' as food coupons. The institue directly asks to hide the fact that you are working here upon arrival to Mexico, and emphasize that this is a language exchange program. Schools are not supposed to emply foreign teachers without obtaining work permit for them, either paid by them or us. No legal institute would pay you in cash.

warmly

[gregd75]

A quick question- did you get to see the contract BEFORE you accepted the job and came? OR was the first time you saw the contract when you arrived in Los Reyes?

Another comment- maybe the secretary was visiting the house because she was concerned about the rat situation that occurred?

I am the owner of Culturlingua in Tlaquepaque and I wish to state my connection right now- to be up front and open.

[Aria Fani]

I did see the contract before, I accpeted to work for them. Equally guilty. I stated that in my entry so that teachers know what they're in for. That is all.

Coming into the house without our knowledge and permission is not acceptable, whatever the reason maybe.

I stated my opinion, which in my view is balanced and fair. I do not wish to further over-explain, and I certainly do not wish to get into "he said, she said" argument with anyone. Teachers can read mine and other commentaries on-line and make up their own judgment or they can work for culturlingua and avoid making a long-distance observation. And as I mentioned, they were people who liked working for this institute at this specific location.

But when 4 teachers, from 4 different backgrounds, expectations, and mindsets all leave an institute in the space of less than a week, there OUGHT to be something fundementally wrong. no?

thank you for your openess.
wamrly

[gregd75]

I would like to answer the original posting and the questions asked.

1) Culturlingua IS a legitimate business- the school is registered with the Hacienda and complies with its responsibilities as a business. The school has been operating for over 22 years which I think shows that we're not a cowboy outfit- here today and gone tomorrow.

2) This position would be perfect for any new teachers looking to develop their experience in teaching EFL in a foreign country. Classes usually involve a mixture of adults, teenagers and children, in different groups- but this would give a teacher the chance to experience teaching different groups. Schools have textbooks and teachers need to follow these. The reason for this is rather simple- if a student has to invest in a book, then they want to use it! If the semester finishes and the book isn't completed then they (rightly) ask why they invest money into a book that isn't used.

3) This is a position which you can very much make your own- if you want to find resources on the internet, or if you know of things that have worked for you previously, then you'll be encouraged to incorporate them into your classes. Students are keen to learn and teachers that engage their students will find this a very rewarding experience.

YES- the language school is a business and therefore, if there is a student who arrives 1 month after the course has started, then they will most probably be integrated into a group. I can only talk about my school where we have placement exams and we place the student into the appropriate level. This will happen and you should anticipate this happening. What shouldn't happen (again, I'm talking about my school here) is that a student who is way behind the class is added into the group pulling all the students back. They should be at about the same level. Of course you could give this new student additional homework, or use this student as an opportunity for other students to review (in English) what they have previously learned- making the integration process fun!

Class sizes are small. Around 6 to 8 per class. With groups so small I really believe that students shouldn't fail. I mean, you, as the teacher can see the progress of each student and work with them to help ensure their learning success. The coordinators are there as a link between the student and the teacher- if you're having problems or you have concerns about a student talk to the coordinator or the academic director. Be constructive- offer a remedial plan and I am sure that the school will be supportive.


4) Working on the 'cultural interchange' programme is perfectly acceptable and as such you are allowed to teach English, study Spanish, have furnished accomodation and receive a living stipend. I think this is a perfect opportunity to take your first step into the EFL teaching world and to see if you enjoy living and teaching in Mexico. This is a great opportunity but it will always be exactly what YOU make of it.

Good luck!

[gregd75]

Hey Aria, it's great that you saw the contract up front and before you came. I think this is really important because things like the 'food coupons' won't have been a surprise for when you arrived. It wasn't that the money was paid under the table as you comment - but teachers receive a living stipend rather than a salary and this is an important difference. It's acceptable to do this under the cultural interchange programme but its not acceptable to pay a salary. This is why it is written into the contract that teachers see BEFORE they come.

As for someone entering the teachers accomodation, I completely agree with the points made- however reading your post, it is clear that the rats became an issue for the teachers and that the school was expected to deal with the situation. Therefore I imagine that could have been the circumstances in which the house was entered- Which was the best of two evils- not dealing with the rats and having unhappy teachers OR dealing with the rats but having to enter the house to check things out? (For example- in the teachers house here, we had the refrigerator explode!!! and I needed the repairman to go in. Mexicans don't usually turn up at a specific time, so a person is needed to be there, waiting. I sent the coordinator because the teachers were in class)

As for all the teachers leaving at the same time- I 100% agree its terrible. Obviously something has regrettably gone wrong in this situation.

You make an interesting point about regretting leaving the students- but personally I would have felt even worse leaving them without a teacher.

But thats me. I would have handed in my notice and stuck things out for the sake of those great students I had in my class. Everyone is different though.

[Aria Fani]

With regards to the house, Culturlingua of Los Reyes in general tends to blame its incompetence on 'Mexican culture.' We continued having rat problems, but instead they knew how many drinks we had on Friday night, and that if our rooms were dirty or not. They would make direct comments that would lead us to believe they MUST have gone to our rooms. They even apologized for it.

I cannot comment on your school, and made numerous mentions in my entry that my observations are only applicable to Los Reyes. Much the same, I do not understand how you set to defend this institute with your long-distance observations.

Also, how do you know we didn't give any notice? That is just your assuption. I did hand in my notice, and was kicked out of the house immediately. On your account of defending Culturlingua, you conveniently leave out a lot of my comments and prefer not to respond to them (ex. having students take the SAME, EXACT test up to 3 times until they pass, which educational standard prescribes that method of assessment dear Owner?) I think bringing a student with no knowledge of English (a novice)into a class after 8 weeks, with a teacher who barely speaks any Spanish is not so educational, but for mere business advantages. I would never do that, but that is just me. People are different.

It's up to readers of this site to decide which account has more gravity, I wish to discontinue this dicussion. I wish you luck on your part, it seems like cooperating with your school would have different. And I wish for you to respect what have experienced by gaining a broader perspective of how this institute at this location is functioning.

Warmly

[Phil_K]

Just a question, Greg.

The teachers know from the start that this isn't a convential language institute, and as you say yourself, it is most likely to appeal to those starting out and with little or experience.

[gregd75]

Well it's good that they apologized for the intrusion. A lot of places and people wouldn't even bother to do that.

Why do I defend something from a distance? Because the systems are the same at Los Reyes, Zamora, Tlaquepaque and I think it's important that people reading this forum get to hear both sides of the situation. So they can understand accusations of being paid 'under the table' are not exactly as they seem- teachers are shown contracts, teachers agree to abide by these before they come to Mexico.

As for choosing not to comment on specific things- I just did this because I didn't want to write a huge posting (I've been told off for over posting here before heheheh)

I personally don't see the problem with students taking the same exam time and time again. I even engourage students to take their exams home and take them in an 'open book' fashion- of course in this case I expect students to get near to 100%. I wonder if the same exam was used over again because there is, in fact only one exam provided in the teachers book?

This brings me back to a previous point. If it was an issue for you, then I am sure that you could have made a comment on your teachers plans that you submit to the academic director saying that you're not happy using the same exam and that YOU propose to make an alternative exam to use. I'm sure this request wouldn't have been rejected.

Let's remember that a language school is different from say, a university. Universities are generally teaching students to pass exams and language schools are working to get students to communicate in the language. Personally I don't worry about the student taking the same exam 3 times- if they failed two times before (and YOU must ask yourself why YOUR student fails YOUR class exam) then using the same exam again isn't an issue.

The educational standard that you ask about concerns communicating effectively in a language, NOT passing an exam.

Teachers barely speaking Spanish is one of the advantages for students studying English at Culturlingua- this would tie into the fact that Cecilia wasn't happy when Spanish was being spoken in the classroom- its the immersion approach used by the school. Again I ask you, dear teacher- what did you do to integrate the student into the class? What were your teaching strategies? I offered a couple in my previous post, but only complaints are coming from you...

As for the notice, I know that it wasn't provided because I am in contact with the academic director herself. We work as a team. We help each other out, share best practices and work to develop the educational standards of our schools. Culturlingua is not just a business- we are here to help students learn English with native speakers using a system that includes 100% native language use in the classroom.

I wonder if culture shock didn't play a part in this situation- 6 to 8 weeks after arriving in a foreign country and things are not as good as they originally seemed.

Again, I just feel very sorry for the students.

[gregd75]

Hi Phil,

Yes students are aware of the fact that the teachers are native speakers and they are all recruited with a TEFL / TESOL certificate. This is the experience that the website is talking about and for sure, students are aware of this.

We avoid taking on teachers without teaching qualifications- with the mentality 'I speak English so I can teach English'

As for not being a 'conventional language institute' I think that in some ways we are- we focus on the communicative approach and we worry about our students progress. I think we differ from a lot of places because (and this is where i disagree with Aria) the academic director DOES have interaction with the teachers- lesson plans are submitted, feedback given and she even comes and observes classes.

I know of a teacher at one of the BEST universities here in Guadalajara- she's been teaching for 8 weeks now and has never, ever had a class observation- and they use the same exams- so, its swings and roundabouts- the language school offers support and its not welcome, but if they don't offer support then they are accused of not caring.

Taking certified teachers and building upon their experiences, supporting through guidance, feedback and observation is how we have worked all these years.

[Aria Fani]

Your condescending tone says a lot about your character. I don't concern myself with her lies, I am sure Cecilia Belmont will find a way to justify the depareture of four teachers much the way she makes fabrications. about her school's past teachers.

And yes, you are 100% right! We all had a shock. But it wasn't cultural, it was a culturlingua shock.

I feel sorry for your employees.

[gregd75]

I apologise for the apparent condescending tone. Its not my intention at all.

Please don't feel sorry for my employees- I try my best with them. I try hard and sometimes I haven't gotten things right. But i listen and I am trying to change myself and the schools structures to make us more student focussed.

I have known Cecilia for a long time. in fact she recruited me when I first came here- she can be harsh, but thats not her intention. I know that she cares about the schools and her students and that she works hard for her teachers.

Its interesting that you talk about Culturlingua shock. The real question is how was your experience different from what you were told about it before you arrived?

The payment has now been covered, attitude towards exams and students has now been dealt with as has the unforgivable situation concerning people coming into your private rooms. OK rats was an unexpected negative thing, but really, what WASN'T explained to you before you came which actually turned out to be reality.

Also a final question, and I promise this will be fedback to Cecilia, if you want it to- if you relived this experience again what would you like to be done differently so that you guys wouldn't have left? More money? More resources? More privacy? Lets try to learn from this.

Again, I apologize if you think my tone is inappropriate. It isn't my intention