Job Discussion Forums

[cabbit]

Hello
I was wondering if there are any Aussies in Mexico teaching English.
I am in Korea and looking for a change from teaching in Asia.
How is Mexico?
What is the pay like?
Is it hard to get a visa as an Aussie?
any other useful information.....
thanks
love Cabbit

[lozwich]

Hello Cabbit,

Yes, there are Aussies in Mexico teaching English, although while I was there, I only knew of one (me). I met two New Zealanders who were pretending to be Aussies, but I just put it down to envy...

Mexico is great, although it can be very diverse. The north of Mexico is very different from the south, and all the bits in between are different from each other too. Its not like Oz where things don't change much between cities, there are huge differences between places like Monterrey and Oaxaca and Merida for example. Lots of it is flat and brown, and other bits are mountainous and brown, but there are great beaches too, and surf if you're into it. One thing I miss about being away from God's own country is the trees, but in Mexico there's tons of eucalypts, so I liked that, and the rainforests there are really similar to those in Oz.

The pay and working conditions vary greatly depending on what kind of job you have, but you will face the same issues as any other English teacher. Everyone needs to get an FM3, which is the working visa, and lots of schools help with this. You'll need a degree and qualification (CELTA for example) and various other things. Do a search here on Dave's and you'll find all the info you need.

Hope that helps,
Lozwich.

[richtx1]

TWO NEW ZEALANDERS??? That's gotta be a record! I work for one of the 35 Kiwis legally in Mexico (or known to their embassy), and two in the same place is something of an invasion!

Anyway, Mexico is NOT China. Besides being a democratic, bourgeois country (i.e., foreign teachers are not some special "protected class" of people), it sits next door to the largest English-speaking country -- both a curse and a blessing for English teachers.

On the one hand, materials are easy to come by, and there is a HUGE demand (still) for English teachers, especially at the primary and secondary levels. On the other hand, 10% of all Mexicans work abroad (mostly in the U.S.) for part of their life, and English is the most widely spoken second language.

Pay and living conditions are lower than they are in China (at least that's the feeling I get from these ESL sites), but the lifestyle isn't bad, and people are easy-going, unlikely to be stressed out.

At adult training levels, there's still an assumption that "American English" (whatever that is) is the preferred form of English -- however, one of my more successful and better liked teachers is Nigerian, which makes her a "native speaker".

[aroha]

Its Friday in D.F. and I'm having a beer, so I must bite. 35 New Zealanders in Mexico? Two of them masquerading as Australians? Unlikely! Once again Australia claims a New Zealander as part of an ongoing attempt to raise the average Aussie IQ levels... Making a concession to my second favourite country, Australia is useful for explaining the whereabouts of NZ. Then I have to explain that there is NO harbour bridge between our beloved countries...

All of the other English teachers in my school are Mexican, and most of them have a strong "American English" accent. But the kids say that they really like my "Harry Potter" accent and as long as I speak clearly, most people get used to it fairly quickly.

When I'm in the parks in the city, walking under the eucalypts, I have also often thought that I could be in Sydney...

[MixtecaMike]

[berlitzoax]

I'm a New Zealander in Oaxaca, and there's at least one other here, although she isn't teaching English. "Known to their embassy" doesn't have anything to do with working legally - I only recently registered with the embassy and I have been here on and off for almost 3 years! There have been several Australians working here in Oaxaca in my time here, there were at least 2 at the same school at the same time for a while.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[ls650]