Job Discussion Forums

davechile · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: San Francisco, CA

Hey everyone

I really wonder what the population of the TESL teacher is in Latin America. It seems like Mexico is by far the most active forum.

What do you think the ratio of participation on the forum is to actual teacher...professional teachers not counting volunteers.

10-15 : 1

While Korea it may be 100-500 : 1?

I am just curious at the depth of the people whom just don't participate in these forums?

Dave

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

They just might be having too much fun (or working too hard) to post.

MamaOaxaca over in the Mexico forum has a club going where we're all marked on a map. http://www.frappr.com/eslcafelatinamericancrew

davechile · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: San Francisco, CA

I saw that not..too many. Your established in DF. What do you think is the pop?

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Mexico City alone? I'd guess no more than 500....maybe 2500 in the entire country. We discussed this on a world level once in the General Discussion forum...I was guessing far less than everyone else. I may be way off. Dave's seems a good yardstick but like you, I wonder how many come here to post. Just look at the Brazil forum...biggest country in LA and very few posts.

nineisone · Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 187

I met about a dozen different native speakers teaching ESL in northern Peru and not one posts here, although almost all admitted to reading the forums or having knowledge about them. I think many were settled into their various jobs and busy with the challenges of living life. Even I posted less when I was living there.

Also in some Latin American countries, a heavy portion of Esl teachers come through volunteer programs and don't really look upon ESL as a career venue. I found this true in Tegucigalpa, Honduras a few years back when I kept running into college students who were teaching ESL as part of programs to cover room and board while they learned Spanish. Some taught as missionaries and evangelicals. They had less motivation to interact with online ESL communities as their teaching experience was likely to be temporary and part of another unique experience.

MELEE · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:21 pm Post subject:

I think the Mexico number is higher than that guy, but most just don't use this forum. Like back in February, when I went to the British Council shindig, loads of people there, and not a one other than me on the forum. In Oaxaca alone we have more than 100 Teachers for sure. about 58 work for the SUNEO university system and then there are all the people in Oaxaca City maybe gregor can give his estimate, but over 50 easy.