Job Discussion Forums

[erwen11]

So I've been browsing through countless posts about teaching in Latin America, but still can't get a great feel for the bottom line when it comes to how important it is to take a CELTA/TEFL course.

Basically, my situation is that I would like a job somewhere in Latin America (really don't care where, I've been to enough places to know that I'll like living anywhere down there) that pays well enough for me to break even and live there without having to dip into savings. I have enough saved up to last me a couple months, but would like to live down there for an extended period of time (probably a year or more) and make enough to get by.

My question is whether or not it is necessary to take one of these certification courses that will likely cost at least $1500. If I can go without it, that would obviously be my preference. But if I will make more, or find jobs more easily with one of these courses, then it could be worth it. I am college educated from a good school, and have 3 months experience teaching English to schoolchildren in Nicaragua, which I know is much different than a lot of the jobs I would be applying for, but should help nonetheless.

Bottom line - do I need to take a course? I really don't want to spend $1500 if I don't have to, and I really, REALLY don't want to spend $1500 and then not be able to find a job anyway.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[naturegirl321]

I know that people won't be too happy with my response. But here it is. at least with my experience in Peru, third world country that won't get TEFL teachers visas to work at institutes, no, you don't need a cert. you just have to be a native speaker willing to work odd hours. that's it. BUt , in my opinion, Peru is at the bottom of the TEFL ladder, at least in China you get housing, flights, and a visa.

BUT, if you want to know what you're doing, be able to help students I'd recommend at least going to the library to read up on TEFLing. I understand taht not everyone can afford a cert, especially now, but there's plenty of research you can do for free. Then save up and take a course.

Peru's more than open to you, if you don't mind working illlegally I'll say this, with an MA and 7 years experience, and TEFL Dip, it doesn't gie me a higher salary than those straight off the plane.

Bottom line: No, you don't have to. It'll make you a better teacher, but as for salary, you' probably wont' get anymore

[Atlan Training]

Hi erwen11

I can speak about Ecuador, where I work. You can get work without certification, but as naturegirl says, it won't be attractive work. The pay will be very low, the work will be difficult, and it will more or less negate the reasons for coming here in the first place. You can do a CELTA in Ecuador at Southern Cross for only $1300. This is one of the least expensive courses in the world and we are an excellent teacher training center. In fact, in 2010, we are running residential CELTA courses in an ecoresort on the beach that are only $2000 including accommodation and food for five weeks! You will earn back the money you spent on your CELTA in your first three months of employment. And, again, agreeing with naturegirl, you will be a good teacher! You can't just teach English because you're a native speaker! You have to learn teaching skills to find good jobs, to work without stress, and to respect your students.

It is not the case in this country that qualifications do not affect your employability or your salary. Qualification very much improves your situation. This is also the case in most other countries in Latin America as far as I know.

[jacobfrank]

I'll echo what the others have said -- yes, you can get work, but your opportunities will be very much limited. And having taught beside people who haven't had any training, I can tell you that most of them struggled. Speaking a language and teaching it are two very different skills. I really believe you do a disservice to your students if you try to teach with no training (with of course the rare exception).

Do a course, I'd recommend a CELTA or other non-generic TEFL program and ideally in a place where you'd want to teach afterwards as many schools hire their own graduates first.

Finally, even though you want to teach in Latin America now, someday you may want to go elsewhere and most other places do require at least a TEFL cert.

[Atlan Training]

I'm with jacobfrank 100%. Trust us. We know what we're talking about!

[ElJuero]

[TeresaLopez]

One other option no one mentioned is to get a job with a school that will give you in-house training in their own method. I don't know if that is common in other Latin American countries, but it is fairly common here in Mexico City. Some of these schools have a pretty rigid method of teaching but do prepare you well to teach THEIR METHOD. And there will be some things that you can take from those methods to use in the future. You may find out you hate teaching like that, and want to be more creative. Or you may find you like it just fine - having everything prepared for you - lesson plans, recordings, posters, etc. On the other hand, if you want to do anything creative or original in the classroom, those are NOT the schools for you. As as alternative to a CELTA, there is a course offered here in Mexico called a Teacher's Diploma. I have done a fair amount of research on it, and it covers roughly the same material as a CELTA and you do 50 or 60 hours of practice teaching, for a total of a 220 hour course. It is recognized by the Mexican Public Education Department, and so would most likely be recognized in other Latin Countries and, more important, would give you a decent starting skill set. You can live pretty cheap in Mexico if you want, for example, you can rent a room instead of an apartment, food is really cheap if you stick to Mexican family style restaurants and fresh vegetables and fruit, and take public transportation. But I think the warning to have savings is VERY important, stuff happens, and you need to be prepared.

[Guy Courchesne]

Teresa, from what I've seen, most of those 'teacher's diploma' courses are taught in Spanish and are often little more than another level of English study to keep the advanced students for yet another few weeks - or paychecks. In Mexico City anyway.

[AGoodStory]

I'm not sure about the teacher's diploma courses offered by American Team, or by the Anglo (TAMF), but the Angloamericano teacher's course is taught in English.

http://www.angloamericano.com.mx/teachers_diploma.shtml#contenido

Content
�Language and Grammar of the English language .
�Stages of student development.
�Educational Psychology .
�Learning theory in general and of learning a second language.
�Effective learning environment .
�Current methodology of teaching of Languages.
�The teaching of listening, reading, speaking and listening

There was another thread about these courses on the Mexico forum in May, now a page or so back:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=80996

[TeresaLopez]

Yes, the vast majority are taught in Spanish, the three that I know that are taught in English are the one by both Anglo Americano, Anglo Mexicano and American team. I have seen some of the materials used and they look pretty extensive. I know there are a lot of fly-by-night schools that offer a course, even one that basically just gives you the books and you show up and take some kind of final exam. With the above three you also get quite a bit of classroom practice. Those are the only three I know much about. Also, those three are recognized by SEP, for whatever that might be worth. It seems important to some people. Obviously, if you can afford it a CELTA or Trinity course is going to be superior, but that is not in everyone's budget.

[Guy Courchesne]

There's been quite the proliferation in Mexico City of 'Teacher's Course - SEP Authorized' through fly-by-nights as you note. I've been asked by 3 different schools in the last 3 years to design such courses but turned them down after hearing what it was they wanted exactly, which was rubbish.

[Isla Guapa]

Upon my triumphant return to Mexico in the fall of 2007, I worked at a language school in Mexico City for a couple of months (before I was fired for not teaching fast enough!). My class of three students was supposedly "advanced", so upon successful completion of this level, they were then eligible to take one of these "teacher's" classes. I shudder to think of what sort of teachers they would have made . Lovely people but with a surprisingly low command of the language considering how "advanced" the class was!

[TeresaLopez]

[eevanvleet]

In Cuenca you need a work visa to get the better university jobs and don't need certification to work anywhere else. High schools will be amazed that you'll work for bad wages that they'll hire you. This idea of being able to earn back $2000 dollars in a few months over what you would make as an uncertified teacher is not correct, especially if you are working with a language school. The point has been made that for your personally it would probably be better as a teacher, or take the steep learning curve of learning in the classroom. Why not invest in it if you're going to be using the certification in the future? If it's a one time deal you will find some kind of work without the certification that might almost bring home the bacon...

[Clark Montange]

ESL Teaching, Cost of Living, & Credentials Mexico/Latin America

Mexico is great! If anyone is sitting on the fence about having an ESL teaching experience here, I�d encourage you to get down off that fence! Schools requirements vary greatly. Visit each web site to determine what they need. When in doubt, contact them. Many seem very strict, but when dealing directly with the director, for example, they may waive one thing for another, substitute something for something else, etc., etc. There is also a lot of mixed info. out there - - it is not a science. Also consider wages, and what you really need to live on.

The majority of ESL/EFL teachers I have met (yes, some consider this part of Latin America) are not living on their teaching incomes alone. Easily 90% of them have dipped into savings, maxed out their credit cards, have drawn on family trust funds. Many are very young �backpackers� and mom and dad are always there to wire money when they are short. I am taking about schools that pay you ONLY for your actual teaching time, so for example 4 classes per day = your days wages.

For the most part (depending on where you live, and if you live alone, or share with others), if you prefer privacy, and your �own space,� you will pay the price for housing respective to your wages, and not have money left for much of anything else.

This should not discourage you. The Mexican people are great. I don�t know why they so often get a �bad rap,� and are made fun of, with demeaning pejoratives, etc., in other countries. They are intelligent, polite, sophisticated, resourceful, and I have continued to be treated very well here. PLEASE, please, please do YOUR HOMEWORK regarding which school!!!

Be clear in your own mind, what you want from this experience from the get go.

Don�t get yourself here then find that out you cannot make it, like a friend of mine who teaches for ENGLISH UNLIMITED in San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico (central Mexico). He is currently on medical leave, and I have visited him in SLP. He has concerns about working for English Unlimited. I have seen some of this first hand, by visiting the school, plus being interviewed there.

He was mislead about the overall cost of living in SLP, and assured that the English Unlimited teaching wages (approximately $4.50 USD equivalent per hour AFTER taxes), are more than adequate to live on, plus be able to travel. You can �see Mexico,� he was promised. Be reasonably comfortable. Do the disco scene, etc., and la te da . . . . He was mislead about almost everything, including housing arrangements and overall costs, and ended up spending many times more than what he was led to believe during the job screening and negotiation process.

He has also had visa problems, and things are not what he was informed of during the screening and negotiation process, so be very careful to know precisely the visa process of your final destination in Latin America/Mexico, before you depart your home country, wherever that may be. He has umpteen credentials, including a TESL Certificate.

English Unlimited in SLP has mostly local teachers - - from SLP or nearby Mexican cities, despite what is claimed on the Internet, and in their advertisements. Most of the local teachers have parents, spouses, a full support system, etc. who help out financially.

Teachers are also expected to purchase their own supplies: Paper, pencils, rubber bands, erasers, poster board, note pads, pens, Post It Notes, paper clips, markers - - you name it. This was not mentioned in his screening, interviewing, and negotiation process prior to him coming to English Unlimited (EU), in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. These are all extra costs and a drain on already weak finances.

He was also asked to agree to not work elsewhere to be considered for full time equivalent work, yet he desperately needed more money. He was eating so poorly, well . . . this has exasperated an existing medical problem, which has landed him in HOSPITAL!

The cost of living in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and most other moderate to larger cities is basically the same as any city in the United States. I have met person after person here in Mexico who has relatives in the U.S. and they overwhelmingly validate this. In fact, they take regular trips to Texas, for example, and come back with their cars loaded to the brim with things a fraction of the cost they are in SLP. Just about everybody does this.

Read CAREFULLY: It is NOT necessarily any cheaper in Mexico for the basics like food, personal hygiene items such as shampoo, shaving cream, razors, clothing, shoes, medications, etc. If you are new, and do not know where to go for this and that, you can have double the trouble. You need to really count your pesos - - so to speak.

Generally, you will not be able to make it here financially, unless you are willing to completely give up your privacy and share a relatively small living space with three or four other people (generally speaking), and be willing to just stay at home and do little else. Now there may be exceptions, there always are in life.

Native-speaker teachers come and go at EU like a revolving door (Canada, U.S., U.K., Spain, Africa, etc.), most staying only a couple of months, due to these and other broken promises. The current �Academic Coordinator� has no professional background in the field of education administration whatsoever, or no formal education related to education administration, teaching, etc. (I interviewed with him, and was not impressed at all). His background is from the mortgage banking industry! My friend has shared horror stories that would make your hair stand on end.

As if this isn�t bad enough, EU does not even have any standardized scoring/grading system for its exams and other tests! I could not believe it when my friend told me this, and also showed me a few samples (with students names not visible). This is academics 101 folks, no matter what you teach.

So come to Mexico/Latin America, to be sure. Just be aware that you may not be able to pay off your student loans if they are large. If your parents are willing to pick up the tab for this, you will probably have a terrific experience.

Give Mexico a try!!

CM