Job Discussion Forums

[richtx1]

Lately, it seems that teaching jobs for adult english (or "business English") has dropped off dramatically here in DF. My sense is that Se�or Big and Se�or Rico were at lunch and decided that it was more cost effective to hire less-experienced bi-lingual graduates than to retain experienced mono-lingual executives. And Se�ores Big and Rico mentioned this to their friends, who mentioned it to theirs, who...

My other sense is that suppy outstrips demand... at least in DF, salaries have been dropping for some time, and are dropping again.

I'll be ok (I've got something else going on, which is more lucrative), but wonder how the rest of you are faring.

[thelmadatter]

rich - when you say "hire bi-lingual graduates," do you mean hire some kid who learned English at school? If so, then based on my experience, many of these kids aren't so good either. Tec requires all their students to study English, but if 10% get out of here with half-decent conversational ability, I'd say that might be a little high. Yes, we get some with amazing ability (I teach most of those) but I also teach what for most is the highest level English class they will have, and the ability for most of them is pitiful. You know, its like the abysmal situation with foreign language learning in the States.

It may be that los se�ores are trying some way to cut costs, but in the long run, I think there will still be need for corporate training. If what my co-workers tell me is right, the economy slumps before a presidential election... a lot of folks dont want to invest in a lot of things until they get some idea of what the next sexenio is going to be like.

[MELEE]

Rich,

In the higher education realm, I feel like the demand has been growing and growing. More and more universities are adapting some sort of "exit exam" for their graduates. However the standards are often rather low, and like Thema says few have enough English ablity to actualy conduct business in English. So maybe the move is away from corporate training and towards university teaching?

Also like Thema says, we are sort of in a holding pattern waiting for the president to change. In his campaign Fox spoke a lot about English (and computers) in the schools, I haven't heard much about this from the precandidates... ...yet.

Cheers,

[richtx1]

I've noticed several of the smaller ESL institutes and "Business English" providers have closed their doors recently (mine's hanging on, partially by adjusting to the demand for more "individual" teachers, and relying less on corporate training contracts), and the people I talk to all point to employer hiring practices as the reason for business loss.

I agree with you, thelma, that it is a short-sighted decision, but then I don't get to make the decisions. Perhaps MELEE is right, and what I'm noticing is a shift in employer expectations. Glad to hear though that people are keeping their jobs.

Its always been a cyclical industry anyway.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[Gringo Greg]

In Thailand, in 2001, the corporate training boom ended. It was replaced, thankfully, by schools starting English programs for students. In the end, the wages and quality of work has greatly improved for the teachers. The job market used to be 70 to 80% corporate and institute work and now it is 70%, or higher, primary/secondary school.

Hoepfully we are seeing the same change in Mexico.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[richtx1]