Job Discussion Forums

[Oathkeeper86]

Hey everyone,

I had my very first experience teaching ESL last summer for about a month as a volunteer. I had my very own class and I taught it three times a week for about 2 hours each session. It was a truly rewarding experience--I was always amazed at how fast time would fly each time I taught. The students were mostly Hispanic who were very interested in learning the language. At the end of the month, they threw a party for me. It was truly one of the best experiences in my life.

I am a Classics major and I am currently finishing the first semester of my third year. I would love to teach after college, no matter what. I have studied some German in high school and I am currently studying French as well. In the last couple of months I have thought about teaching ESL sometime after college either in Latin America or in Europe. The only thing that bothers me somewhat is that I have heard that "if you don't look white, you are at a disadvantage from teaching ESL in Europe." I was wondering if people can share their experiences, particularly if you are a minority working in Europe. (I am actually a native from Mexico but I have been living in the United States for more than 11 years, so I am technically a 'native speaker' in both languages).

Thanks you for listening!

[spiral78]

I can say that your Hispanic heritage would probably not be much of a hindrance to teaching in Europe. I have friends/colleagues/and many acquaintances who have taught in European countries whose ancestry is Asian or Hispanic or African...and while there have occasionally been veiled issues, I don't know of anyone who has had to face overt hostility or any serious work-related issues.

However, if you are lacking a citizenship from an EU member country, your legal opportunities for work are essentially limited to Central/Eastern Europe. You could check the country specific boards for more information - there are lots of people working illegally in Spain and Italy, but legal working permission for the 'older' EU member states is nearly impossible to get.

[tedkarma]

If your passport is USA and you are a fluent speaker of English, leave it at that. Don't confuse hiring authorities with things like Mexican-American or Hispanic-American. Just put "American" on your resume or application. Should be no problem.

People of Hispanic origin had no problems in Korea, while I was there anyway.

[Oathkeeper86]

Thank you for your feedback!