Job Discussion Forums

lesherman · Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 2

I am planning on moving to Mexico in September, more specifically to baja california sur (Los Cabos area). Has anyone in this forum lived there? I don't really know where to begin, but I am very interested in teaching english there. Is it necessary for me to get a TEFL certificate? How difficult is it to find teaching positions in that area of Mexico? Any other friendly advice would be greatly appreciated too! Thank you!

inmexico · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 110 Location: The twilight zone

After 2 years in Mexico I have never seen an ad, or heard of any teaching positions in the Los Cabos area. There really isn't much of a demand in that area....as far as I know. There are some opportunities in Sonora and Sinaloa.

lesherman · Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 2

OK...thank you. I might have to look beyond teaching then! Do you know anything about teaching in La Paz?

inmexico · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 110 Location: The twilight zone

I have not been to La Paz, but one thing holds true for just about the whole country when it comes to teaching. Touristic places such as Cabos, Ixtapa etc. don't have much of a demand for English teachers. There seems to be two main reasons for this - first, most of the people that are spending time there are English speaking tourists or retirees. It is true that is necessary for service industry employees to learn English in order to cater to the foreigners, but if you have been to any of the touristic places (mostly coastal places) you will know that just about everyone speaks English to some extent. A lot of the employees are brought in from D.F and other large centers.
Secondly, there is a much higher demand for English teachers in the industrial/business hotbeds. Mexico City, guadalajara, Queretaro, Monterrey are just a few examples. Anywhere there is a lot of big business, there will be a demand for English. Also, many if not all university students must pass an English component as a requirement for their degrees. Cities with several universities usually have several more English language schools. In the end, it's all about who has the $ and who doesn't.
I am sure there are a few other forum readers who have more info. than I do. I don't claim to be an expert on Mexico - my comments are based solely on my own experiences.

I hope this is of some help to you.