Teaching English in Mexico Frequently Asked Questions
Readers have posed a number of oft-asked, poignant questions about teaching English in Mexico which I’ll be unable to answer in full detail here, but I should be able to address the brunt or so of them with brief snippets of information.
Q: First, I have heard that it is possible to work at a university teaching English, but I wonder if I have enough experience? It looked like according to your article only highly qualified teachers could get positions in a university.
A: First, you shouldn’t worry too much about a lack of more experience. if you do have some, you’re a trained, educated TEFL teacher and a native speaker, you’ll be okay. Go ahead, apply to schools, institutes and universities.
Q: Second, what is the best time of year to go to look for work in Mexico?
A: As far as looking for work is concerned; July to August you should be pounding the pavement. The next best time frame is in early to mid January. Another critical period for job-hunting is May to June. Most importantly, choose where you want to live and work, then take a pilot trip to uncover essential facts, leads and information.
Q: Third, do you think it would be possible to earn enough money in Mexico that I would be able to pay some of my bills back at home, for example my student loan payment?
A: While you can certainly earn a living in Mexico teaching English as a foreign language in primary / secondary schools, trade schools, language institutes and universities - even giving private classes on the side, paying off a student loan in US dollars is a bit over the top for a salary earned in Mexican pesos. I certainly wouldn’t count on getting that kind of money - at least, not for a while. Travel to your planned work area by making a pilot trip to ascertain what kind of salary range TEFL teachers get there among other things.
Q: How much money do you think I need to have saved up before I would go to Mexico City? I
Tags: English language teaching, Mexico, TEFL, travel