Hey /trv/. Trying to go back to Mexico to live semi permanently, I figured at least for a start a job teaching English would be a good way to keep myself fed/housed. I'm fluent in Spanish and have done informal English tutoring to ESL uni students so it shouldn't be hard to get a job once I have a certificate. Which leads me to my 2 questions:
Which certification should I go for? TEFL, TESOL, what's the real difference? I'm having trouble finding info on how the different certs are distinguished from one another.
Also, what's the fastest way to get certified? Since I actually have no home in the U.S. I'm currently staying at my parents house which is far from ideal. I'd love to limit my time here to like a month, and get to Mexico asap. Are there some reputable online courses anyone could recommend? Then I could move down like immediately as long as I have my laptop with me.
Thanks for any help!
Nada?
Has anyone currently on here done international English teaching and, if so, which license did you have?
I don't know much about the ESL stuff, but in my experience the paperwork for working in Mexico as a foreign resident is a bitch. My job has taken me down there for two long extended periods. Due to various contract structures, the second time required our partner organization to be the one paying me, and everything we had to file had such long wait and processing times, and was so needlessly complicated, that I ended up getting paid under the table.
They really do not like non-Mexicans working in Mexico. It's way worse than getting into the US or even Canada.
>mfw I realized I wuz technically an illegal immigrant in Mexico for 3 months
So I'd really recommend making sure you've got a position lined up ahead of time and starting all the red tape bullshit before you go.
>>1058604
See I've heard a very different tale from people I know who work/have worked there. They say that as long as you're not doing any government or big corporate work, it's very easy to get by without your work visa, working "illegally" and nobody gives a fuck. Actually, everyone I know who did teaching over there did it without bothering to get the visa.
It sounds like yours is maybe a bit different of a situation where the company you work for has to keep everything "above board".
>>1058567
Are you a chicano?
>>1058656
Nope. Pretty white but not Anglo. I passed for Argentinian but no way I'd pass for Mexican
>>1058665
Why does anyone go anywhere? I like traveling, I want to live in a new culture, I preferred my time there, I like the work culture there, food, etc.
Bumping for any relevant international English teaching info or experiences
>>1058907
I dunno but i guess that TEFL would be ideal.
I hope you enjoy your stay in Mexico
>>1058665
>>1058665
The usa is expensive, boring, and people speak too much english. also mexico has nicer beaches. In mexico, its always a party and with my us dollars id hardly even have to work living there. Ive seen the movie el infierno but my experience there has been anything but. Another spanish speaking whitey whos gonna move to mexico here.
May I ask which city/state in Mexico?
Check this OP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaching_English_as_a_foreign_language
>>1058917
I'm not too concerned which city, I've travelled all over and I loved every city I was in. If I were to have my choice I'd go with Puebla, Oaxaca or Guanajuato. But I'd be alright wherever I find an opening.
>>1058916
You can call the US a lot of things, many negative things even, but boring is not one of them.
>>1058606
This. So truth. As lon it is s small company they neither goverment will give a shit.
>>1058916
That movie is satire and comedy. Besides yes we are failed state but some places are still meh Ok
>>1059072
Choose Oaxaca and I will give you free mezcal and tequila to hang out in the capital
>>1059143
Ah very tempting! Cd. Oaxaca was prob my favorite place I stayed in, planned for 4 days ended up hanging with a dude and some other travelers for 10.
And the food...
>>1059175
Did you enjoyed tlayudas? I hope so. Anyway, our inmugration agency wont be bothered by a gringo. They mainly target latinos and weird niggers, browns and some yellows
>>1059200
oh god, i went to mercado 20 noviembre literally every day, sometimes 2 veces, just for tlayudas and tortas de quesillo.
Is there nobody on here with experience getting TEFL/TESOL certifications?
After more research it sounds like it might be a better option to take an in-person course once I'm already there, since it's shorter and prob cheaper. Any thoughts?
Bumping in the hopes of hearing from someone who has gotten the TEFL/TESOL/etc certification
One final bump before I let it die.
Anyone on /trv/ taught abroad with a TESOL/TEFL certificate?
Online or in-person course?
Check Dave's ESL Café site, it's focused on topic
In place course and cert good idea
>>1060913
Ive taught English abroad for 2 years now. If you wanna get a legit job with a company that won't dick you around, go for a CELTA. I have a TEFL and employers see it as a meme certificate that's not worth the paper it's printed on. I did alright and landed myself a job with a reputable school with my TEFL, but to make things easier on yourself get a CELTA. TEFL will probably be enough to teach in Mexico, tho.
>>1061050
Been looking there a bit, there's just so many conflicting opinions and so many choices of path for certification that it's overwhelming.
>>1061054
I was looking at the CELTA just cause of its obvious prestige, I wasn't sure if the price and stuff would be worth it, at this point I'm not exactly looking to start a career teaching ESL, just get some work for the next little while that allows me to travel.
And like you said, it's not like I'd be trying to teach in Korea or Germany or anything, it's Mexico and I hear their requirements are a bit less stringent.
Where did you get TEFL certified, and would you recommend it? Any lessons you learned from the process?
>>1058916
usa is not boring, as a dual canadian-us citizen ill tell you right now canada is 10x more boring then the USA will ever be. But it is safer and...free healthcare?
Okay so after doing some research based on recommendations this is the point I've reached:
I could either get a cheap (<$250) online TEFL course and certification, which would likely be enough for most entry level Mexican jobs
Or
I could go for a high end (>$750) online or in person TEFL/CELTA that would all but guarantee me a decent teaching job in Mexico.
Since I've never taught outside one-on-one tutoring, I'm not entirely sure that I will want to pursue a longer term job teaching English classes, and because of this I'm leaning towards the cheaper less refined option.
Thoughts?
>>1061089
>>1061555
If you can get a job with your online cert, go for it. Look around online, apply and see what you find. You won't learn shit from it compared to what you learn from actual teaching exp and teaching observations. Of course the jobs that'll give you with an online teaching cert are most likely the ones to fuck around with you.
With that said, even with an in person TEFL I found it pretty useless compared to what I learned from 2 years of teaching and sharing ideas with my colleagues.
If you find that you enjoy teaching, you can always retrain to get a less memey cert.
>>1061740
This is kind of what I'm planning. I've only done one-on-one English teaching, so I'm keeping in mind the possibility that I might get there and realize that I fucking hate teaching classrooms. So I don't want to invest too seriously in the certification until I know I want to keep doing it for a few years.
So, can anyone recommend an online TEFL certification course that isn't too pricy? So far I'm looking at ITTT, TEFL UK, I-to-I, and ITTI. Can't really tell much of a difference between each, not sure which is regarded as "better"
