Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Mexico

Teaching English in Mexico can be an extremely rewarding experience. It allows many North Americans and Europeans - who make up the bulk of English teachers that come to Mexico - to sample a new and exciting culture and also provides them the same opportunity to learn and practice a new language.

Like anywhere in the world, teaching English in a big urban center compared to a small, rural town will offer differing challenges. The obvious advantages of taking a post in a big city are the pay and the resources on hand. That being said, foreigners who travel to Mexico to enrich their cultural knowledge may find its cities little different to their own. It boils down to what sacrifices you're willing to make in order to get the most out of your time abroad.

If you do take up a post in one of Mexico's three major cities - Mexico City (the capital), Guadalajara and Monterrey - you'll find a vast number of learning centers to choose from. Teaching English is a big (and necessary) business in Mexico. Sharing its northern border with the United States, the 14-year affect of NAFTA - the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada - and the massive influx of foreign investment in recent years means speaking English for white-collar Mexican workers is essential in terms of career development.

Taking that into consideration, the best language schools will not hire anyone who does not carry an appropriate teaching certificate irrespective if they're a native speaker or not. Long gone are the days when a foreigner could just "wing it" because his or her first language was English. Many multinational companies in Mexico will provide English classes to their employees and expect a certain standard - reaching Cambridge or TOEFL level - for the high fees they pay a school. Also, as obvious as it may seem, expect a certain dress code when giving business classes - your appearance in Mexican culture is sometimes just as important as the right level of instruction.

Pay

Pay can vary dramatically when teaching English depending on where you work. You can expect to earn between 15 to 20 dollars an hour in a major city - much more if you manage to secure private classes - while in a small town pay can drop to as little as four to five dollars an hour.

It's always advantageous to do your homework thoroughly before accepting a teaching post. Make sure to ask if your contract includes a rental allowance, medical insurance, paid holidays and covers your plane ticket. Realistically, obtaining all these benefits in Mexico will only happen if you work for a top, private, bilingual school or university and carry a degree in public school education. Language schools generally will pay you on a per class basis with the more established names also offering paid holidays. Some schools like Berlitz and International House will also play for a return plane ticket if you're hired from abroad and sign a two-year contract.

Language Schools vs. Universities in Mexico

While some teachers find jobs at primary or secondary schools or in a business setting, the bulk of English teaching jobs in Mexico are either at universities or private language schools. Each of these teaching environments has its pros and cons.

University jobs are preferable in that they usually pay better than language schools and often offer benefits. Furthermore, they are almost always legal positions, meaning that the university will help the teacher to obtain the FM3 visa granting legal working status. This is important because a legally employed teacher has rights under the law. While some private language schools hire teachers legally, many prefer to pay under the table.

Still, while they tend to offer the best package deals to their teachers, university jobs in Mexico can still vary greatly in salary, benefits, and overall desirability.

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