FAQ'S
TEFL
Frequently Asked Questions
We are conveniently located in Guadalajara, Mexico, the second-largest city in Mexico and recognized as the most traditional Mexican city and the birthplace of Mexico´s most emblematic icons: tequila (our national drink), Mariachi music, and typical Mexican cuisine. In addition, The Worldwide Renowned Time Out magazine has named Colonia Americana in Guadalajara, Mexico, as the Coolest Neighborhood in the World to Visit.
In addition, in 2023, The New York Times recognized Guadalajara as one of the greatest cities to visit, calling it a “compulsory stop.”.
Guadalajara has been on a roll lately! Nominated for the Readers’ Choice Awards as one of the best-positioned cities in the world, it’s being recognized alongside some of the most iconic destinations out there. Think Amsterdam, Madrid, Hamburg, Berlin, Cannes, Bruges, Brasilia, Atlanta… the list goes on!.
The term TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. A TEFL Certificate shows that you have training and experience in Teaching English.
A TEFL Certificate verifies that you have knowledge in the theory and methods pertinent to understanding foreign language development and how a second language should be taught.
Completing the program will give you the skills along with the confidence to be a successful teacher in the ESL/EFL field. Finally, a TEFL Certificate gives you advantages over other candidates who may also be looking for a job teaching English.
This depends entirely on the country where you plan to teach. A certified teacher in Mexico expects to make in an initial position from $500 – $800 US dollars a month.
Salaries for EFL teachers in Mexico are very competitive in the local economy and will definitely cover all of your living expenses locally. The highest paying jobs for Business English are in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, with salaries around $5,000-$6,000 US per month. In Japan and South Korea you can expect to earn about $2,500-$3,000 US per month as a salaried TEFL teacher.
These countries are some of the top destinations for Job Placement for our Graduates.
You must be at least 21 years of age for your application to be considered. Applicants aged 18 through 20 can be considered based on a phone interview.
There is no official upper age limit. Some employers may have a preference for younger teachers while others tend to prefer more mature teachers.
Teaching is one of the professions where you are never too old, actually in some Schools and Institutes, Directors of Schools prefer an older, more mature person for a teaching job, because of the respected image that they portray.
The majority of our trainees are in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, but we have successfully trained and found employment for graduates in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Most schools run one year contracts. Most school directors will want you to commit at least six months. Some schools may offer jobs without a contract on a freelance basis for a probation time before offering a contract.
- Be aged 21 or over. (18 to 20 year olds can be considered based on an admission interview)
- Have an awareness of language and a competence in English, both written and spoken, that enables the trainee to undertake the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels.
- All candidates whose first language is not English must be interviewed and take a language awareness test.
- Have the potential to develop the necessary skills to become effective teachers, to successfully complete the written assignments and perform in the observed teaching practices.
- Have a positive attitude towards team work and experiential learning activities. This includes acknowledging the relevance of these in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and willingness to participate in all course dynamics.
- Have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into university.
Please note that although it is not compulsory for applicants to possess a University degree to enroll in our program, many foreign countries prefer college-university degrees from their EFL teachers. Candidates to our TEFL program are usually college-university graduates.
Yes, internationally accepted guidelines state that the course must have 120 hours of input, 6 hours of teaching practice, and be externally monitored. In the TEFL course, we offer 140 hours of input, a minimum of 10 hours of teaching practice, are externally monitored, and are externally accredited by several renowned academic organizations.
No. You do not need to know the language of your students. Most language schools today do not encourage the use of the students’ native language.
If traveling from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Western Europe, you only need the standard tourist visa issued upon entry to Mexico.
A 30 day visa gives you enough time to complete the course, a 60, 90 or 180 day visa can be requested instead of the 30 day.
If you want to be placed immediately after our course, be certain that we will obtain a job for you within 2 to 4 weeks after graduation. Again, thanks to our job guidance/placement the majority of our trainees will have found employment two weeks after having completed the course. The only exceptions may be graduates who wish to work in a relatively difficult location (due to demand, timing or regulations).
We have found jobs for our trainees virtually everywhere.
The global demand for EFL teachers allows us to place our graduates in teaching positions throughout the globe. There are several teaching positions available for you in any major city that you can think of.
There is really no best or worst time. Countries in different Hemispheres have different academic years and tend to hire year round anyway, on an as needed basis.
Jobs at language centers will be available anytime of the year.
We actually secure jobs for our graduates every month of the year in one of their 5 preferred locations.
No, you do not have to stay in Mexico for a long period of time to become employed. Many schools offer 6 month work period offers. This is perfect for teachers on holiday/vacation.
It is important to be honest with your students and tell them how long you plan on teaching at a given school, since students really get attached to their teacher.
No. you do not need to have a University degree. The minimum educational requirement to join our course is to have a standard of education as the one required for entry into higher education.
Everything that you may need for the course and the teaching practices will be provided to you. We also have a large EFL selection of books, teaching aids and materials available for our trainees to use.
Should you feel in need to buy teaching materials, you can easily find them in Mexico.
People in their early twenties who are recent graduates, but we also have people in their thirties and forties who either want a career switch. We have also had people either approaching or in retirement.
Finally, we have people from other English speaking countries in our courses as well as good non-native speakers. The type of program we offer attracts people with many backgrounds, recent college graduates, career changers, and retired people.
Some people have never taught before, others have some teaching experience, but want to enhance their skills or improve their credentials.
Some see teaching English as a way to travel and explore the world.
For all of these people, a TEFL Certificate program provides a foundation of skills that are the basis of good language teaching.
You can expect interactive style classes in which full participation is expected. It is a program that will give you the foundation of what may become a profession. You can be sure that when you leave, you will have a solid foundation upon which to build your future growth as a teacher.
