About this role
Mexico has strong cultural and economic ties with the United States. Given the economic relations between the two countries, strengthening the English-language capacities of its population is a priority for the Mexican Government. English is a key that can open doors to economic, scientific, and technical exchange, as well as to employment, commerce, and social mobility. TEFL Volunteers serve as linguistic and cultural ambassadors and collaborate to increase mutual understanding and professional opportunities for Mexican students and teachers. They are assigned to small or medium-sized public universities. Most students commute to campus from under-resourced communities and may be on scholarship. TEFL Volunteers provide support for English teachers and learners and may link them to academic opportunities through strategic partners such as the Regional English Language Office (RELO) and EducationUSA. Successful Volunteers support English language learning through (co-)planning, (co-)teaching, student mentoring, and on or off-campus extracurricular activities. Additionally, TEFL Volunteers promote and participate in Communities of Practice (CoP) where teachers and Volunteers come together in a non-formal way to learn and grow professionally. A CoP emerges when two or more people share an interest in a topic and partner to fulfill common learning goals. Volunteers are expected to work 35-40 hours per week. As a University English Co-Teacher, you will contribute to the strategic objective of Mexican students attaining communication skills in English that will allow them to access academic and/or professional opportunities. The activities you will carry out at your university may include: • Co-planning and co-teaching English language classes. • Establishing and facilitating one or more Communities of Practice. • Facilitating or co-facilitating extracurricular activities for English language learning, such as conversation clubs or cross-cultural events. • Delivering workshops, or presentations in English for faculty members and students, to increase their awareness or knowledge about cultural or social topics while improving their English language skills. • Mentoring and providing career counseling to students, including reviewing English-language resumes, practicing English-language job interviews, and helping to edit and proofread student papers and presentations in a way that empowers them to improve their own English. • Providing information about academic and professional development opportunities for school staff, faculty, and students through our strategic partners. Volunteers mainly co-teach but may occasionally be asked to substitute teach to take the place of a university English teacher who is sick or who must attend a conference or training event. Peace Corps Mexico’s public universities are located mainly in central Mexico and are often established on the outskirts of small to large size cities; the communities to which Volunteers are assigned have populations that range from 15,000 to 2,000,000. Some universities are near industrial parks where students have internships or are adjacent to networks of small communities that provide access for students from rural areas. Others are in small towns tucked away in the mountains. Whether in a large city or a mountainous rural community, education volunteers in Mexico have meaningful opportunities to support language-learning and for cultural exchange.