About this role
Support University Faculty’s English Language Skill Development
Description: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) is an internationally recognized higher education institution in Mexico which has designed a Comprehensive Academic Transformation Project (CATP) as a strategy to achieve its goals. The project focuses primarily on 1) comprehensive education for students; 2) continued professional development and pedagogical training for faculty members; 3) permanent updating of the curricula; and 4) enhancement of graduate and research programs. The Academic Improvement Department created an English language program designed to enhance the communicative competencies of the university’s professors and researchers which enables them to teach their subjects in English, supports internationalization efforts for students’ learning experiences, and enhances their research within the global academic community. Academic staff, professors, and researchers are now required to obtain a C1 (advanced) English level to align with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. UAEH is requesting one Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) with experience in language teaching to support English language skill development for university faculty. The VSPP will be matched with members of the Academic Improvement Department’s staff to support the English program and intercultural competency development. Through their relationship with the VSPP, academic staff will increase their interaction with a native English speaker to improve their oral communicative competencies in different social and cultural contexts. This engagement will also reinforce or develop the academic staff’s multicultural competency through intercultural exchanges. In addition, the VSPP may also connect with on-site Peace Corps Volunteers to enrich their collaboration with the Host Country partner.
The organization has previously collaborated with the Peace Corps. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a Peace Corps Volunteer or Peace Corps Response Volunteer.
Desired Qualifications: Education: Master’s degree in education, linguistics, or related field
Language: Intermediate Spanish
Experience: • Virtual engagement and communication • Leading conversation groups, workshops, or webinars
Required Skills: Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, linguistics, or related field OR relevant certification: TEFL, TESOL, Cambridge, or similar
Experience: • 2 years of TEFL/TESOL to university students or adults • Using online learning tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams
Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually
Host Country Partner’s Mission and Goals: UAEH’s goals are to train high-quality human capital with the competencies to join the workforce; generate competitive research that responds to the needs of the social, economic, and productive sectors; create, preserve, and disseminate culture to foster social solidarity and the safeguarding of multicultural, ethnic, and natural heritage; and promote the protection of human rights.
UAEH is internationally recognized as a prominent higher education institution and acknowledged for its academic and administrative quality results.
Virtual Service Engagement and Tasks: The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their host country partners:
• Provide up to three hours of weekly conversation sessions or workshops related to academic, international, or global trendy topics to strengthen the communicative skills of the academic staff. Participants’ language level could range between B1 and C1 level. Group size could vary between 3–8 participants and attendance may vary weekly • Collaborate with the on-site Peace Corps Volunteer to enrich their mutual service to strengthen the English program while focusing on the host country partner • Participate in weekly or biweekly planning and follow-up meetings with counterparts
VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5–15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be eight hours per week of which approximately five hours are anticipated to be online teaching.
Online collaboration will generally occur between 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Mexico City time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.
The host country counterpart will have access to email, WhatsApp, and video conference applications such as Zoom, Webex, or Google Meet for regular communication and collaboration.
Per the Child Protection Code of Conduct, when engaging online with minors (0–18), two adults must be present.