Weekends are made for sun, surf and sand, but during the week there is work to be done in Acapulco. Imagine going out for lunch to watch world-renowned cliff divers or spending a lazy afternoon sipping Coco-loco or Mai-tai on the beach as the sun paints the Pacific Ocean in shades of copper and gold. Such is the appeal of one of the main playgrounds in Mexico. But all the play and no work makes Jack (or Jackie) a dull person, so let’s get to work bringing home the bacon, so to speak. English language teaching professionals can find rewarding and challenging work to offset the resort-like atmosphere that pervades everyday life here. Try these English teaching schools for example.
american university of acapulco
Address: Costera Miguel Aleman No. 1756
fraction Magellan
Telephones: 986-5341.42 486-5618.19 485-3149.53
Website: http://www.uaa.edu.mx
Email: [email protected]
You’ll need a fair amount of qualifications to get anything here, but it’s worth a shot as the salaries can be quite lucrative depending on your background and experience. The benefits can also be interesting, including tuition for advanced studies. Programs for English teachers are taught here and you may also have some luck offering up-to-date courses in Advanced Conversation, US History, or North American Studies. The first step should be to visit their website for program details, then follow up with a series of concise emails to make proposals. However, the site here is not that big and you might have better luck working from other university offices in Chilpancingo or even Mexico City, but don’t miss the opportunity to interview or ask directly here in Acapulco.
RALHER INSTITUTE
Address: Velásquez de León 485-A alto 2 Centro
Phone: 483-2344
An individualized audiovisual system is used here that supposedly energizes classes for students of all ages. The institute is not huge, but it can have a good number of students at various times of the year. If you have business experience or can teach business English, all the better. Be sure to bring up those points during an interview or application process. Classes tend to be early or late with some offerings during the day.
University Center for Foreign Languages
Address: Akaba Ote Sea. 8
fraction Las Anclas (in front of the offices of the La Estrella de Oro bus lines)
Phones: 485-3587, 486-9855
Languages other than English are often taught here, depending on the time of year, but English is its big draw. Native speakers are always in high demand, especially those who are career teachers and not just “tourists passing through”. You may be spending your evenings and weekends on the beach or in the myriad of nightclubs, but by all means present yourself and behave like a professional during interviews and work hours. That will give you excellent chances of landing a decent contract here (or elsewhere).
Institute of Higher Education “JAIME TORRES BODET”
Address: Av. La Suiza No. 160
fraction The Beaches (Caleta)
Phones: 482-6121, 482-3777, 483-8184
Email: [email protected]
This medium-sized school offers programs for children and adults in addition to its intensive summer courses in July and August. It’s in a pretty exclusive section of town, so students pay well to attend classes here. This gives you better options, as a native English speaker, to negotiate a good salary. You may also be asked to teach a “sample” lesson, so be prepared.
Be sure to check out my other articles in the two ongoing series: Teaching English in Mexico and Traveling in Mexico. If you want more information, have questions or comments, you can send an email to the author; see address below.
