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Published: December 10th 2007
Inbetween Lessons
Severe lack of sleep caused by assignments and tequila causes this sort of behaviour.It’s strange how the most spontaneous decisions always lead to the best experiences. I think my time in Mexico was one of the most challenging, but also the most fun, months of my life.
After my Eastern Europe jaunt, during my week or so as a tourist in London (I was the only English person at most of the sites), I decided that I wanted to live and work abroad. There is plenty of work out there for an engineer but it tends to be in English speaking countries. It was Slovenia that I really fancied after falling in love with the place a few months ago and someone gave me the idea of teaching English. Despite having met lots of people who have done it and raved about it, I had never really considered teaching. Overnight I decided I wanted to do it and I wanted to do it now.
It seemed that most of the TEFL courses in Eastern Europe where I fancied living had either just run or weren’t until January. This was no good; I might have changed my mind by then. Anyway, if I was going to move to Eastern Europe after the course
Playa del Carmen's Beach
I vowed to get here at least once a day but the workload made it impossible. it would be nice to go somewhere hot for a bit first.
International House at Playa del Carmen seemed perfect. I had never heard of a CELTA but apparently it was a pretty good qualification. More importantly it would be hot and right on the beach.
After filling in the epic application form during which I learnt that I didn’t know grammar, I had a telephone interview and flew out a few days later. It was definitely one of my better decisions.
The CELTA was very hard. For most it was just very intensive but for me, having never been taught grammar, it was hard. You teach two or three times a week, there are assignments to do, classes last all day, there are compulsory observations of experienced teachers. I would be up until two or three in the morning planning lessons. Five or six hours sleep was typical. On nights off I got even less sleep because a few of us usually went out partying to take our minds off the work.
Playa del Carmen was a good place to study. If I was backpacking I probably wouldn’t stay there very long because it is
CELTA Students and Tutors October 2007
I honestly couldn't have picked a better group. very touristy and expensive. It is also nothing like real Mexico. But there are lots of easy distractions and things to do, which I think are a good thing or the course would be very stressful.
The highlight was the people I met. The students that we taught, mostly Mexicans, were all great. Very eager to learn and you never had to ask a question twice before everyone piped up with an answer. Many of them worked in local shops and restaurants so friends’ discounts were a bonus.
Best of all though were the other eleven that took the CELTA. The Yanks outnumbered the Brits plus we had a token Aussie and a Croatian. Ages ranged from 22 to 63 in a group of nine ladies and three fella’s. Given the intensity of the course, we had a real “in it together” attitude that meant we became really close in a short space of time. I already miss them all loads.
So, the course is over, we all passed and are now apparently “very employable all over the world”. Although TEFL employment websites would lead you to believe that unless you want to work in China, Korea
Entrance to Dos Ojos Cenote
Diving in the sea just hasn't been the same since. or Japan, you are stuffed. If anyone reading this knows a language school that is by the beach, close to some mountains, keen and friendly students, has great local cuisine, there are some nice bars, that pays well, please get in touch.
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