Quote from stephaniev on January 28, 2025, 10:42 am

Hi,
I am a 22 y/o female with no kids, not married, and a dog.I was born and raised in Connecticut. I currently work a Hilton hotel and a restaurant. I have some college, but no degree. I studied sociology/anthropology and minored in Spanish. I have a bunch of odd training and certifications here and there, such as taking an EMS course, Interior firefighting course, a course on helping battered women via hotlines, and a high school diploma with a focus on plumbing and heating. Odd, yes.

I have family in Puebla, Mexico on both sides (maternal and paternal). I spoke with a cousin who said I should look into living in Mexico, since I've expressed my interest many times. He did tell me to finish my degree, but I currently do not have the funds to pay the semester I need in order to finish. He suggested I work at a hotel due to my english speaking abilities, but insisted I finish the degree. Seeing as I do not currently have degree, I started researching my options to have a decent living in Mexico, where I wouldn't need to depend on someone or marry in order to not be homeless. TEFL kept popping up, I saw a website that offers a certification in 4 weeks. They state that one does not need a degree, but it would be more beneficial. Has anyone done this course? Is it legit? And can I really find a job after?

Before I take the plunge, I was at my local library and found a flyer for literacy volunteers in my area. I'm going to volunteer and see what it is like to teach english as another language. I also bought some grammar books to improve my grammar and I'm reading more books in general to overall improve my skills.

A funny little side note: When I was a child, my mother and father sent me to Mexico to live with my grandmothers. I was no more than 3, Spanish was essentially my first language. Once I returned, I took ESL in elementary where I was not allowed to speak Spanish and ended up losing it (that's why I studied it in college). Ms. Abe was the kindest teacher i've ever known, it would be nice to pay it forward, the gift of learning a language.

TLDR: TEFL in Guadalajara at ITTO....is it legit? Has anyone done it? Yes, i've looked into the online course but online courses are not for me, sadly. Is the certificate recognized internationally?

I need to do more research on work visas for U.S. citizens in Mexico. I've heard I can get a Mexican passport if I have Mexican parents...anyone know about this?

Thank you so much for reading!