Mexico Community Projects

The Technological University of Northern Guanajuato and the Technological University of Queretaro host Global Volunteers in Mexico. Both universities are intensely aware of the important role English language fluency plays in their students' career plans. With the passage of NAFTA, it's more important than ever for their students to learn English. In fact, most large companies now require new employees to speak English. The university students practice English conversation in small groups with the volunteers. The instructional focus is on the spoken language - vocabulary, pronunciation, syntax, sentence structure and idioms.

As a volunteer, you will enter into a privileged relationship with these young adult learners. Often, students who are too timid to practice English skills in class in front of their professors will eagerly open up in the presence of a friendly volunteer, who can relate to them in an informal, non-judgmental way. Any native English speaker can be an important resource - no previous teaching experience is required. You'll meet your students in classrooms, often in small groups and practice language skills and pronunciation. The focus is on English conversation, not grammar, so only your own creativity is needed. Each class follows a syllabus and uses texts which guide the volunteers through daily lessons. Team members often add examples from their personal lives to liven up the conversations. As with many Global Volunteers' conversational English programs, each volunteer teaches approximately four hours a day, using the remainder of the day to prepare for class and team meetings.