English Language Instructor for University Faculty
Peace Corps
United States
Posted on Jan 9, 2025
Project description
The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) in Mexico has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as an English Language Instructor for University Faculty. UAEH designed a Comprehensive Academic Transformation Project (PITA) as a strategy to achieve its goals. PITA 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. In alignment with PITA, the Academic Improvement Department (DiSA in Spanish) created an English language program specifically designed to enhance the communicative competencies of UAEH’s professors and researchers, enabling them to teach their subjects in English–thereby contributing to the internationalization of students’ learning experiences–and to position their research within the global academic community. UAEH has requested a PCRV to collaborate with DiSA’s staff in supporting the English program and to contribute to the advancement of the English language communicative and intercultural competencies of UAEH’s academic staff.
The PCRV will be part of DiSA’s staff and will collaborate closely with their counterpart and other faculty and staff members to co-teach/teach advanced academic English courses, co-develop skill-based workshops and co-train/train academic staff, and guide academic staff and provide one-on-one skill-development support. The PCRV will actively contribute to and participate in decision-making, planning, and the implementation of actions to improve or strengthen programs and services, and to proactively create opportunities for intercultural exchange. The goal of this assignment is for academic staff to increase interaction with English native speakers to practice and develop their oral communicative competencies and use it appropriately in different social and cultural contexts, to improve faculty’s academic writing competencies for journal publication, and to reinforce or develop academic staff multicultural competency through intercultural exchanges.
Please note that departure dates and other details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume volunteer operations. Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Mexico together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.
Volunteer safety is of paramount importance, and the protections of U.S. citizenship promote volunteer safety. Under Mexican law, anyone born in Mexico who became a U.S. citizen after 1998 or anyone holding dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship is considered a citizen of Mexico, and not of the United States. If such an individual faced a legal, safety or other emergency situation in Mexico, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene could be limited. Therefore, the PC will not place in Mexico individuals who are either dual citizens of Mexico and the U.S. or who were born in Mexico and became U.S. citizens after 1998. If you fit either of these categories, we encourage you to look at other opportunities with PC Response.
Required Skills
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Mexico: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical considerations
Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) in Mexico has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as an English Language Instructor for University Faculty. UAEH designed a Comprehensive Academic Transformation Project (PITA) as a strategy to achieve its goals. PITA 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. In alignment with PITA, the Academic Improvement Department (DiSA in Spanish) created an English language program specifically designed to enhance the communicative competencies of UAEH’s professors and researchers, enabling them to teach their subjects in English–thereby contributing to the internationalization of students’ learning experiences–and to position their research within the global academic community. UAEH has requested a PCRV to collaborate with DiSA’s staff in supporting the English program and to contribute to the advancement of the English language communicative and intercultural competencies of UAEH’s academic staff.
The PCRV will be part of DiSA’s staff and will collaborate closely with their counterpart and other faculty and staff members to co-teach/teach advanced academic English courses, co-develop skill-based workshops and co-train/train academic staff, and guide academic staff and provide one-on-one skill-development support. The PCRV will actively contribute to and participate in decision-making, planning, and the implementation of actions to improve or strengthen programs and services, and to proactively create opportunities for intercultural exchange. The goal of this assignment is for academic staff to increase interaction with English native speakers to practice and develop their oral communicative competencies and use it appropriately in different social and cultural contexts, to improve faculty’s academic writing competencies for journal publication, and to reinforce or develop academic staff multicultural competency through intercultural exchanges.
Please note that departure dates and other details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume volunteer operations. Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Mexico together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.
Volunteer safety is of paramount importance, and the protections of U.S. citizenship promote volunteer safety. Under Mexican law, anyone born in Mexico who became a U.S. citizen after 1998 or anyone holding dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship is considered a citizen of Mexico, and not of the United States. If such an individual faced a legal, safety or other emergency situation in Mexico, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene could be limited. Therefore, the PC will not place in Mexico individuals who are either dual citizens of Mexico and the U.S. or who were born in Mexico and became U.S. citizens after 1998. If you fit either of these categories, we encourage you to look at other opportunities with PC Response.
Required Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Education, Linguistics, English Language Teaching, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Foreign Language Teaching or related field
- 3+ years of professional experience teaching English or a foreign language
- At least 2 years of teaching English at a post-secondary level
- Experience teaching in an academic or university setting
- Knowledge of language acquisition methodologies, theories, and practices
- Adult learning techniques
- Basic Spanish language or the willingness and ability to quickly self-learn Spanish language communication skills, including ongoing study and practice during service
- Accountability
- Adaptability and flexible thinking
- Initiative
- Problem solving
- Collaboration
- Intercultural engagement
- High tolerance for ambiguity and high level of flexibility
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Mexico: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical considerations
Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.