About Oxford Language Center

Oxford Language Center offers a very competitive salary ($500-$800 a month) within Central and South America, as well as free Spanish lessons over your tenure and a wealth of resources to assist you in the classroom. The staff will help you acquaint yourself with the city, and the school can locate an apartment for you before your arrival. (Currently, Oxford holds a number of spaces at a nearby building that overlooks a barranco—canyon—with orange and lime trees right in the yard. The apartments are gated and guarded, have spacious outdoor patios, come with an onsite washer and dryer, and are just a five-minute walk to the academy.)
Additionally, working at OLC allows for a range of teaching experiences, such as children’s classes, adult and business courses, TOEFL and SAT preparation, and advanced-level conversation. Unlike many other schools in Latin America, Oxford has a specific curriculum and set of textbooks, which makes planning classes much easier and provides teachers with specific goals and the guidelines for reaching them. Most importantly, OLC looks at each individual teacher’s specific talents and interests and tries to match the courses to the instructor.

What About Guatemala?

“Guate,” or Guatemala City, has a less-than-great reputation; however, we wish to assure curious candidates that the city does have potential. Within walking distance of the school are three large malls, several grocery stores, a fresh produce market, a bowling alley, and a collection of good restaurants. As well, the school and aforementioned apartments are on the city’s 101 bus route, which takes you to all the best places in town: Zona Viva, a series of restaurants, bars, and shops; Cuatro Grados Norte, a new pedestrian area with outdoor seating and weekend markets; and Zone One, the historic district that houses Parque Central, the presidential palace, artisan stalls, and arcades (Great deals on DVDs!). In addition, OLC has a team in a local football (soccer) league and is involved with Camino Seguro and Las Manos de Christine (local educational NGOs that work with impoverished children in the city).

Of course, it’s not all about Guatemala City anyway. Guatemala, the country, has loads to offer. In less than an hour, you can reach Antigua, a beautiful colonial city surrounded by volcanoes, some of which are still active and provide beautiful, interesting, and all-together death-defying hikes. Lago Atitlan, often considered the world’s most beautiful lake, is but a three-hour drive and offers great trekking, kayaking, and top-notch relaxing, as well as a fantastic nightlife. The Pacific coast is only a couple of hours away. Copan Ruinas, Honduras, a very tranquilo town near Mayan ruins, is also a doable weekend trip. Then, only a little further a field are the great surfing beaches of El Salvador, Guatemala’s famous Tikal ruins, the Bay Islands (some of the best and cheapest scuba diving in the world), and the beautiful state of Chiapas in Mexico.

What OLC Is Looking For

We seek hard-working instructors who can adapt to a variety of students, from businessmen to first-graders, and are flexible to take on new, unfamiliar courses. We are looking for a minimum six-month commitment and encourage both individuals and couples to apply. Work experience and university credentials are highly regarded, as well as any formal teaching qualifications, so all interested and serious applicants are welcomed to send resumes. Please also visit our website at www.olcenglish.com.