I spoke today with the head of the English Language Department at the University del Caribe, a State of Quintana Roo institution. She related to me that there will be a certification exam conducted at her university on the morning of December 5, in which a person's English Language proficiency will be ascertained by the S.E.P., Secretaria de Educacion Publica, and a certificate of proficiency issued. The certificate is called, "Certificado Nacional de Nivel de Idioma," and would be of primary interest to those who teach English, or who would like to teach English, in Mexico. In a country obsessed with certificates and credentials of all kinds, this is an unusual opportunity to have your English Language proficiency recognized, and a document issued from the Federal Government level of the Mexican Government. According to Ms Acosta, this exam has never been given in Cancun, before, and is new to the country, generally. The cost is 520 pesos, payable at HSBC Bank. When you pay at the bank, you would give the purpose as, "DTES Exam"; with payment being to the account of "Macmillan Publishers SA de CV". (I have no account number for this, at the moment, and I don't yet know if the bank will require one, before accepting payment.) Registration forms can be printed from the following web pages- http://www.sep.gob.mx/work/sites/sep1/resources/LocalContent/87124/1/ANEXO4SolCENNI.pdf Time is of the essence, according to Ms Acosta, who said you must pay by bank closing time, this Friday. To sit for the exam, you would bring your evidence of payment, the completed application- and two color photos of yourself of the size used for the FM2/3s- to the library at the University del Caribe, at 9 AM, on Saturday, December 5. (Although the application speaks of black and white photos, Jane says color, and the info in the web may be out-of-date, on this issue.) Among the requirements to participate is that you must have a C.U.R.P. (See the thread, "Why do you live in Cancun," page 6, bottom; or, "Medical care for Retirees," page 4, bottom, for details on how to get a CURP number, if you don't already have one). Results of the exam are predicted to be released in about March 2010. A website you can go to for more information is- http://www.cenni.sep.gob.mx As further details become available, I'll post them, here. V.
DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT, TODAY! I just confirmed that the deadline for payment for the SEP Cert exam is TODAY, by bank closing hours. At HSBC, main branch, on Tulum, that's about 7 PM, in case you need to do this later in the day. I now have the full payment details, including the account number, as follows: 520 pesos; payable at HSBC Bank; purpose, "DTES-3 Exam"; pay to the account of "Macmillan Publishers SA de CV," account number 4004822664. If anyone has any questions about this exam, or their eligibility to sit for it, feel free to PM me, leaving your phone number. V.
While I am not going to name names, I have two friends who teach English in Mexico. One of their Cancun Care user names begins and ends with the same letter, and the other is from the northernmost country in North America, if Alaska did not exist in its present location. By the way, what is a Canuck? So, I want the world to know that, on a rare occasion or three, I have seen both of these friends in conditions where even they could not pass an English proficiency test. V, do you think this test will be similar to the rules for airline pilots, where you cannot test/fly within x number of hours after consuming alcohol. If so, then both of you, I mean both of my friends will pass with flying colors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canuck should clear up the Canuck question. V- semi-tongue in cheek question: How good does your Spanish have to be to be certified in English?
hahaha i read this too late, will they have this exam done soon again? I have my Teachers diploma (ESL )but this would be an interesting thing to have ...But ,again I saw this too damn late LOL Do you need to study for it like you do for the Cambridge exams or is it just a proficiency test based on nothing but your general knowledge of English?
CEDULA Violet0905, so far as I know it is, as you suggested, a proficiency exam. Like the IELTS exam, it includes tests of spoken and written proficiency, as well as reading comprehension and tests of the examinee's knowledge of the details of English Grammar, and usage. At it's most difficult, it would challenge an educated, native speaker, according to what I presently understand: ask me again, after this weekend! For those, like yourself, with verifiable certification as English teachers (or teachers of other languages, for that matter, as tests are also offered to test proficiency in a number of other foreign languages), this exam is part of the process leading to a Cedula, a very nice formal recognition by the S.E.P. that you have certain qualifications which distinguish you as a professional teacher. It can be a lengthy process to get a Cedula, but it certainly adds credibility to have one. For those with university degrees, any field, plus a teaching certificate and some teaching experience, there are opportunities, including that of teaching at the universities of Mexico. (The majority of these opportunities are probably in the English Language Departments.) I'm under the impression that Mexicans covet these positions and do not abandon them, once they get them, meaning there are few openings for full-time positions from year to year. _______________ As to your question about when this test might be given, again, in Cancun, all I can say is this is the first time, but the response has been good, with over 50 teachers registering to take the exam. Seeing the level of interest, those at S.E.P. may feel it worthwhile to do it again, sometime!
Violet, I was told, yesterday, that the DTES test may be offered again in March, owing to the very good turnout for this one. The test given on 5 December was DTES-3 the highest level and, presumably the most difficult; it is not known which of the three levels will be offered in March, but probably not "3". I took the test on Saturday and it was arduous, even for a native speaker. The writing section, for example, required three writing samples, not just one, and each was on a different topic. That lasted one hour and was just one part of three and a half hours of testing, with few breaks allowed (initially, they said there'd be no breaks, not even for the toilet, but they relented on that one when there was an outcry from the participants). ____________________ In Mexico, there are a great many teachers of English in government schools with little formal training in English and this testing is part of a nation-wide, (and to be) years-long effort to encourage professionalism and upgrade standards.
Dtes-3 The DTES-3 exam for teachers of English is again being offered here, in Cancun, this time on the 6th of March. You may register for the exam, online, at the link, below. Payment for the exam must be made on or before 28 February! A good result can be part of a process leading to a Cedula as a teacher of English, in Mexico. Universidad del Caribe - The results of the last examinations are already in, and those teachers tested at the last event made the highest collective scores ever recorded for this test, according to Jane Acosta, head of the English Language Department, University del Caribe, Cancun.
I don't know if this'll provide the answer your looking for, Jim, but here's the link to the program. www.cenni.sep.gob.mx
