DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
THE BRITISH COUNCIL IS THE UNITED KINGDOM’S INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE www.britishcouncil.org.mx
We work in more than 100 countries, connecting millions of people to the UK through programmes and services in the English language, the arts, education and society. In this way, we help to create trust and to lay foundations for prosperity and security around the world. In Mexico, we have worked for more than 74 years in building relationships with national institutions, artists, cultural and educational organisations, teachers, researchers, university leaders and many more. My main objective is to improve friendly knowledge and understanding between the UK and Mexico. Also, to change and improve lives through access to UK education, skills, qualifications, culture and society; to engage people with the UK’s culture and arts, education, diversity and openness; to increase cultural and educational exports through the market intelligence and business opportunities Mexico shares with our UK partners; to create more opportunities for the UK to innovate; and finally, to support the development of educational and arts institutions in both countries through the links we help establish. We will achieve this by staying true to our values of quality, customer care and professionalism, but also through a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion across all our work. I am certain that we will continue creating and strengthening our bonds with Mexican people and institutions by innovating and diversifying the ways that we engage with each other. Kind regards, Kevin Mackenzie
WHERE THE BRITISH COUNCIL MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN MEXICO
WHERE THE BRITISH COUNCIL MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN MEXICO
• We support improvements to the quality of English teaching at all levels. • We collaborate in the growth of a creative economy through strengthening its ties with artistic communities and emerging talent in arts and innovation, as a source of economic development and social inclusion. • We contribute to internationalisation in higher education through creating links with science, through research development, by promoting the fulfilment to the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications Act, and through teacher training. • We train teachers, administrators and policy makers in order to deliver skills across their curriculum. • We break stereotypes and prejudice in terms of cultural identities by acknowledging the complex, global and cosmopolitan character of our societies. • We support both federal and state ministries of education to develop effective English language curricula and materials. • We create innovative solutions for the provision of simple and accessible English language teaching for everyone.
B HEAD BOLD B HEAD REGULAR
DID YOU KNOW WE CONNECT 10,000 TEACHERS WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES EVERY YEAR?
A HEAD www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
OUR EDUCATION SERVICES
OUR EDUCATION SERVICES
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: HOW DO OUR CLASSES WORK? EVERY YEAR, MORE THAN 5,000 ADULTS AND 500 CHILDREN LEARN ENGLISH WITH US. British Council classes offer: • Peronalisation: we understand that every learner is different, and our teachers tailor courses according to student needs. Individual counselling sessions, real-life tasks and continuous assessment ensure that learners are involved in their progress and supported towards meeting their specific goals. • Engagement: our teachers motivate students to use and improve their English both in and out of the classroom through the use of relevant, student-centred materials and tasks, and the development of learner autonomy. • Participation: we encourage learners to actively explore and develop their language and skills by creating a fun, comfortable learning environment with interactive, dynamic classes.
WHY STUDY WITH THE BRITISH COUNCIL?
• We provide a variety of course types to meet learning needs in a range of schedules throughout the year. • We maintain and monitor the highest standards of teaching quality through observations, feedback and training. • We invest heavily in our teachers' professional development so they keep up to date with best teaching techniques and methodologies. • We deliver an opportunity to learn a variety of ‘Englishes’ with a diverse, experienced teaching team. • We incorporate an online element into courses to ensure the learning experience goes beyond the classroom. • We prepare students for academic and professional purposes through skills, business and IELTS exam preparation courses.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
“The experience in the British Council has been wonderful for my daughter. The interactive methodology provided by the British Council makes the English learning process happen naturally, providing her with basic skills.” Jorge, father of Catalina, 9 (Young Learners Course)
“The British Council has real teachers… they really know how to teach the language. Furthermore, the different levels are perfectly designed to help improve my English.” Olga, 29 (Adult, General English)
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY www.britishcouncil.org.mx
“I have been studying here for a year; you have to speak English all the time. It’s incredible and I love it.” Nicolás, 17 (Young Learners Course)
OUR ENGLISH EXAMS: A TOOL TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. EVERY YEAR, WE HELP NEARLY 35,000 PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS THROUGH OBTAINING A UK CERTIFICATION. THESE ARE RECOGNIZED BY GOVERNMENTS, UNIVERSITIES, PROFESSIONAL BODIES AND EMPLOYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
OUR ENGLISH EXAMS: A TOOL TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. www.britishcouncil.org.mx
Our portfolio includes the Cambridge English level certifications (YLE, KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), BEC (Business English Certificate) and BULATS (Business Language Testing System), the TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) certification for teachers, and university and professional exams (ACCA, University of London, among others). We also offer Aptis: an efficient, flexible and innovative test developed by the British Council to satisfy company and organisational needs of evaluating English levels.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx
TEACHER TRAINING
TEACHER TRAINING HELPING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ENGLISH TEACHING IN MEXICO IS ONE OF OUR PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES.
Over the last ten years, we have worked actively to transform English teaching and the learning panorama in Mexico through training programmes and the certification of teaching skills. Thanks to the British Council, more than 60,000 teachers in Mexico have had access to English teaching methodologies, materials and services linked to British English language teaching. We have worked closely with the Mexican Government in the design and implementation of educational policies for the teaching of English as a foreign language. We have also contributed to the review and development of the national study programmes for different educational levels, and the establishment of self-access centres in the majority of the autonomous universities in the country. Our portfolio includes a variety of products and services that provide comprehensive solutions for teachers to achieve their goals. All of our programmes are taught on-site, online or a mixture of both, and at our premises or at a partner’s.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
WHAT IS BBELT? BBELT is an academic forum designed to highlight the latest trends and new ideas in British English language teaching. It offers an opportunity for teachers to participate in academic sessions, presentations and workshops, and access the best teaching materials available. It offers an atmosphere of collaboration, dialogue and reflection regarding English teaching practices and gathers keynote speakers from the UK, Mexico and the rest of the world.
WHO ATTENDS? Public and private sector English language professionals, researchers, heads of educational institutions and everyone involved in English Language Teaching.
BEST OF BRITISH ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING www.britishcouncil.org.mx
SUPPORTING EDUCATION IN MEXICO THROUGH OUR WORK British education is renowned for its quality offer, and is a benchmark in the international academic market. The number of Mexican students choosing the UK for learning English or studying undergraduate and postgraduate training programmes is increasing. The international prestige of British universities attracts respected scholars and professionals from around the world. Currently there are around 2,000 Mexican students registered on a higher education programme in the UK.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
OUR KEY PROGRAMMES
OUR KEY PROGRAMMES
RESEARCHER / INSTITUTIONAL LINKS A global initiative from the British Council in collaboration with the Newton Fund and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) that establishes links between the science and technology communities of researchers and institutions from Mexico and the UK in order to develop projects with a social impact.
POLICY DIALOGUES TO IMPROVE BASIC, MIDDLE AND HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS. We support international collaboration for the continuing development of educational methodologies and systems through a series of dialogues with a wide network of experts from around the world.
CORE SKILLS We empower the development of school directors, assistants, teachers and other education leaders through an innovative programme that combines international thought on leadership with practice in a basic set of skills considered as the best tools to face the challenges of education in the future.
VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION We promote dialogue and training with experts in technical education in the UK.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx
STUDY UK
STUDY UK
WE ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN THE UK. WE DO THIS BY HOSTING HIGHER EDUCATION FAIRS IN MEXICO THROUGH A WIDE NETWORK OF UK UNIVERSITIES.
WHY STUDY IN THE UK?
Four out of the six most important universities in the world are located in the UK (World Rankings, QS). Over half (54 per cent) of the research carried out in UK universities qualifies as “global leaders” research or demonstrates “academic excellence” (Research Assessment Exercise, 2015) In the latest Tracking international graduate outcomes survey by BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills), more than 88 per cent of international higher education alumni were satisfied with their educational experience in the UK.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
IN THE ARTS INDUSTRY, THE BRITISH COUNCIL MEXICO ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, ARTISTS AND PROFESSIONALS. Our goal is to promote avant-garde creators from the UK through our projects and collaborations with public and private organisations, such as Ministry of Culture, UNAM, FIL de Guadalajara and many festivals. Our cultural agenda highlights new technologies for arts, avant-garde cultural phenomena, new audience creation, inclusion and art as an agent for social transformation. We have developed a permanent programme of activities oriented to cultural exchange, arts dissemination and the promotion of creative industries. We support British artistic productions in the main museums, festivals and cultural programmes of Mexico, constantly looking to affiliate with projects and initiatives which may represent a long term commitment between Mexico and the UK in the arts industry.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE ARTS www.britishcouncil.org.mx
Our activities include visual arts, music and performance arts, design, literature, film industry, artistic education and creative industries. We have participated in the Festival Internacional Cervantino, Festival MUTEK.MX, Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia, and many others; we are a global partner of the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
EVERY YEAR WE WORK WITH TWO MILLION CHILDREN AND TEENS AROUND THE WORLD AT OUR TEACHING CENTRES AND IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS.
These numbers reach nine million if we also consider children that are involved in our exam and cultural programmes. All of these children are important to us: we value and respect every single child and teen, and we ensure their care. We know that their wellness is fundamental and that they have the right to safety and protection from any abuse or mistreatment. In the UK, we have a team of professionals working on child protection. The commitment to this is not only made by the British Council and its staff. We also request that our partners, suppliers and collaborators make this goal their own. The British Council Mexico makes sure the necessary actions are taken to guarantee child protection. We do this in many areas of our work, such as staff recruitment, process development and implementation, internal and external communications, and legal advice.
CHILD PROTECTION: A PRIORITY IN THE BRITISH COUNCIL www.britishcouncil.org.mx
We also collaborate with national and international organisations and agencies that work in specialised areas of child protection, such as being safe online, and using new technologies and social media.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES #WeAreDiverse
#WeAreDiverse
As an organisation devoted to cultural relations, we work with numerous people, organisations and communities around the world. We look to create and maintain relations based on reciprocity, through reaching mutual understanding and trust. We have an equal opportunities policy, based on our values and new strategy of diversity, which is a key to this goal. In the British Council we treat people in a fair and equitable way by creating conditions that can encourage and promote the importance of diversity both in the workplace and in society. Our professionals, regardless of their workplace or responsibilities, must show respect for the fundamental human rights of every person, and not permit discrimination. This is a basic behavioural requirement of our organisation. Our equal opportunities policy has the full support of the British Council patronage, its management team and workers. Our equality policy is applied thanks to our diversity strategy, which encourages diversity through the creation of an inclusive environment and beneficial practices for the organisation, its workers and whoever is associated with it. We are conscious about the fact of a variety of differences between people, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical and mental capacity, religion, education, economic condition, personalities, or the ways of communicating and working.
For further information about our child protection, diversity and equal opportunities policies, contact us at: contacto@britishcouncil.org.mx
BRITISH COUNCIL APPS
THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAS DEVELOPED A RANGE OF APPS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. WE HAVE A VARIETY OF LEARNENGLISH APPS ACCORDING TO AGE AND SUBJECT.
Want to practice with your children? LearnEnglishKids: Videos and LearnEnglishKids: Phonics Stories, with animated tales and funny games (including vocabulary and drawings) is the best option. If you want to improve your vocabulary, 60 Second Word Challenge, My WordBook 2, Sports World and Wordshake are some of the apps than can help you. Getting ready for IELTS? IELTS Word Power, is the best option for you. With more than 100 questions that can measure your level, this app can help you to keep improving.
BRITISH COUNCIL APPS www.britishcouncil.org.mx
Give a try to Johnny Grammar’s Quiz and LearnEnglish Grammar if you want to practice grammar. Many people think grammar is boring, but with this app, learning can be entertaining and you can track your progress.
www.britishcouncil.org.mx www.britishcouncil.org
For more information, please visit www.britishcouncil.org.mx Facebook/BritishCouncilMexico
@mxbritish