The ELT Times The only online TEFL newspaper

By Luke Fisher

In this article, Luke Fisher discusses the life of the English teacher in Spain:

There are a wide variety of TEFL course options available in Spain leading to TEFL jobs for those with TEFL certification. Spain has such a tremendous amount regional diversity that one is almost dealing with this country as a mini continent. The Costa’s - Spain’s huge coastline - differs greatly from the geographic nature of the big cities, which in turn differs greatly from the environment of the thousands of picturesque rural villages, which is again is different from the mountainous regions of Andorra or Granada. Dispirit locations and circumstances are united in a profound love of life. Hence it is very easy to get swept up in a seemingly constant round of festivals and fiestas, dancing and music - eating well and drinking well being all part of pursuing the good life in the best of all possible worlds. Few who have lived in Spain for a spell would disagree with the idea that, in terms of quality of life, Spain is a world leader. There is a high demand for English language skills in all walks of life generating a vast market of TEFL jobs for those with TEFL certification.

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Spain is a big country with a varying climate in different locations to suit all tastes. The country is very hot in the south with temperatures getting into the 40s, cooler in the north, and snowbound in the Pyrenees. The official language is Spanish, though Catalan, Basque and Gallego are the official languages in the Autonomous states. The population is approximately 42 million, and while there is plenty of hustle and bustle in the larger cities the rural areas leave one with the idea that no one has been there for years.

TEFL jobs for those having completed a TEFL course in Spain are excellent. Teachers of English have long been sought after with language schools catering to the needs of high school and university students seeking to shore up the tuition they get at their main place of study. Spain has undergone a huge period of economic growth during the late 20th century, and continues to be Western Europe’s fastest-growing economy. The result of this is that more and more employers in Spain require that their prospective employees have good English skills. Business-specific academies have sprung up almost everywhere to meet the needs of multi-nationals seeking to improve the language skills of their employees.

The large cities of the south such as Seville, Cadiz and Granada offer an array of medieval and Moorish architecture - often together in the same building - along with flamenco dance and music. The Costa’s range from Benedorm, where you will find it difficult to escape the idea that England has somehow been transplanted into the Mediterranean, to the beautiful and un-spoilt Costa de la Luz - coast of light. There are also many amazing locations that fall somewhere in between. Barcelona, in Catalonia, prides itself on its cosmopolitan environment, and has fabulous architecture, not least by the cities most famous son Gaudi. Madrid has everything that you would expect of any European capital city: Art and architecture abound in an air of cool sophistication. In Galicia you are greeted by mountains and mile after mile of spectacular, haunting forest.

For those wanting a TEFL job within a state or private school, employers require applicants to have completed a TEFL course in Spain, or in another country, and have full TEFL certification. Teaching experience is an advantage but often not a pre requisite. With language institutes, or acadamias, expect to find yourself to be teaching university or high school students - sometimes in the same class. Specialist business colleges and schools aim to provide for the needs of large multinationals, in this case a business background is an advantage. Enthusiasm for English is continuously increasing and there are moves to bring English into the school curriculum at an earlier stage. In many cases you will find yourself teaching students of varying ability, sometimes in the same class. Fortunately a great deal of time within the Spanish education system is spent on learning Spanish grammar which is a great help when learning English grammar. So with grammar a Spaniard will tend to know what they are talking about. As a result preparation for teaching classes is very important.

When researching TEFL jobs in advance a useful contact is the British Council in Madrid. They will be able to advise you as to where in Spain the British Council has offices and they keep a list of language schools, both private and state. In addition, the on-line Yellow Pages are a good resource for those with TEFL certification. Within the UK, The Guardian newspaper has a special edition on Tuesdays for TEFL courses in Spain and TEFL jobs. The vast majority of TEFL jobs and TEFL certification courses in Spain can be found on the net on websites such as TEFL.com and the eslcafe. With this said, the vast majority of teaching positions are filled on the spot and it is important to remember that timing is a very important issue. Many language schools close for the summer, thus September is good time to arrive for your TEFL certification course also to look for TEFL jobs. In addition, there is often a spike of recruitment activity in January and generally TEFL jobs are available all year round. Month to month September to June there are constantly TEFL job opportunities available.

A good idea, before setting off, is to contact your local Spanish Embassy to see what information they have available. Most consulates have a document entitled ‘Teaching English in Spain.’, and the consulate in the UK has a list of teaching institutes. It is also useful to contact the Federation Espanola de Centros de Ensenanza de Idiomas (FECEI) which is an organization of the better, more established language schools.

About the Author

Teaching English in Spain with TEFL International. TEFL International provides TEFL certification and TEFL courses in Spain with TEFL jobs. Teach, travel, live and work in Spain with TEFL International.