5 Things To Know About Teaching English Abroad in Spain
Spain is home to beautiful beaches and adventurous mountains. Spanish cuisine is world-famous. The history is rich. And the arts scene is striking. You can indulge yourself in the mouthwatering seafood Paella, relax on the sandy Playa de Ses Illetes, get an adrenaline kick out of adventurous ziplining, snowboarding or surfing, join the locals to dress up, eat, drink and celebrate festivals and fiestas. The list goes on. All in all, you’ll never get bored in Spain.
Better yet, Spain is one of the largest ESL teaching job markets in Europe, despite its recent struggling economically. Here are 5 things you should know about teaching English abroad in Spain:
1. English Teaching Job Requirements in Spain
Spain doesn’t have strict requirements for ESL jobs. Though many schools do require a TEFL or TESOL teaching certification, there are programs that don’t even require a TEFL certification or Bachelor’s degree. However, you must be a native English speaker. Other qualifications would just be nice to have.
2. How To Get an ESL Teaching Job in Spain
You better pay attention to the hiring seasons in Spain. October is the beginning of a new term in Spain as language schools reopen from summer vacations. Thus, hiring and interviews would happen mostly in September. The other hiring season starts from the second week of January. Especially if you apply through a program, January to March is usually the application period. For private tutoring jobs, these hiring seasons won’t matter.
We can help you find English teaching jobs in Spain!
3. Where To Live in Spain as an ESL Teacher
Most ESL teaching jobs are in the two big cities: Barcelona and Madrid. Madrid is the largest city in Spain with the highest number of language schools. Bilbao is another popular city in Northern Spain. The demand is lower in small towns, but growing quickly thanks to government programs that place teachers throughout Spain.
4. The Lifestyle and Culture in Spain
The pace of life is quite slow and laid back in Spain. When the Spaniards say “on time”, they probably mean something else. They tend to run on a different timeline and always end up… being late. You’ll see the obsession with futbol (football/soccer) and wine here.
The cost of living in Spain is comparatively low for a European country. Thus, even though the ESL teaching salary isn’t much usually, averaging around $1,250 to $1,850 per month, you’ll have just enough and breakeven. The fresh fruits and vegetables are diverse and super affordable in Spain.
5. What The Spanish Students Are Like
Spanish ESL students can be business professionals, private students, children in public schools, summer camps or language schools. They are often used to communicating and interacting in class as well as likely to learn better phonetically. Thus, they’d be totally different from your Japanese or Korean ESL students. You may have to change your teaching plan and incorporate more fun and engaging activities in the class to keep the students interested.
Are you looking for opportunities to teach English abroad in Spain? Check out our Teach English Abroad Facebook group for daily job listings.
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