Louise’s time teaching English in Spain

Experience in school, including tasks, classes, and relationships with students/teachers

An overall excellent teaching English experience in Spain. It was a cultural shock when kids would come up and hug me after class. I’m still finding my feet around matching the right level of content to the correct course. I have a presentation about Ireland once a week, and we speak and play games in class. Students are interested to learn about my culture and talk about their culture in Spain. Teachers are limited with English, but they try their best to communicate. The tutor has excellent English and is very caring. She often gave me a cup and coffee pod for those days I forgot to bring them to school.

Experience living with your Host Family. Have they made you feel welcome, relationships, activities, etc…

The host family have been an absolute blessing! They made me feel so welcome. In the morning, you can see the beautiful sight of hot air balloons from the bedroom balcony. There is also a great espresso machine in the house. Dinner usually is late at 8/9 pm, which was a culture shock for me, but I’m always excited to try new Catalan/Spanish food. We visited another country called Andorra. The VAT rates are lower here, which is fantastic! I saw my first hockey match in Puigcerdá, and it was thrilling. There’s a horse fair coming up soon in Puigcerdá, and I’m very excited to go with the family and go horse riding with the family horses.

Your general experience whilst on the program from prior expectations to your current experience

This experience has overextended previous expectations.

Changes/Improvements in both personal and professional development

I can’t think of any changes on a personal level, but I’m always open to hearing from others. On a professional level, if a student/s were misbehaving, I would communicate with their teacher rather than going to the tutor.

 

 

Advice for any new/future Voluntary Speakers placed in your town/city (best places to visit, things to do, activities with a host family, favourite restaurant, bar, etc……)

– Bring clothes suitable for the Winter and Summer.
– Try to learn some Catalan before travelling.
– Best bar to go to is Central.
– Best Café is Cakes ‘n’ bakes. (Jennifer speaks English)

Advice for new/future Voluntary Speakers placed in your school?

– The tutor Núria has the best English.
– Google translate can help.
– Many can speak French.
– The school can provide gluten and dairy-free options for lunch.
– You can ask for art materials from Martha.

Advice for new/future TEFL Voluntary Speakers about living with your host family or Spanish families in general

– They will spoil you.
– I would always try new food, like a mini octopus with tentacles, and you can always say it isn’t for you after. The family won’t be offended but will appreciate that you’ve tried.
– Try to establish the family’s routine so that if you want a quiet coffee in the morning, you’ll know what time to wake up. Always good, to, because if you want a shower, you won’t disrupt their routine in the morning, but you get that little me time before the start of a busy day.
– The family has a pet rabbit called Cinnamon who loves hopping into the bedroom if the door is left open so I would keep any chewable in the wardrobe. Better safe than sorry.
– The host family will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.

Share some of the best moments in your school, host family and in general whilst participating on the
program

– My best moment in school was making black cardboard bats for the classroom windows for Halloween.
– Best Spain host family experience as we went on a hike to hear the stags roar in the mountains in France; it was an incredible experience.
– General best moment – sitting at the Central bar in the town square with a Campari spritz looking at the bell tower, thinking that a few weeks previous I was sitting on the sofa in Ireland, not thinking I would be living in Spain.

Any regrets about joining? Would you recommend the program to others? And what would you say to someone thinking about teaching English abroad for the first time and thinking about joining this program?

– No regrets about joining the programme.
– I would recommend it to others.
– I would say that there will be days when you will get homesick, but you can WhatsApp video call family and friends. Remember, this is a short time, and make the most of it!

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    • In general, you don’t need a degree to teach English abroad or online. Our certification stands alone and you can get employment without pairing it with a degree. However, some TEFL employers do prefer their teachers to have a degree. More importantly, for some countries, it’s a visa requirement. This means you can’t obtain a work permit without a bachelor’s degree or higher. Some of these countries include China, Japan, UAE and Vietnam. 

    Our advice is if you have your sights set on a certain country, look into the visa requirements first before putting time and effort into finding a job there. This will save you time and disappointment. If it’s a school preferability, and not a visa requirement, there’s sometimes some leeway. 

    You do not need any prior teaching degrees or experience to teach abroad. Once you have your TEFL certificate, you can secure work as a TEFL teacher. A BA in Education would enhance your CV, but it’s not a necessity. Completing a TEFL course that includes teaching practice, like our Hybrid TEFL Courses, will also help your CV.

    If you want to experience different cultures and see the world, teaching English abroad is for you. Not only will you get to explore new places, you’ll also meet new people and get the chance to make a difference to the lives of language learners. A TEFL certification lasts a lifetime. So, you can dip in and out of teaching abroad whenever you feel like it. 

    It is not necessary to speak any other languages. You’ll be able to find a job and work comfortably without knowing the language spoken in your chosen country. Of course, it is always an advantage, even if it’s just the basics. We recommend learning a few phrases before you move abroad like hi, thank you, goodbye and sorry.

    You’re never too old to gain new qualifications! Some TEFL employers do have age restrictions, but there are ample opportunities for more mature teachers. There are also the options to teach English from home as a private tutor or online tutor.

    We recommend one of our Hybrid TEFL Courses if you would like to teach English in Europe. These hybrid courses give you the best of both worlds. You’ll get the training and certification you need, as well as teaching practice through the 10 Hour Virtual TEFL Course. 



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