Teaching English in Spain
Finding Work
Job hunting can be very rewarding in larger cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. There are hundreds of English institutes and schools to send your CV to. The only time of year not to begin your job hunt is the summer when most of the institutes are closed.
The Teaching
The three main types of ESL work you will find are – language schools, agencies or private classes.
Language schools - students in language schools can range from children and teenagers to adults. These schools are good if you’re just looking to make some pocket money as the hours can vary and you may only get a few hours a week depending on demand. This is not the best way if you need to support yourself as you’re not likely to make much money. The schools will pay you around €10-€12 per hour.
Agencies - if you work for an agency, you will be involved with different businesses. These jobs are generally in the large cities. With this type of job, you will be moving about a lot and will need to have a keen knowledge of the transport system. The companies obviously do not want to interrupt their workdays so you will be teaching at times when your students are not working. This can really break up the day but you will be earning more than in a language school. Around €15 per hour.
Private lessons - you can also teach private lessons which can either be in your home or at the students’ home. This way you can make up your own schedule and negotiate pay. You need to be clued up on lesson planning and have your own material to do this. It is worth advertising around your area; you can put out flyers or adveritise in local newspapers. In Madrid there is newspaper called Segundomano where you can place free ads offering classes.
You can have a great experience teaching in Spain. It can be quite hard work to get started and you need to be serious about it. There are many job opportunities and with a little effort, you can be out there, getting to know this amazing country and its people.
Living
Something that you will really have to get your head around when living in Spain, is the language. Although a lot of people do speak some English, be sure to make the effort yourself. You do not have to know everything, but an understanding of the key vocab will put you into good stead. If you do not practise you could find yourself quite isolated.
Be aware that going to a different country means entering a different culture with different social norms. A few differences that some travellers have noticed are: queing is not so common, people can speak quite bluntly but are not trying to be rude and motorists will not necessarily stop at pedestrian crossings. So, learn to adjust to the differences in lifestyle and do not try to change them!
The Spanish take they’re nightlife very seriously. You will have to get accustomed to this as you will be up all night. An early dinner is thought to be around 10.30pm and people will not come out of clubs until dawn. Be aware that although Spain is famed for its night clubs, nightlife isn’t all about drunken discos. Families may go out for late meals and stay up until the small hours socializing and sipping coffee.
Costguide
Meal at a restaurant – €12
Glass of beer - €1.50
Tapas per dish - €2
Litre of milk - €0.89
Bottle of wine in supermarket - €3.99
Packet of cigarettes - €2.25
Renting an apartment – large city - €350 - €700 per month
- small town - €200 - €500 per month
