Working in Spain teaching English

Spain has always been one of the most popular destinations for TEFL teachers. Most teachers head to the main cities of Madrid and Barcelona, but you will find language schools in many towns all over the country.

Most recruitment is done locally, and most institutions require teachers to have either a Trinity Cert. TESOL or CELTA as a minimum qualification. The main opportunities lie in teaching General English, Business English and Young Learners.

The Cambridge exams are very popular, especially PET, FCE and CAE. The academic year runs from October to June.  In the summer most schools offer summer courses or run camps in the countryside. Many classes run from Monday to Thursday with some work available on Friday.

Also, as a first year teacher you may well end up teaching on Saturday mornings. You could have a split shift timetable meaning that you work from approximately 8.30-10am, a lunchtime shift of 2-4pm and an evening shift of 7-9.30pm. This can take some getting used to as your days are long and the travelling between classes can be tiring.

However, once you have decided how to plan your free time between classes, you will have the benefit of being able to do that extra bit of preparation on the bus and get to the swimming pool when it’s less busy! Expect to do around 20 to 25 hours teaching a week and earn around € 1200 a month on average when you start out.

This will increase after the first year and you can supplement your income through finding private students. The cost of living in Spain is still relatively low compared to other EU countries. However, the big cities are now more expensive. Expect to pay around €500 – 800 a month for accommodation in major cities.

Spanish lifestyle and opportunities for winter sports, travel, historic culture and the beach need no introduction. As TEFL teacher you will not be wealthy, but should find you have enough to enjoy what Spain has to offer. You will make enough to have a good holiday in the summer and live comfortably.