TEFL Jobs in Spain
With its lifestyle and climate, there are many people seeking TEFL jobs in Spain. It has the added and very great advantage of having a large number of TEFL jobs available for the qualified English teacher. You will find that the majority of positions available are for teaching young learners, but there are also numerous opportunities to teach adults and business English as well.
The larger Spanish cities have literally thousands of private language academies. On the down side though, work regulations are quite stringent, so the non-EU passport holder will have more difficulty finding an English teaching position. However, if you are patient, diligent and have the financial resources to see you through, even a citizen from a non-EU country can find work.
Finding a TEFL Job in Spain
It is best to actually be in the country when starting your search for a TEFL job in Spain. Most English language schools in Spain want to be able to actually see you in person to gauge how you will be received by their students.
Decide what your preferred location to live and work in Spain is and then go there. The larger cities do have more TEFL jobs available for English teachers, but this is balanced out by the fact they are usually more popular destinations, and therefore the competition is more stiff.
If you think you want to teach in Spain and have not earned your TEFL certificate yet, consider taking your TEFL course here. Our TEFL International schools in Spain are well connected and can give you a lot of inside information and advice to help you along the way to finding a good teaching position. If you decide to take one of our courses in another country, we can still help you of course, but just not quite as well as if you were in Spain itself.
Language schools generally pay their teachers monthly. Keep in mind that you will need two months rent plus a deposit to move into most accommodation situations in Spain. The school year starts in October, so the best time to be looking for work is in August and September, although many schools will still be recruiting at the last minute.
Questions to Ask TEFL Schools in Spain
Before accepting a position, make sure that you ask questions regarding salary or hourly pay rate, whether you’ll have to travel to your lessons and if you get compensated for this time and reimbursed for expenses, what kind of material resources the school has for lesson planning and teaching materials, what kind of administrative and collegial support you will have, whether a visa will be needed and if the school assists with that, etc. Also be sure that the contract you sign will accurately reflect these details. This will help to avoid any nasty surprises after you’ve already agreed to take the job.
It is a good idea to study or put the edge back on your Spanish language skills, not only to improve your chances for employment, but to be able to more deeply enjoy and appreciate this wonderful country.
