Job Discussion Forums

SPOONER · Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 1

Anybody attending the January EBC course in Madrid??

shannon w · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 11

Hi Spooner,

I was a January 2003 (ok, I know your�re looking for the future not the past!!!) Smile

student and guess what? I was so scared I wasn�t going to find a job and well, everything is history. I was working within a week and in 2 weeks I had all the hours I wanted. So January courses and November (that�s a good one as well!), are good courses to be in so you can start the new year working.

I said November because you end around the Christmas time, so you can enjoy yourself with all the festivities going on and then come January hit the new year with a bang, working in the cold! Sorry to disappoint you but the winters in Madrid can be cold, but depending on where you come from, it might not be that cold after all. I�m not one for the cold so I find winters cold - anywhere!!!

shannon

justin andersen · Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 17

Hi Shannon,

I must agree with you, November in Spain at least Madrid is great. There is so much to do, before you know it you have to go back to work teaching! Mad

But the cold, I�m sorry can�t agree with you on that Shannon! Where I come from the Madrid winter is a summer camp! As you said it depends on where you come from.

So yes go for it , Novemeber is my choice for the TEFL course .

justin

nancyls · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 3

hi spooner. i haven't signed up yet, but i am planning to sign up for the january ebc tefl course. i guess i'll see you there!

sevilla2005 · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 8 Location: Sevilla

Spooner and Nancy, I signed up for the EBC Madrid course, too, but haven't put in my deposit yet because it's my second choice behind a program I found in Sevilla (which hasn't accepted me yet Confused

). If the Sevilla one doesn't come through, I'll see you both in Madrid.

victor moss · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 9

Don�t count me out, I may be in the Jan or Feb course 2005 of EBC as well! (I actually prefer Feb! ). Just tidying up some unending family matters over here. Mad

victor

nancyls · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 3

well, i hope to see all of us there in january! btw, i've been told that jan. 5 is a big holiday in Spain, and many things will be closed on that day. just something to think about if you're flying in around that time.

dinoj1 · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 5

I will be attending the EBC courses in MAdrid starting Jan. 10th. Have you guys found your flights yet? I have been checking for cheap flights on the net with the likes of expedia, orbitz etc... but I can't find anything cheap! Does anyone have any concrete suggestions/leads? I guess I am directing this question toward other Americans because that's where I will be flying from.

Thanks

nancyls · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 3

the cheapest flight i could find was through british airways, but it was not a cheap flight, although almost 1/2 the price of other airlines. i didn't go the travelocity/cheaptickets/orbitz route because i knew my return flight would probably be different than the date i asked for.

good luck finding a good price, i'll see you in class come january.

Jenny Thomas · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 12

It�s actually Jan 6 which is the big holiday. It�s the Three Kings (Reyes) and that is their almost offical Christmas Day, they now have 2 xmas days, Dec 25 and Jan 6, meaning the kids now demand xmas presents for those 2 days!

The Christmas Holidays offically end after Jan 6, but again, in Spain, holidays never end! There is always a Saint�s Day to celebrate or something along those lines. Wink

jenny

Karl Borja · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 12

Hi there,

I�ve already done my TEFL cert and I�m glad I did. I know now that I needed to be trained before I could teach. If I didn�t get the training I got, whoa !! I wouldn�t have any idea how to answer all these questions I get during my classes!

Like many of my friends I thought it was enough that English was my first (and only!) language. Ok, my Spanish is getting better. That�s history now because I did get trained and I would definitely recommend getting trained before finding a teaching job.

On questions about when to do the TEFL cert, the Feb one is great, it�s nice in Madrid around this time of the year and where I come from Madrid winters are nothing. Also from my experience there were lots of courses, intensives that started in Feb and went thru to June which covered my hours till the summer time. That was really good because you�re with the companies for 4 months which isn�t bad especially if youre just starting. Then come Sept, you�re pretty much experienced so you can deal with the full year courses (Sept - June).

Good luck and I hope you all enjoy Madrid as well.

karl

victor moss · Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 9

I�m definitely on for the FEB EBC course, anyone out there on the same month? i�ve been told this is a great month, hope they�re right! Anyway, done my homework, and Feb came out as my best choice.

victor

chewlett · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 2

hi, i'm on the feb course as well. I've only just paid for it and now have the task of finding accommodation over the internet which isn't too easy! I was thinking about getting one of those single rooms with a desk which are on the ebc website (a bit prison like but will do for a month!) - then try to get a flat after the course. Has anyone already sorted out their accommodation for the feb course? it would be good to know which are the best areas as well as somewhere near other tefl students, if anyone can help?

chris