Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Teaching Adults
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Spain
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Dray



Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 31
Location: England

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:35 am    Post subject: Teaching Adults Reply with quote

I'm teaching English in Asia where I can't seem to avoid young learner classes. I've had enough of teaching kids. Are there plenty of jobs in Spain which are just teaching adults? If so, is my schedule likely to consist of lots of VERY early morning starts?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jonniboy



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No two ways about it - the Spanish teaching scene *is* dominated by kiddie classes. That's the single biggest reason why I always find it difficult to go back there despite vowing all year that I will. Here I can amass 30+ hours with adults if I wish. Though I've been told that Barsa and Madrid may have sufficient classes if you don't mind seeing the cities from a metro window all day.

As for hours, if you want to clock up any reasonable amount of hours (i.e. over 20) then yes early mornings will be involved.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SirKirby



Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Barcelona, Spain

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure about "dominated" by young learners, but certainly most teachers on a full timetable (say 20+ hours per week), working for a language school are going to be teaching 6+ hours with young learners.

Here in Barcelona, at least, some of the larger language schools have branched out into big operations within the Universities -- if you can land some or all of your classes there, you might just avoid anyone under 18...

Private classes would be the other way to go...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Moore



Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 730
Location: Madrid

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's perfectly easy to avoid teaching kids here in Spain: most of my mates never teach them, and I certainly haven't in over 5 years here. That said, there are some pretty lucrative private classes going, and a lot of people get tempted into teaching them just because the money's good.

The other reason people end up teaching them is because they don't have EU work permits, in which case there is a certain amount of take-what-you-can-get at first, but after that you can swap them out for adults later. This may apply slightly more in Barcelona where the market is a bit more crowded with teachers.

Obviously, in summer-camp work avoiding kids is tricky, but still possible.


_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona and Berlin... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona or Berlin in one hit with our c.v. sending service... www.lingobongo.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
SirKirby



Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Barcelona, Spain

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not so sure about "easy" to avoid teaching kids -- unless you're doing private classes and can pick and choose.

You have a regular, full-time job in a "normal" language school, large or small, and chances are you're going to get some kids.

Not so sure it's a question of EU work permits or not, either. For people newly arrived and/or qualified, it's also often a case of take-what-you-can-get.

Look at the job ads out there, if you're not convinced. What percentage say things like "experience with young learners desirable"...?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Moore



Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 730
Location: Madrid

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, I definitely take the point that it's not "easy" to avoid, but if, like me and it seems the poster, you are really not keen on kids then they can be avoided.

It is true that I am an experienced business English teacher with experience and papers, and am therefore able to pick and choose to a certain extent.

There is a lot of work in purely business classes going: my particular school only does business and never does kids classes, so it's certainly feasible at least.



_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona and Berlin... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona or Berlin in one hit with our c.v. sending service... www.lingobongo.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
jonniboy



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SirKirby wrote:
I'm not sure about "dominated" by young learners, but certainly most teachers on a full timetable (say 20+ hours per week), working for a language school are going to be teaching 6+ hours with young learners.


In Barsa and Madrid maybe, but in smaller cities people I've known have been doing the bulk of their work with kids. My last year in Valencia (2004-2005) I'd 23 hours, fourteen of those with kids despite me trying to avoid kiddie groups. Here I've 31 hours at the moment - youngest students motivated + polite sixteen year olds. I do dream of a 28 hour a week gig in Spain teaching solely adults with 20 hours of work in July and 15 hours of work available in August but I fear I'm pizzing in the wind hoping for that in Spain. I live in hope though!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SirKirby



Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Barcelona, Spain

PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

14 out of 23 hours with kids...? Yes, I'd say that's a fairly typical timetable for teachers in fairly typical Barcelona language schools.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gracias



Joined: 08 May 2008
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

never taught kids here in Madrid, never will. If you're good you can get EU40+ an hour from business one-on-ones. If you're not, then you teach kids. End of.

And, by the way, it's a myth that Madrid closes down in August. I had 30 hours a week last August no problem. It's who you know. I'd rather take from 15 December to 15 January off than August, it's a very lucrative month.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jonniboy



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama

PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I won't teach in Madrid, never will. Too far away from a beach which to me is half the point of moving to Spain. Smile

For the benefit of other posters though Gracias, care to advise them on how you can end up in such a situation where you can get up to 40 euro an hour for 30 hour weeks in August? Doesn't sound too realistic to me, but I'll bow to anyones superior knowledge of the current Madrid market.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SirKirby



Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Barcelona, Spain

PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
If you're good you can get EU40+ an hour from business one-on-ones. If you're not, then you teach kids


You'll pardon my saying so, but that's (how shall I put it...?) "discourteous" to those teachers who are magnificently good at teaching kids, however poorly paid they might be.

If you're "lucky", perhaps...?

25+ years in ELT suggests to me that being "good" very rarely relates to the salary you take home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sheikh radlinrol



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain

PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SirKirby wrote:
Quote:
If you're good you can get EU40+ an hour from business one-on-ones. If you're not, then you teach kids


You'll pardon my saying so, but that's (how shall I put it...?) "discourteous" to those teachers who are magnificently good at teaching kids, however poorly paid they might be.

If you're "lucky", perhaps...?

25+ years in ELT suggests to me that being "good" very rarely relates to the salary you take home.

Yes, indeed. It really is offensive to suggest that people only work with kids because they aren't ''good'' enough to teach business English.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gracias



Joined: 08 May 2008
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Find it offensive if you want but its the truth.

Why would I teach a kiddie when I can teach a company director or diplomat or VIP, with all that entails.

My rate goes up to EU50 an hour after Christmas.

I'm that good.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jonniboy



Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 751
Location: Panama City, Panama

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

gracias wrote:
Find it offensive if you want but its the truth.

Why would I teach a kiddie when I can teach a company director or diplomat or VIP, with all that entails.

My rate goes up to EU50 an hour after Christmas.

I'm that good.


Let's hope it doesn't entail teaching them correct use of apostrophes or question marks eh? Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sheikh radlinrol



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jonniboy wrote:
gracias wrote:
Find it offensive if you want but its the truth.

Why would I teach a kiddie when I can teach a company director or diplomat or VIP, with all that entails.

My rate goes up to EU50 an hour after Christmas.

I'm that good.


Let's hope it doesn't entail teaching them correct use of apostrophes or question marks eh? Wink

I teach the King and Queen of Spain. They pay EU250 per hour. But I am GOOD!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Spain All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China