Job Discussion Forums

[Alasdair87]

Hello,

I'm an almost complete newbie to language teaching, so I'd like a few answers to some pretty basic questions. Apologies if this duplicates someone else's query - I've had a look through the forum and there doesn't seem to any other posters in exactly my position. I'm wondering:

1. I'm planning on doing a CELTA, then looking for a job in Spain. Considering that I won't have got the qualification before November, could people tell me what the job market for inexperienced teachers is at the moment? I'm happy to go to pretty much any part of the country (though avoiding the parts with a large English expat population).

2. What kind of rate of pay could I expect, and will having a CELTA make me much more employable/gain me a higher wage?

3. What can I expect the cost of living to be?

Any answers would be much appreciated - I'm in two minds about whether to do the CELTA at the moment, and having advice would help a lot. Thanks!

[Santiago Matamoros]

I suggest you log onto corkid with will get you a list of all the private language schools in Spain. I think you will not make much money by living in Spain but you are going to have a very enjoyable time. The Spanish are one of the most easy going races you could ever hope to meet. I suggest you take some ESL books with you, find out where the local colleges of further education are and do private lessons. Good luck!

[Pauleddy]

You should do a CELTA especially as a newbie. This is not only because you will have more chances of getting work. Many people start out thinking "what the heck, I'm native English, of course I can teach English!"

Nothing could be further from the truth. The four-week CELTA gives you the basics of actual teaching theory plus classroom practice.

Any school or academy worth its salt will want to see your CELTA.

Of course, there are always people who have no experience and no CELTA and just fall into a job in the boonies teaching "conversation", i.e. speaking to people. However, if you propose a new career for yrself, you need to train at sometime.

You also need some grammar, because students will ask you about this verb or that tense--sooner or later. CELTA gives a bit of grammar. I am still refining/learning grammar after 17 years.

TEFL will never make you rich. Traditionally, it was done by travellers and people who "weren't proper teachers". In Spain, you can ask 10-15e an hour for privates or kids in the home. If you are good, you could get a bank manager and ask 20e, sometimes 30e (if you can teach specific Business English). In most of Spain, you will earn not much more than a secretary or an office type--maybe 1000e-1200e a month (depending on tax and many thgs). Do the math--15e an hour. Most people want class after work or at odd hours. It is very unusual that, as a newbie, people will be falling over to get you all day long.
Eddy

[jovencito]

If you are doing the CELTA outside Spain and then looking to come and look for work in Spain in November, you'd better make sure that you have enough money saved up to support you for a while.

CELTA in no way guarantees you a job or gives you an advantage over other TEFL or TESOL certified teachers. CELTA doesn't actively assist you in finding a job either, so you'll have to do all the job finding work yourself. This is difficult if you aren't in Spain because almost all schools will want to interview you face-to-face.

Spain breaks for Christmas around December 20 and doesn't really start work again until after the 3 Reyes holiday in early January.

Pay and the cost of living depends where you want to live. In Madrid and Barcelona the pay is about the same but the cost of living in Barcelona is higher. Pay and the cost of living are usually related to the size of the town/city. For example: Madrid = higher pay and higher cost of living. Granada = lower pay and lower cost of living.

You'll never get rich teaching English, but (in my modest opinion and speaking for myself) I think that you can live reasonably well in Spain as an English teacher.

If your heart is set on taking a CELTA outside Spain and then coming here that's one thing, but if you are still considering options, try to do your course in Spain. Doing the latter will help a lot when it comes to looking for work.

[Pauleddy]

Jovencito is correct about TESOL. An accredited TESOL course (like the one overseen by Trinity College), is just as good as a CELTA (accredited by Cambridge).

I got the impression that the OP was choosing between CELTA (or TESOL) and just starting out unqualified but saying "yes, I am English teacher, of course" and I wanted him to see the advantages of 4 weeks theory and practice.

I live and teach in Bangkok now, but taught in Spain for 8 yrs. In most countries you will need to GO there and see the set up. people who take jobs with a phone interview may have problems, and end up in the boonies with 100 promises all broken.

When i first went to teach in Spain in 1998, the Academies (private city language schools) seemed to have the most jobs. Some of my work was with bank groups in the evenings. Some was with noisy teens.

The 3 Kings (Reyes) is normally on 6 Jan. If that is a long w/e, you could be off until 8 Jan or 9. Almost three weeks break and it can be cold in Barca and Mad.

Agree that it may be better to do the course in Spain. You will have Spanish kids to practise with, and some places help u find jobs. Barca, Seville and Mad all run CELTAS. IH is good.

Turning up with a bag, a book, no CELTA/TESOL, with little money and in November--and calling yrself a teacher--almost potty. If you are solo, you need to build a following, word of mouth etc. It all takes time and euros to get settled. Deposits on flats are 2 or 3 times the rent. 1000e or more, maybe 2000.

Eddy