Job Discussion Forums

[Graham Edwards]

Hola !

I have applied to Canterbury in Madrid to do a TEFL course. The main reason I chose them was the amount of practice teaching, twenty hours of which are paid. There is also the guaranteed teaching hours. The course starts on the 29th of this month and I have to let them know very soon whether I want to accept their offer of a place. Have I made a good choice of TEFL provider? I am concerned that the one person I spoke to there seemed a bit �pushy�.

A bit of basic information about myself � I am a 49 year old Brit looking for a change of career. I was a computer analyst/programmer but things have moved on and I have been out of work for some time. I have to reinvent myself. I am in Spain, I like it here, I speak English and I need work. Something satisfying would be ideal and I believe it could be teaching perhaps older children or adults in a business environment.

I understand that recruitment for the next academic year starts mid September so I will be in the right place to take advantage of this. I feel that this is the best time to do the course because any other time of year there is much less chance of finding work. I realise that I have left things to the last moment here but I have some fundamental concerns that i need to address before I pay the course fee deposit.

Am I the right person for this, do I have what it takes, will I enjoy teaching? I am not sure if I am outgoing enough and I am not particularly keen on teaching children. The thought of having to play games with them fills me with dread. I can�t expect someone who has never met me to answer this question but how do I know if I am making the right choice here or do I just take the chance?

I have worked in Germany, Holland and Belgium for a few years in my �previous career� and have been living in Spain for some time so I have no problems with being away from home and adjusting to new cultures. However I am a linguistic invalid and lack the confidence to learn new languages. I can do the basics (very basic). I will have to learn Spanish but I would prefer to do this once I have �got my feet under the table� so to speak, rather than having to do this whilst undertaking the intensive TEFL and looking for my first teaching jobs.

I will have to sort the accommodation angle but I�m not really worried about that at the moment.

Any advice really, really appreciated.

Kind regards,
Graham

[spiral78]

First, I haven't lived or worked in Spain, but from my position elsewhere in Europe over a decade, I have worked with lots of people who have indeed been in the Spanish TEFL scene, both at the university and the private school (newbie) level.
There are others on the boards who have lived and worked in Spain over the long-term and hopefully they'll be around soon to chime in - they may have more accurate or up-to-date information than mine.


Graham, you are probably decently placed to get into the TEFL market. I have worked in teacher training for a while and your doubts sound well inside the normal range. And not all entry-level jobs deal with kiddies - you should be OK to aim for businesspeople, though do keep in mind that this usually requires travel around a city to the offices of your students.


So far as I have heard over the years, Canterbury has a decent reputation (they've been around quite a while and of course they haven't pleased everyone all of the time, but I think on balance from what I've heard, they are generally considered OK).

Your timing is good as well.

I'd say your chances of succeeding are quite reasonable. Keep in mind that the first year is always the most difficult - it's in years two and beyond that one builds a local repuation (and language skills) and can move into 'better' jobs. Expect subsistence pay for the first year at least, but it's possible to build up a niche and do better later on.

Good luck!

[Zero]

Sounds like you are a bit shy or reserved. That should fade a lot once you get started. As long as you can show up on time and speak in an audible voice, seems that everything else can be learned through training and experience. Kids, though ... Have you raised kids of your own or spent a lot of time around nieces and nephews or the like? If not, then at age 49 it might take a long time to get used to teaching kids and, frankly, may not be worth the effort if it's not something you feel drawn to do. Corporate-style classes might be a good fit, given your background.

[spiral78]

Much of the Spanish job market is indeed with adults. Kiddies are avoidable in most cases.

[Graham Edwards]

Spiral - Thanks for your comments. Good to know my concerns have been validated and that I could focus on teaching adults rather than kiddies. Good to know I can do that in Spain. I have posted this on the Spain forum for people who have lived and worked in Spain over the long-term to get them to �chime in�.

Zero � Thank you. No I�ve not raised children of my own and have had limited dealings with my sisters kids. Just Christmas times really. I think you�re absolutely right, I should focus on corporate-style classes.