Best Resources for Learning How to Teach English in Spain
I began my job as an auxiliar de conversación (English teaching assistant) through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) in October 2022. Before applying, I got most of my information from friends who had done it before me. As time went on, I found out that there are actually a lot of resources online with information on how to teach English abroad. In this post, I list and describe some of the most helpful resources for learning about English teaching positions in Spain.
1. Teach in Spain - ALL PROGRAMS
If you’re looking for information on all programs for teaching English in Spain, this Facebook group is a great place to start. Joining this group will allow you to connect with other people who have, do, or want to teach in Spain.
I’d recommend looking at the pinned posts to get started. Then you can post any questions you have in the group on the relevant threads.
2. Auxiliares de conversación en España
If you decide to teach English in Spain through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP, which is through the Spanish Ministry of Education), you should definitely join this Facebook group, too.
The resources the admins provide are quite astounding, and as an English-teaching auxiliar de conversación (language assistant) I couldn’t be more appreciative for this group. Not only do the admins compile the latest information on the aux program, but they’re also very responsive when applicants and current auxes ask questions.
Be sure to read the group rules and the pinned posts, and before you post your own question, see if it belongs on one of the available threads.
3. A couple of subreddits: r/SpainAuxiliares and r/askspain
Reddit is also a great place to get answers to your burning questions about teaching English in Spain and about life in Spain in general.
r/SpainAuxiliares is a useful subreddit to ask questions about serving as an English language and conversation assistant in Spain.
r/askspain is a great subreddit for asking more general questions about living and working in Spain.
4. Key blog posts
Luckily for us, many have taught English in Spain before us and many have decided to share information about their experiences online. Blog posts can offer great resources for learning how to start teaching English abroad in Spain.
Below I share some of the posts I found most useful for answering frequently asked questions about how to teach English in Spain:
Where do I even start?
I found this post (from life of brit blog) to serve as an excellent introduction to how one might begin working towards the goal of teaching English in Spain. (One quick disclaimer, the post mentions that TEFL certifications are required for most English teaching jobs in Spain. While that might be true, I did NOT have a TEFL certification when I began teaching English through NALCAP, as TEFL certification is not a requirement for that program.)
What programs can I teach through?
This post on the blog International Teaching English as a Foreign Language Academy has a great description of programs for teaching English in Spain.
What’s it like to live and teach in Spain?
Interested in hearing about teaching English in Spain from someone who has already done it? This post offers an immersive narrative-style reflection on serving as an English teaching assistant in Spain.
What are the pros and cons of teaching English in Spain?
Want to learn about the pros AND cons of serving as an English teacher in Spain, according to someone who has done it? This post offers that perspective.
While moving to a new country, starting a new job, and teaching are challenging, I really enjoyed my time teaching English in Spain. I hope you find the above resources useful for learning how to teach English in Spain and for deciding whether or not this sort of experience is right for you!
