What is an auxiliar de conversación? FAQs
Auxiliar de conversación literally translates to “conversation auxiliary”—but that doesn’t explain what an auxiliar de conversación is at all. So let me help explain by answering a few frequently asked questions about auxiliares de conversación.
Table of Contents:
What is an auxiliar de conversación?
Who hires auxiliares de conversación?
Where do auxiliares de conversación teach?
How many hours per week do auxiliares de conversación work?
What do auxiliares de conversación do?
My personal experience as an auxiliar de conversación
What is an auxiliar de conversación?
Auxiliares de conversación (aka auxiliares or auxes) serve as assistant language and culture teachers throughout Spain. Their primary job is to encourage students to learn and have conversations in the language they teach. The vast majority of auxiliares teach English, but there is a small number of auxes who teach other languages, such as French and German. Along with their language, auxiliares de conversación teach Spanish students about the cultures of the countries they come from.
To be clear, auxes are not main classroom teachers. In fact, they only work in their classrooms part time. During this time, they assist the full-time teachers with lessons, games, presentations, songs, dances, and other activities designed to get the students excited about speaking the language they’re learning.
Who hires auxiliares de conversación?
As part of an initiative to promote multilingualism and cross-cultural connections, Spain’s Ministry of Education offers assistant teacher contracts to selected applicants with Bachelors degrees, most of whom speak English with native-like proficiency.
The Ministry of Education primary hires United States and Canadian citizens as auxiliares de conversación through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP). NALCAP offers auxiliares modest stipends (between 700 and 1000 euros per month) in exchange for part-time work (between 12 and 16 hours per week) as language and culture assistants. In addition to promoting linguistic exchange, the program is designed to cultivate connections between citizens of Spain and the USA and Canada.
There are also other programs that pay English speakers to serve auxiliares de conversación in Spain. Some use the phrase auxiliar de conversación, while others call their participants language, teaching, or conversation assistants. These programs include the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards, Bilingual English Development & Assessment (BEDA), Meddeas language assistant program, and UCETAM English language assistant program. The prerequisites, responsibilities, and funding vary among these programs. So be sure to research all of these options if you’re considering serving as an auxiliar de conversación.
Where do auxiliares de conversación teach?
Auxiliares de conversación teach throughout Spain at preschools, elementary schools, high schools, vocational schools, and universities. These schools generally have some sort of bilingual program, and as a result auxiliares often teach in subject-area courses, such as natural and social sciences, rather than strictly language courses.
How many hours per week do auxiliares de conversación work?
Through NALCAP, auxiliares de conversación work between 12-16 hours each week. Other programs require different numbers of hours of work per week, but these are generally part-time positions.
What do auxiliares de conversación do?
Generally speaking, auxiliares de conversión share their language and culture with students in Spain. More specifically, auxes serve as teaching assistants who aim to get students excited about speaking a new language.
In the classroom, auxiliares give presentations, play games, teach students songs and dances, and organize conversation-oriented activities. They also may assist full-time teachers in other ways like during exams or by working one-on-one with students who need extra help.
My personal experience as an auxiliar de conversación
Moving to Spain to teach English as an auxiliar de conversación has been one of the best decisions of my life.
The entire process has challenged me—from physically moving to Spain to getting primary school students to focus in the classroom. But I feel so grateful for this challenge, because it’s helped me grow and get to know myself in ways I never even imagined before.
And mostly, teaching English and living in Spain has been fulfilling, exciting, and fun. I love seeing my students get excited about communicating with me in English. Outside of school, I’ve gotten to work on speaking Spanish, too. And getting the chance to travel and explore Spain is a huge plus!
Moving to a new country is a huge decision, and it should be given a lot of care. Teaching isn’t for everyone, either, so before accepting a position as an auxiliar de conversación, it’s important to reflect on whether or not teaching is for you. That said, moving abroad to Spain to teach English in a primary school was definitely the right decision for me.
I love living in Spain. And I love working as an auxiliar de conversación.
