Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher in Spain? English classes are in high demand in Spain. Natively knowing English opens many doors to work abroad, something that in addition to earning good money allows you to know other countries and cultures. It is for these reasons that many teachers come to Spain looking for a job to teach the language.
But not everything is so simple, if you are English or American, you may have many doubts about the requirements to be fulfilled and the necessary certificates to occupy this type of position. In the following lines, we are going to analyze what you will be asked for.
- Requirements for teaching English in Spain
If you are going to be a private teacher, it will not be necessary to have any training, although just in case, it is more than advisable to have it.
On the other hand, if you want to be a teacher in an educational center, then you have several options:
- Language careers: there are some degrees or bachelor’s degrees that deal with specific languages, such as translation or English philology. This type of degree will qualify you for the position, although it must be complemented with a specific master’s degree.
- Teaching: this is one of the most common options for teaching English in Spain. However, you will need to have a good level of English.
The most common is for the English teacher to have had a bachelor’s degree in English (with education in foreign literature and modern languages), then to have completed a bachelor’s degree in English (such as teaching English, English philology, English studies…), and later to have completed a master’s degree (the Master’s Degree in Teaching Compulsory Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training, and Language Teaching will be mandatory for all those graduates who do not have a teaching degree).
Also, they may have completed their studies with any other type of training. This can be a path for a person who has known since high school that they want to teach English or have some kind of related job.
It is also recommended to do an internship in an educational center, as this way you will be able to accredit your experience together with other candidates who are in a similar situation.
- Certificates to teach English in Spain
There are some certificates that a teacher should have to teach English in Spain: they are not always mandatory, but highly recommended.
- TEFL Certificate
The TEFL Certificate is one of the most interesting ones; it not only allows you to teach in Spain but also in other countries. It is a type of certificate that guarantees that teachers comply with the standards established by the British Council; among them, it is established that teachers have received a minimum of 100 hours of teaching. Of these, 6 must be on teaching practice, with a qualified teacher supervising.
Indeed, it is not compulsory to teach English in Spain… but taking into account the high level of knowledge that the teacher will receive, it is more than advisable to get it.
- TOEFL Certificate
The TOEFL is a type of certificate created by the Educational Testing Service (acronym of ETS) at Princeton University. Its objective is to evaluate 4 areas composed of written and lexical comprehension, oral and written expression, and oral comprehension.
It is a type of certificate that lasts 2 years and, as a curiosity, it is not possible to fail or pass. A grade is obtained that accredits the level that the examinee has compared to the rest of the candidates.
If you want to teach English in Spain, these are the most common requirements you must meet. You will also have to evaluate those requirements that are part of each position: obviously, they will not be the same for teaching at home, in an academy, or for working in a high school or university.
- CertPT certificates
The Trinity College London Certificate for Practising Teachers (CertPT) is a new qualification that supports you in your professional development as an English language teacher. It is a much more specific certificate to improve your level of teaching that allows you to go much further in your career.
This new certificate goes beyond English language teaching, the CertPT promotes the development of knowledge and pedagogical skills. The Trinity CertTP will help you as a teacher of English no matter what your level to access much more specific training with which to transform your teaching method.
