Teaching English as a Language Assistant in Spain

Being a Cultural Ambassador in Barcelona (or Anywhere in Spain) is a Great Way for North Americans to Work

Lara Nylander的文章和照片

英语老师在巴塞罗那享用午餐。

在许多方面，巴塞罗那是教英语的理想城市。在描述巴塞罗那的海滩，地中海气候，独特的文化和传奇夜生活时，很难避免发出陈词滥调。西班牙的生活成本也比其他西欧国家便宜。此外，英语老师还有很多工作。北美人的问题是如何合法地找到教学工作。对于那些坐在他们的计算机上的人来说，障碍尤其令人生畏，但可以理解的是，他们想在越过大西洋之前获得一份工作。担任语言助理是一种在西班牙与工作保障一起在西班牙合法生活的好方法。

The Language Assistant Program in Spain

The language assistant program starts at the beginning of October and finishes at the end of May. Language assistants are assigned to public schools throughout Spain where they assist English teachers. The term “assistant” is open to interpretation, but it fundamentally means helping the teacher in Spain bring to life the English language as well as cultural lessons from your home country, and helping students learn vocabulary and grammar. Another aspect of your role as an assistant is to help local English teachers (who are usually Spanish or Catalan) with their own pronunciation and English skills. I have done everything from teaching small groups of students vocabulary using flash cards, designing presentations on American holidays, helping the students perform in Christmas plays, to making photocopies of activity sheets for the students.

语言助理计划的优点在于，您被西班牙政府雇用，并在该计划期间给予工作合同和学生签证。这意味着您可以旅行并离开欧洲，而不必担心要逾期3个月的旅游签证。您只需要每周在学校工作12-15个小时，让您有足够的时间来追求其他兴趣，例如观光，在欧洲旅行，学习西班牙语，加入摇滚乐队或任何您想要的东西。此外，您将获得健康保险，圣诞节和复活节期间的带薪假期，以及免费通往博物馆。该计划的另一个值得注意的方面是，您已经迷上了一个与您相同的人的网络，因此您甚至在到达西班牙之前就有许多潜在的朋友。大多数语言助手都处于二十多岁的初期，但也有一些三十多岁和四十多岁的人。

A square in Barcelona.

The Challenge of Budgeting

所有这些听起来都很棒，但是这里有很多事情：如何在西班牙每月只有700欧元生存（该计划不支付旅行或生活费用）。幸运的是，通过仔细的预算，在巴塞罗那有700欧元可以走很长一段路。例如，租金通常约为300欧元，每月400欧元用于食品和娱乐费用。例如，一升牛奶在超市中只有60美分，一瓶啤酒通常在酒吧约1.50美分。

当然，一种选择是通过其他工作来补充您的收入，有点灰色区域，因为从法律上讲，您不应该在学生签证上工作。从技术上讲，西班牙政府的月收入被认为是“赠款”。但是，在计划的导向上，我们被谨慎地鼓励通过教私人英语课程找到其他工作。

这里有一些选择，可以使您的预算居住在西班牙工作：

1. Teach Private English Lessons (“clases particulares”)
   推杆提供教英语课程的广告是一种方法。另一种选择是查看您学校的父母和老师是否有兴趣上私人英语课程。我的一位朋友，也是语言助理，是在她学校的一群母亲教课程，每小时60欧元。
   
   
2. Work for a Language Academy
   您也可以在语言学院或机构中尝试运气。问题在于，大多数语言学院只想雇用具有工作签证或欧盟公民身份的英语老师，尽管如果您是合格的英语老师，许多地方往往会相反
   
   
3. Work Wherever You Can
   根据您的西班牙技能，您也可以尝试在酒吧，商店或餐厅工作。
   
   
4. 保存在你来之前
   I know a few language assistants who saved money before they came and are doing well while traveling plenty on the 700 Euros a month combined with their prior savings.

一边最好的教学选择的一种体验

就我个人而言，我没有太多运气找到自己的工作，我自己教私人课程。对私人英语课程的需求很大，但是还有大量的英语老师在宣传他们的服务。I ended up eventually getting another job teaching private English classes for an agency (who did not seem to care whether I was legal or not.) It seems that most people would rather pay more money to an official language institute rather than to a random person they contact on the Web. I was charging a measly 12 euros an hour for my private classes and was only able to find six classes over the period of three months, while with an agency I teach 12 classes a week and charge 24 euros an hour (of which I only make 15).I would recommend working for an agency because it does offer you some job security. Also, with classes I was teaching independently, my students often canceled and I would lose out on making supplemental income as a result. With the agency, however, the rules are more standardized, and if a student cancels, then the classes are made up at another time, so your monthly income remains consistent.

语言助理计划的要求

要参加语言助理课程，您应该是大学的大三学生或大四学生，或者已经拥有学士学位。或M.A.您不需要获得TEFL认证，但是如果您打算在侧面找到其他教学工作，最好获得证书。另外，如果您精通西班牙语或有一些生活或出国工作的经验，那么您被接受的机会会更好。最好也为这一举动节省了一些钱（大约1,000美元是最低限度）是一个好主意。您需要为公寓支付存款，并且直到11月初，您才能获得第一次薪水。请记住，这些天的美元价值低于欧元（请参阅在线货币计算器）。

Another thing to consider when applying for this is program is that you are not allowed to choose where you want to be placed in Spain. You are given the opportunity to select the top three areas of Spain which you would prefer. It is then a matter of chance whether you will be placed in your first choice and if you will be placed in a big city or a small town within that area.

How to Apply:

Visit the文化大使：西班牙网站的北美语言和文化助理, where you will find a list of the following requirements:

1. 一个在线提交的申请，该申请是西班牙语。
   
   
2. You will also need to attach and send by post the following for the application:
   A copy of your passport photo page
   A printout of your application with your handwritten signature and a photo attached to it
   An original, official college transcript or a copy of your University diploma
   A letter of recommendation
   A letter of motivation
   
   
3. Once you are accepted, you have to apply for a student visa at your nearest Spanish Consulate before coming to Spain, which is a lengthy and often frustrating process. For the visa, you will need to get a letter of good health from a doctor, a police record, and copies of your passport. All of these must then be sent to theApostille验证它们是法律文件。所有这些之后，您将获得护照上的学生签证贴纸。
   
   
4. Once you arrive in Spain, you will have to find anempadronamiento（西班牙居民）将成为您的赞助商。然后，您必须申请NIE（欧洲国家身份证）。

这一切值得吗？

Definitely. As the year comes to a close in Barcelona, I have a learned so very much about other cultures and subcultures, new ways of living, and myself. I have made many great friends in and out of the language assistant program. I am also happy to say I have improved my Spanish and even learned some Catalan. I have considered renewing my contract, but for personal reasons I have decided to leave Spain. However, I do know many people who are renewing their contract for the next year. One of my friends was even offered a full-time job at his school making a much better salary. The program can be a great opportunity to live abroad in Europe for a gap year or sabbatical, or it can even be a stepping-stone to better international work opportunities.

If you are interested, apply toCultural Ambassadors: North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain由于对2500多个职位的需求很大，因此提前提前。

Lara Nylandergrew up on the central coast of California. She studied literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and earned her teaching credentials at California State University-Cal Poly. Lara taught first grade in California for several years before moving to Europe. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Central and South America.