If you’re curious about the idea of teaching English abroad, you’re not alone. Many people combine wanderlust with their interest in a teaching career, and head off for a life-changing experience. The demand for English teachers is growing rapidly in countries like Spain, so it’s no wonder this is a top destination for teaching abroad. If you’re interested in exploring a country rich in cultural diversity, endless travel opportunities and plenty of jobs to fund your weekly excursions, look no further than sunny Spain.
Teaching English in Spain is the perfect way to fund your travels. Not only are there plenty of chances to grow and explore in a new career, but you can also use your downtime to make headway on your travel bucket list.
With any major life decision, it’s important to do your research before embarking on this new journey. Companies like The TEFL Org have your back if you’re looking for a TEFL course to prepare you for teaching, or if you want to learn from the insights of other English teachers. Below we’ll continue to explore the reasons to consider traveling and teaching in Spain.
Keep reading to learn the insider’s scoop on teaching English, choosing Spain as your destination, and how to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Why Teach English?
You want an exciting adventure abroad, but aren’t quite sold on teaching English yet. This is understandable, especially if you’ve never considered a teaching career. There are a few key benefits of choosing to teach English as a means of living abroad. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons teaching is one of the best ways to move to Spain:
Secure a Long-term Visa
If you’re set on long-term travel, you won’t want the limits of a tourist visa holding you back. Depending on where you’re from, you may only be allowed in Spain for a maximum of 90 days. Teaching is an excellent way to secure a longer stay in the country. You’ll likely have a job contract that lasts 8 or 9 months, which allows you more time for traveling and exploring your new stomping grounds.
Fill Your Pockets
Many travelers wish to embark on an epic adventure, like a year-long backpacking trip across Europe. The problem is, trips like this take careful planning and a hefty budget. But what if you could earn money while you travel? Teaching English is an excellent way to fill your pockets between travel plans, so your epic adventures don’t have to break the bank.
Get to Know Your Community
When people dream of living abroad, they often expect to naturally immerse in the culture and make local friends. Just like moving to a new city in your home country, getting acquainted with the new community isn’t always as effortless as you’d hope. Teaching English allows you the chance to meet tons of new people very quickly. You meet fellow teachers, lots of students and even the parents of your students. This can give you more of a sense of belonging in your new location, and it also gives you the chance to pick up private English classes from the people you meet.
Develop Useful Skills
Even if you never dreamed of a career in education, teaching abroad can help you develop useful skills for the future. Teachers learn how to plan and execute lessons, speak in front of large groups, coordinate with groups of coworkers with different backgrounds and language levels and conduct themselves well in a culturally diverse work setting. In Spain, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about language as you go, and practice your Spanish skills with coworkers and students. Children make the perfect language exchange partners, as you teach them English and learn from their occasional responses in Spanish.
Why Spain?
Maybe you’ve been considering teaching abroad, but you can’t decide where to go. The demand for English teachers is very high, and there are plenty of opportunities for native English speakers to teach in Spain regardless of their experience level. Here are a few other reasons that the country makes an excellent choice for spending a year or two abroad:
- Unbeatable weather: Spain has one of the mildest climates in Europe. With short winters, sunny springs filled with festivals and hot summers perfect for escaping to the beach, you’ll be happy to be situated in the Iberian Peninsula.
- Fantastic language opportunity: As a native English speaker, you’re likely already aware of the advantage you have when traveling the world. So many people these days speak English, and speaking Spanish has similar benefits. The opportunity to learn Spanish allows you to communicate with even more people when traveling the world, expands your worldview and allows you to make friends wherever you go.
- Endless cultural diversity: Spain is like several countries rolled into one. You can go to Galicia for lush forests and rainy, mystical coastlines; ski in the Sierra Nevada in Granada; or escape to an island paradise in the Canaries. Many regions such as Catalonia, the Basque Country, Valencia, and Galicia even speak their own languages in addition to Spanish. While taking in the known cultural aspects of Spain, such as tapas, flamenco and bullfighting, you can also learn about the many other cultures within this impossibly diverse country.
- Perfect home base for travel: With several international airports, an excellent train system and frequent buses between towns, Spain makes the perfect home base for traveling. Hop on a plane to another European country, explore the hidden treasures within Spain or even take a ferry to Africa. You’ll be pleased to discover that the opportunities to travel from Spain are not only plentiful, but usually very affordable as well.
Unique Places to Visit in Spain
While Spain is known for its tourist havens like Madrid, Barcelona and Seville, the country still has quite a few hidden gems up its sleeve. Here are a few recommendations to pique your interest in traveling to the lesser-known areas of Spain:
La Rioja
Eighty cent glasses of wine, anyone? La Rioja is Spain’s famous wine region, where the wine pairs perfectly with bites of food called pintxos. Spend your days hiking on the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage, and wind down in the evening with a delicious, yet incredibly cheap glass of Rioja red.
Costa do Morte, Galicia
Don’t let the Death Coast of Galicia’s ominous name deter you. Summers along Galicia’s coastline include sunny festivals, surfing and paddle boarding adventures, and icy dips in the Atlantic. It’s the perfect undiscovered getaway after a year of teaching English.
Setenil de Las Bodegas, Andalusia
Imagine a tiny town built under a rock. You’re picturing Setenil de las Bodegas. Yes, this town sits under a giant boulder, so shops and bars are all cave-like structures built into the stone. This one-of-a-kind town demonstrates just how many fascinating and unique treasures Spain has to offer.
Teaching English in Spain is the perfect way to line your pockets, explore a new place and get to know your community. Take advantage of this opportunity, and you’ll be sure to make memories and develop skills to last a lifetime.
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