Wondering if teaching English abroad is right for you? Check out this post on why I am choosing to teach English abroad in Spain as a Language and Culture Assistant.
Teaching English abroad in Spain as a Language and Culture Assistant was the last thing on my mind late last year. In fact, I was dead set on becoming an Au Pair again, this time in Australia. But, as life often does, it threw me a curveball. Plans shifted, opportunities fell through, and suddenly I found myself reconsidering everything.
In fact, if you had told me back then that I’d end up applying for a job to be in front of a classroom teaching English abroad to children in Spain, I probably would’ve laughed. Not because I didn’t like kids, but because of one specific memory that haunted me: an internship at a daycare at MIT. My boss there told me, quite bluntly, that I wasn’t a natural with children and that she’d never hire me again. That kind of feedback sticks with you.
So, after all of that, you’re probably wondering, what changed? What made me shift gears so drastically and take a leap toward teaching English abroad in Spain? Well, in this post, I’m going to share exactly what led me there and what I’m hoping to achieve from the experience.
Withdrawing my application from AIFS
The first thing I would say that led to me to teach English abroad in Spain was withdrawing my application from AIFS. AIFS is an Au pair agency based in Australia whose mission is to help young people around the world match with an Australian host family in order to Au pair for them through a cultural exchange. I was initially drawn to this agency after my time as an Au pair in Germany since I had a not so great experience. In fact, looking back, a part of me wished that I went with a proper Au pair agency since I would have been able to avoid the issues I dealt with while I was in Germany.
So, the moment I landed back in the U.S., I tried to look up some Au pair agencies in Australia who would be interested in helping an American who wants to work abroad Down Under. In fact, the reason I chose Australia out of all the countries was due to my ex-host mom. She told me she spent a lot of time living and traveling around Australia and New Zealand, so she thought I’d like it. Unfortunately, I never thought she’d be the one person standing in my way of making that happen.
When it came to choosing AIFS specifically, I remember it being the only Au pair agency in Australia that got back to me, as well as being one of the agencies I listed on my blog post about the best Au pair agencies for Americans. When I reached out to them, I got connected with one of their coordinators, who told me all the steps I needed to take before the interview. I followed them all, but it wasn’t until after the interview that things took a turn. I’ll let my review speak for itself:
In fact, their response to my review was even worse because it was very fake and full of lies. Like, for instance, I had no problem giving them two references. In fact, I gave them three. However, it wasn’t until after the interview that they decided to ask for a fourth one…. In addition, for them to say that I was aware they would ask for that from the beginning is false. They only mandated that reference after the interview…
At the end of the day, I wasn’t going to argue back and forth with the agency. It is what it is. My withdrawal created space for new opportunities, ones I was willing to consider now that my Plan A didn’t work out. That’s when the idea of teaching English abroad in Spain first crossed my mind. Last year, I stumbled across a TikTok where a user shared her experience with the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP). She mentioned it was one of the easiest ways to move abroad, and that stuck with me. So I thought, If I’m not going to Australia anymore… why not go to Spain?
Serving at a Dual Language School
Another factor that led me to pursue teaching English abroad in Spain was my current role at a dual-language school. I’m serving at a dual-language school in Colorado, and I have to say, I really enjoy it. Of course, like any job, there are aspects I don’t love, but instead of focusing on that, I’d rather highlight how this experience is preparing me for my next chapter in Spain:
- First, the students I work with are native Spanish speakers. The main difference is that they’re all from Latin America.
- Second, I already have a sense of what it’s like to assist in a classroom setting, since I support several English classes at my school.
- Third, I’ve learned effective classroom management strategies to regain students’ attention when their focus starts to drift.
- Finally, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to build strong relationships with your fellow co-teachers. I truly believe the relationships I’ve made will continue to be essential while I’m in Spain.
All in all, it makes perfect sense that my experience at a dual-language school is leading me to teach English abroad in Spain. I believe my time in Spain will definitely mirror much of what I’ve already learned there, and that foundation will help me thrive.
Taking a Conversational Spanish Class
Another factor that led me to teach English abroad in Spain is the Conversational Spanish class I’m taking. The class and the textbook were fully paid for by my employer, so I basically had the opportunity to learn Spanish for free, and so far, I really like what I’m learning. It wasn’t the first Spanish class that I’ve ever taken, but looking back, I can’t even remember what I learned from that class seven years ago.
However, what I do know is that having a background knowledge of Italian is really helping me excel. The two languages are practically sisters in my opinion, so it’s easy to take the concepts that I’ve learned while studying Italian and apply them to the Spanish class I’m taking now.
Plus, I’m not going to work at my dual-language school forever, so it only makes sense to take what I’ve learned from my Conversational Spanish class and use it as an opportunity to live abroad in another Spanish-speaking country. So, if that’s the case, why not Spain?
Continuing my Professional Development
Another factor that led to my decision to teach English abroad in Spain was continuing my professional development. Although this is not required, getting TEFL certified is highly recommended if you’re thinking about teaching English in any foreign country. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and it refers to the practice of teaching English to students whose native language is not English in non-English-speaking countries.
This kind of certification can open many doors for me as I start my teaching career, since it will allow me to teach in any foreign country besides Spain. Plus, if I decide to branch out of the NALCAP program once it’s over, I can look for other teaching opportunities in Spain that pay more if I have a TEFL certificate.
Ultimately, I believe teaching English abroad in Spain is the next step in my career, and getting the TEFL certificate will only do me wonders professionally.
Making the Permanent Move to Europe
Lastly, another factor that led to my decision to teach English abroad in Spain is my desire to make the permanent move to Europe. I, for one, truly believe that the United States is not where I’m meant to be for the rest of my life. I’m not as happy as I am here than when I’m in Europe and the culture here pretty much sucks.
My destiny is to live in Europe and the only way I can do that is through a visa. The NALCAP will essentially be a start but once I’ve done the program for two years my hope is that I can transition it to a Digital Nomad Visa or apply for Pareja de Hecho with my partner. Pareja de Hecho is a legally recognized domestic partnership in Spain for couples who live together but aren’t married. It offers certain legal rights similar to marriage, such as residency benefits for non-EU partners, but varies slightly by region.
So, in other words, if I meet the love of my life in Spain, I’m definitely guaranteed permanent residency through Pareja de Hecho. However, in order to meet him, I have to stay in Spain somehow, so the NALCAP visa is perfect.
Overall, I hope you enjoyed this post on why I am choosing to teach abroad in Spain! Please let me know in the comments below what you think or if you’re considering teaching abroad too. I would love to hear from you! 🙂
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