Teach English in Spain

If you want to live and work abroad, one of the best ways to do this is to teach English in Spain. Obviously, there are many other countries where you can teach English as well, but Spain has numerous programs to teach English and is not too competitive to do so.

Spain is one of the best countries in the world to teach English because it’s affordable, has a high quality of life, make travel all over Europe easy, and the food is fantastic! While these are some of the top reasons to teach in Spain, these are just some of the top reasons to consider teaching in Spain.

There are a few different programs to teach English in Spain, all of which have their own requirements and responsibilities. Generally speaking, if you are a native English speaker with a college degree, you will qualify for all of them!

In this post, we will give brief breakdowns of different programs to teach English in Spain with links to the programs as well as other more detailed posts about the specific programs to teach English in Spain.

Read more detail about 7 Programs for Teaching English in Spain!

Auxiliares de Conversación Program – North American Language & Culture Assistants Program

The Auxiliares de Conversación Program is one of the most popular ways to teach English in Spain. It’s a program run through the Spanish government and allows North Americans, particularly Americans, to live and work in Spain.

You may also hear the Auxiliares de Conversación Program referred to as the North American Language and Culture Assistant Program. It’s the exact same program!

Auxiliares de Conversación is the program’s name in Spanish, while in English it’s North American Language and Culture Assistant. The program names, whether English or Spanish, are synonymous with the job title.

If you apply to teach English in Spain with the Auxiliares de Conversación Program, you will be working in a Auxiliar or Language Assistant. Depending on where you are teaching in Spain will affect your hours worked and pay.

See what a day in the life of an auxiliar de conversación is like in Madrid, Spain!

To find out more about the Auxiliares de Conversación Program in Spain, check out our full page about the program so you can apply to teach English in Spain!

Most of the other programs to teach English in Spain are offshoots of the Auxiliares de Conversación Program because the job is really the same–working as a Language Assistant in Spain.

The biggest difference between these programs are whether you are teaching in a public or private school, the number of hours you work, the pay, and where in Spain you can work.

Read our Guide to the Regions in Spain for a detailed breakdown of all 17 regions in Spain.

No matter which program you choose to teach English in Spain, you can always teach private lessons. Check out our post How to Teach Private English Lessons in Spain to find out everything you need to know about making extra money with private classes on the side.

If you have never been a teacher before, don’t worry! You can still teach English in Spain. Here are 10 easy activities to do for English classes in Spain.

Again, each program has their own pros and cons, but all of them allow you to teach English in Spain and live and work in Spain as an American.

If you are interested, see what a typical day in the life of an auxiliar de conversación in Madrid is like!

Below is a short description of the other programs to teach in Spain. For a full breakdown of all the programs, read our post on 7 Programs for Teaching English in Spain.

BEDA

Teaching in Spain with BEDA is very similar to the Auxiliares Program, except that you are in a private school and the vast majority of placements are only in Madrid.

You also have to do a Skype interview to teach with BEDA, something not required with the Auxiliares Program.

CIEE

CIEE is a large company that does study abroad programs as well as work abroad ones. They do a teach English in Spain program that is exactly what the Auxiliares Program is except that they only work with specific regions. In the past, they were only in Andalucia, but more recently their Language Assistants work in Madrid.

CIEE also charges a premium to help with the application process and VISA process. Some may find peace of mind in this, but honestly, it’s not necessary.

We have a step-by-step How to Apply to the Auxiliares de Conversación Program guide for you, so you don’t have to pay $2,000 for CIEE to help you!

ConservaSpain

ConservaSpain is incredibly similar to the Auxiliares de Converación Program too. However, they only have placements in Madrid and Murcia.

They do offer their language assistants add-ons, like Spanish classes and a TEFL certification.

UCETAM

UCETAM might be the best program if you absolutely want to live in Madrid as that is the only autonomous community where they have placements! The job through UCETAM is, once again, very similar to all the other teach English in Spain jobs listed here, but the hours works and pay are a little different.

Meddeas

Meddeas Language Assistants work exclusively in private schools around Spain. Their pay structure varies depending on your qualification, which could be a bonus if you already have experience teaching or a TEFL certification.

They also offer the opportunity to live with a host family, making it a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture.

Franklin Institute

Lastly, the Franklin Institute Program is one where you will work towards earning your Masters degree while working as a Language Assistant. This means you will earn some money on the side, but you will have also have to attend classes at night and on some weekends.

The Franklin Institute is a great program to teach English in Spain if you are also trying to earn a Masters degree at the same time. Keep in mind that all the Masters degrees offered with this program are in the education field.

Read more detail about each of the 7 Programs for Teaching English in Spain!