Teaching abroad

[Triz]

Lets continue this here -:Undertaker:-;
To become a teacher abroad such as yourself.. I assume you're teaching English to Spanish kids/adults?

Don't you need to be able to also speak Spanish, as I recall you telling me that your Spanish isn't great?

[-:Undertaker:-]

I teach English abroad yeah, and no you don't have to speak their native language at all believe it or not. In fact, many academies/schools discourage any use of Spanish in the classroom. You may think then, well how do you teach the subject (as I initially worried about) but in most cases people who go abroad are teaching English levels between A1 to C2 so the learners already have a grasp of conversational English already. Even C2 isn't widely taught because of difficulty. It's taught completely differently to how we were taught foreign languages (in my opinion not very well) in British state schools.

https://www.examenglish.com/CEFR/cefr.php

Above is the common framework of language levels so that is what you'd be most likely teaching. I have also taught lower levels than A1, and again not had a problem - in those circumstances sometimes I have had to use some Spanish words to get something across, but that is few and far between to be honest!

The flexibility of the job is pretty amazing too. You can pretty much get ESL jobs anywhere in the world at any time, a decent salary/accommodation compared to local job market and living standards, very flexible working hours and a satisfying and mostly fun job to do. Plus, you don't have to work in a school - some people prefer to just work in a private academy teaching older teenagers and adults, some prefer summer camp type jobs, some prefer school, some prefer a combination of all these... I have had a great 3 years (workwise) in my current job where I work in an academy based in a school but also work in the school which is both a nursery, primary and high school... and then also teach adults. So experience wise now I can go to any ESL job and say I have done it all.

[GoldenMerc]

Pretty much 60% of the Expats who live in the city I live in, are English teachers haha.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Pretty much 60% of the Expats who live in the city I live in, are English teachers haha.

I need to move to a city.

I'm thinking Barcelona, going to start applying for jobs soon.

[RichBoiSam]

That's really interesting, I've always wondered that myself. How did you find moving to a different country, I'm assuming you moved on your own? I'd struggle myself, as I've been living with family my whole life and we're close so when I'm able to move out, I doubt I'll be too far away!

[-:Undertaker:-]

That's really interesting, I've always wondered that myself. How did you find moving to a different country, I'm assuming you moved on your own? I'd struggle myself, as I've been living with family my whole life and we're close so when I'm able to move out, I doubt I'll be too far away!

I have found it hard, but because of stuff unrelated to actually moving abroad.

My plan at the moment is to move to a large city - Barcelona I have my eyes on - this September for a fresh start.

But given everything I have learnt on the job, the experience, what it does for your CV - I would certainly not have stayed at home.

[GoldenMerc]

most of my friends who lived in Valencia moved to Barcelona, too dangerous for my liking. In VLC can walk around at night, in Barca you can't... Not for meeee!

[-:Undertaker:-]

most of my friends who lived in Valencia moved to Barcelona, too dangerous for my liking. In VLC can walk around at night, in Barca you can't... Not for meeee!

I visited Barcelona like 4 years ago and was blind drunk every night... felt pretty safe!

Do you mean the pick pocketing that goes on around La Rambla?

[GoldenMerc]

I visited Barcelona like 4 years ago and was blind drunk every night... felt pretty safe!

Do you mean the pick pocketing that goes on around La Rambla?

its not pickpocketing after 10pm, more so getting beat up and robbed

[-:Undertaker:-]

its not pickpocketing after 10pm, more so getting beat up and robbed

suppose it depends on area where you live

you get more streetwise when you live somewhere

i'm proper PUMPED for barca. or Madrid tbh.

whats Valencia like

[GoldenMerc]

Quiet, clubs are good though. I used to walk back at 3am, never any trouble. City is cheap, lots to do. You can pretty much walk across the whole of it, we have scooters and just wizz around on them. Live outside the city now, we bought a house over a yr ago. Probably going to buy a flat or two in the city this year for Expat rentals.

[-:Undertaker:-]

GoldenMerc;

hmm see sounds to small/quiet for me, i need like a big busy loud city