Want to work as a TEFL English teacher in Madrid?

In this article I’ll try to cover most of the important information you’ll need if you're considering TEFL teaching in Madrid. I've also included links to interesting and relevant web resources.

 

Red Tape: Visas etc

For EU citizens this is easy, at least in theory, because you have the same rights to work in Spain as a native Spaniard. This doesn’t mean, however, that you’re immune from the famous “tramites” (loosely translated as “administrative processes” ) : Sooner or later you’ll need to sign up to social security, get a residents card and register in your district; all of which require some degree of patience and perseverance.

If you are not an EU citizen, then you’ll find things much more difficult. You’ll need to apply for a visa and it’s a virtual certainty that you’ll be asked to show a job offer or contract. I’m not an expert on this area so I recommend that you get in contact directly with the Spanish embassy in your country.

You might also find these more in-depth sites of use:

www.indigoguide.com/spain/working-in-spain.htm

www.spainlawyer.com

Finally, I’ll point out that in 5 years living and working in Spain I’ve never met a TEFL teacher who went through the process of applying for, and being granted, a work visa. So be prepared!

Note, September 2007: At present new residents cards are no longer being issued to EU citizens. Applicants are instead given a kind of official form. To be honest, I have no idea whether this is a temporary measure or not, nor the reasons behind it. I suggest refering to the links above for more information.

 

¿Can I work without papers?

Legally, no, but in practice, yes. At least, in part. A large number of non-EU citizens quite happily live and work as TEFL teachers in Spain despite not having the legal right to do so. However, while some schools and language agencies are prepared to look the other way, the majority will not, which means you’ll be limited to teaching classes to private students.

 

The cost of Living.

Although Spain has enjoyed a couple of decades of good economic growth, the relation between living costs and wages is not very favourable; and for anyone from the north of Europe or the USA it can be a bit of a shock. A favourite topic in the Spanish media is the problem of “llegar al fin de mes” (literally, "getting to the end of the month") which affects most people under 30, not just TEFL teachers. So, while you won’t have a huge amount of spending power at least you have the consolation of knowing that most of the locals are in the same situation!

 

How much will I earn as a TEFL teacher?

Wages vary considerably, although you’ll find that English teaching in Madrid pays better than in other parts of Spain. Starting rates for a new teacher in a “cheap and cheerful” school might be as low as 12 euros/hour but an experienced teacher doing in-company classes could make up to 30 euros. I consider “good” anything over 20 or 22 euros/hour. Bear in mind that while language schools (academias de idiomas) pay less than company classes they do normally have the advantage ofgiving you a block of hours together.

 

How much will I need to earn?

It is possible to live on less, but it’s a good idea to take 900 euros/month as the break-even point. For this you can “survive”: pay the rent, eat ok food, take public transport without fare-dodging and have the occasional night out or excursion. But you won't be wearing Prada!

Please also note that prices rise fairly steadily in Spain so this figure, while valid for 2007, may not be valid in the future.

 

 

Lunchtime and Evenings only!

If you come from an Anglo-Saxon culture you might be a bit shocked by the timetable of an English teacher in Spain. Most classes will generally be at lunchtime (2pm!) or after work. As Spaniards traditionally work until 18.30 or 19.00 this usually means starting evening classes at 19.00 or 19.30 and possibly going on as late as 22.00 if you work in a language school. Finding classes outside of these times is notoriously difficult.

 

Work in Summer..or rather, the lack of it.

It is very difficult to find teaching work in summer. Classes start scaling down towards the end of June and often won’t start again until October. August is by far the worst month as you’ll find most Madrileños have abandoned the city and headed for the coast. Given that August is extremely hot, you might want to consider joining the exodus!

 

How to find a job

Most teachers find TEFL jobs by contacting language schools or agencies directly (for a selection of schools, check out our map: “academias de ingles en Madrid ”).

You might also see the odd position advertised in the local English language magazines or in general job sites like www.infojobs.es. The global TEFL sites (www.tefl.net) could be another source although in my experience they tend to have more adverts for teaching jobs in smaller towns rather than the more popular cities.

Once in Madrid, If you want to look for private students you could put an advertisement on any one of the growing classified ads sites which serve the capital .I would personally recommend: www.loquo.com as it seems to have more users, although www.campusanuncios.com is another popular site.

 

Flats and Rooms

House prices in Spain have been rising rapidily for more than a decade and this has a knock-on effect on the rental market: renting is expensive, at least in comparison with what you earn. If you are looking for a single room in a shared house you'll be expected to pay 250-400/month. 300 euros should get you something decent but it depends on the zone.

The most popular site for flat and room hunting seems, once again, to be loquo: : http://madrid.loquo.com/. For rooms go to the section “rooms for rent / shared”

 

General information about madrid

Maps of Madrid : www.paginasamarillas.es or maps.google.es/

Information about Madrid metro, buses and trains: www.ctm-madrid.es/ (also in English)

 

General information about Spain.

For information about Spain as a whole I would recommend an American website: www.transitionsabroad.com which looks at many aspects of life as an expatriate in Spain and includes articles on teaching English in Madrid.

 

Any questions?

If you have any quick questions about TEFL teaching in general, or Madrid or Barcelona, please feel free to get in touch.

 

cb: Diseñador web Barcelona, España