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Barcelona TEFL get a student visa spain Live legally in Spain see the world stay in spain legally teach and travel Teach English Online in Barcelona Teaching assistant programs TESOL courses

How to Apply to the Meddeas Language Assistant Program

So you want to live the dream? You want to teach English in a school in Spain and you want to do so legally.

Well good news for you, there are a few great programs here in Spain that actually allow you to do so by teaching as an “English Language Assistant”. These programs allow native-English speakers to legally live and work in schools across Spain on a student visa. One of the more coveted programs and a program that ITA Barcelona encourages its alumni to apply for is the Meddeas program. The application for this process can be lengthy, but very much worth it once you receive your school placement offer.

Participants in the Meddeas program essentially work in a Spanish private school for a full or half an academic year. You can be teaching a wide range of ages, anywhere from 1-18 years old. The students’ levels of English vary based on their ages. Throughout your participation in the program, you receive a monthly stipend and free teacher training through an online course provided by the accredited Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. There are three different levels of the program that participants can choose from based on their education, experience, and background.

No matter which program you apply for, you will be teaching a minimum of 20 hours a week for 5 days a week (you can teach up to 24 hours a week and your stipend will reflect the hours you teach and the program you are in). 

Here is a breakdown of the different programs offered:

  • Advanced Program: for candidates who hold a degree in Education or a degree in English Language or any degree + a TEFL certificate (perfect for most ITA alumni!)
    • Teach up to 15 students
    • Monthly stipend of €932 OR accommodation with host family + €482.
  • Graduate Program: for candidates who hold any degree
    • Teach up to 8 students
    • Monthly stipend of €882 OR accommodation wit host family + €432.
  • Speakers Program: for candidates who hold any degree/ university students/ gap years
    • Teach up to 3 students
    • Monthly stipend of €860 OR  accommodation with host family + €332.

To apply to the Meddeas program, click here. You will be asked to enter your name and email. Once entered, you will immediately receive an email that includes a brochure of frequently asked questions about the program as well as the application form. You will be asked to complete the application form and send your CV. If you are eligible, Meddeas will contact you inviting you to a first interview via Skype. If you are successful, you will have a second interview via Skype with one of the Meddeas delegates. This second interview is typically conducted in person with a Meddeas representative who lives in a city near you (the US, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany – or via Skype for candidates outside these regions), however, as of May 2020, these interviews are taking place via Skype due to COVID-19. 

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the application process:

> Request detailed information and the application form here.

> Complete the application form and submit your CV/resume via email. In the application form you will identify which program you are applying for and list your preferences of student ages and locations in Spain.

> If eligible, you will complete your first Skype interview. This interview can be anywhere between 30 – 50 minutes long. 

This first interview will include the following:

  • A short “quiz” on the Meddeas FAQ that will be sent to you beforehand.
  • Questions about you and your teaching experience, experience with kids, level of Spanish (no level is required), etc.
  • Your program preferences (which program you would like to participate in, your school and location preferences, etc.)
  • A short lesson planning activity.

If you are successful with the first interview, you will be invited to a second Skype interview. This interview can also be anywhere between 30 – 50 minutes long. A different person from your first interview will conduct this interview. The interviewer will not have access to your first interview, so some questions may be repetitive.

This second interview is more in-depth and will include the following:

  • Another short “quiz” on the Meddeas FAQ.
  • More questions about you and your teaching experience.
  • More detailed questions about your program preferences, what ages you would like to teach, and exactly where you would prefer to teach. One of the goals of this interview is to match you with the perfect school based on your preferences.
  • Activity component to test your level of English, fluency, and ability to think on your feet.

Finally, your Placement Offer!

Upon successful completion of the above, Meddeas will offer you a school placement that matches your profile. You can either accept or reject the placement, however, if you choose to reject, it is not guaranteed that you will receive another offer. If you accept, you will be asked to submit a program deposit of 850€ that you will receive back upon the successful completion of the program. You will then begin the process of applying for your student visa. Meddeas will provide you with detailed instructions on how to go about this and are there to answer any questions you may have and provide you with the documents you will need such as your official enrollment in your UIC course, your contract with your school, etc. You will be responsible for scheduling an appointment to apply for the visa at your closest Spanish consulate and collecting other documents needed such as a background check, medical certificate, proof of private health insurance, etc.

So when should you apply? Meddeas is always accepting applications so there is necessarily no concrete deadline you will need to apply by. If you would like to begin teaching in September/October, you should aim to apply during February/March of the previous school year. This will give you enough time to complete the interview process, which can take about a month, and then complete the lengthy process of applying for your student visa. It is also possible to begin your placement during January and teach for half of the academic year.

Interested in learning more about Meddeas?

Feel free to reach out to ITA Barcelona alumna Casey (and author of this lovely blog post) over at @case_ofbrooks! Personally, I had a great experience with this program and would recommend it to anyone seriously interested in not only teaching in Spain but gaining valuable teaching experience in a classroom setting. Meddeas was extremely helpful throughout the visa application process and was always there to answer any questions I had throughout the year. However, this program is not for anyone looking just to get a visa to Spain and to be able to freely travel around Europe, Meddeas is very clear about this and you will need to be committed to the program as you are expected to be in the classroom 5 days a week. With that being said, you will still be able to travel on weekends and will have 2 weeks of vacation for Christmas and Easter, so it is a win-win!

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see the world teach and travel

Learn To Teach! Travel And Make Friends For Life!

What started out as a course to learn how to teach English, later turned into 33 shared countries and a friendship of a lifetime.  Rewind to January 2014, Alli and I met in our  International TEFL Academy class in Barcelona, and became instant friends.  We had both left behind successful careers in the U.S., sold all of our belongings, and ventured out alone and excited to experience a different part of the world. First stop was Barcelona.

After completing our ITA Barcelona TEFL course, we both got various jobs teaching English in and around Barcelona and, with our hard-earned cash, decided that we really wanted to explore another country.  My birthday was approaching in March so we found the cheapest flight from Barcelona and it was to Casablanca, Morocco. We loved the mint tea, tasty food and unique culture.

Since we were teachers of English and had spring break off, we had to figure out where to travel next. So, we decided to rent a car and spent nine days driving up the coast of Spain into France and through the French Riviera to Nice and Monte Carlo, Monaco. That drive along the curvy roads next to the sea was gorgeous! We had the most surreal moment when crossing the border from Spain into France when we pulled over to take a photo next to the sign welcoming us into France. Picture this: we were standing on the side of the road, posing next to the sign along a windy road overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with the wind blowing in our hair when a group of bikers (peddling, not motor) from Poland decided to stop and take photos with us.  We were laughing, talking about where we were from and about their long journey along the coast. Such a cool moment!

We spent the next six months or so hiking and exploring in Spain, France and even Andorra…a tiny country between Spain and France.  Alli’s birthday was approaching in November and of course she wanted to see another country. So, where did we go? Budapest, Hungary! Oh and since it was her 30th birthday, she had 30 different tasks which she had to do 30 times. A couple examples: spin in circles 30 times, salute in front of a guard for 30 seconds, dance for 30 seconds (after giving 30 cents to the man playing an instrument). 

My birthday came again in March, so I had to (yes, had to) pick a new country.  We had heard great things about Porto, Portugal, so that is where we went with a group of six friends.  Porto is known for the bright, colorful tiles that decorate the outsides of buildings. Oh and to not forget the main thing Porto is known for: the port wines.  Which are WAY stronger than your average wine so when we said we wanted to do tastings at a couple different places, we only made it to one before we were giggling and falling over each other next to the river bank trying to pose for pictures. 

The next country was to Holland in April to see the tulip fields in bloom. Imagine rows and rows of various bright colors of tulips. Another gorgeous site!  We frolicked in the tulip fields and also went up inside a 400-year-old Dutch windmill that was made of all wood – including the nails.  The two older Dutch men were so proud to explain to us how the windmill operated and even let us turn it on/off by pulling a rope to move the giant lever. 

One of my friends had visited from the states and I wanted to surprise her with weekend trip to Italy.  Alli and I both had been to Italy before but since Florence is one of our favorite European cities and I had raved on and on about Cinque Terre, five little fisherman villages along the coast, Alli wanted to join too!  So we made the trip and our highlight was hiking along the coast of Cinque Terre, taking the boat back to the first village and drinking wine while watching the sunset into the Mediterranean Sea.

That summer, Alli had decided to do a work-away on an organic farm in the Czech Republic so I had to stop by and see it as well.  Keep in mind that a work-away means you stay for free, but you have to work in exchange of your lodging.  At first, I thought the organic farm was really cool because I helped the farmer pick our salad from the garden for our dinner my first night.  Thought maybe I wanted my own organic garden too until the next day when I was shoveling horse shit into a wheel barrel, rolling it up a hill and putting it into the planters where the next day I helped plant strawberry bushes. Um…no thanks and I no longer wanted my own garden. On that visit, we also went to the spot on the map where Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic all meet.  A large stone was at the spot and we were able to be in three countries at one time! For different reasons after the summer, Alli and I both returned back to the states.  This, however, did not stop our travels. Since becoming best friends and travel buddies, we have been to 33 total countries together.  To date, Alli has been to 49 total counties and Jen to 43.

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A Day as a TEFL student

My Life As An ITA TEFL Student

Starting off the day

It’s Monday morning in week three of my Certificate in TEFL course at ITA Barcelona, and I wake up to my alarm at 9 a.m. in my very tiny studio. I open the tall balcony doors to let some fresh air in and turn off the AC, hoping that this is enough of an effort to keep my electricity costs down (it’s not!); I open the fridge to make myself breakfast and realize I didn’t meal prep or grocery shop for the week. I can’t believe I did this again! No problem, I will just grab an empanada on my way into class at the corner café and eat before going into class. And thank heavens for this instant coffee still in my pantry from the prior tenant.

Like all my weekends since I started my TEFL course, I have spent most of Saturday and Sunday working on my TEFL course work- reading and corresponding quizzes, a lesson-planning assignment which took ages to do as I needed to find my own materials. On top of all this, I had to plan my lesson for teaching practice today. Trying to juggle having as much fun as possible on the weekends as well as doing the numerous assignments we have to do at the w eekends during the course is not easy; I decide my course work comes first, I will have plenty of time to party after the course.

I do a quick 20 minute yoga class from an app on my phone because I know I need time to review my lesson plan for the class I teach later today. Hmm… reviewing it now makes me realize it doesn’t look super strong. I’m hearing my instructor’s voice in my head: “What is the main aim of this lesson that I’m going to teach advanced students? “. I don’t know! It’s all over the place! I am going to have to revise it at some point before my class this evening. Perhaps it will be smart to grab another coffee along with that empanada.

10:00 class start!

Enough of looking at the lesson plan, I have to be in class for the first input session by 10 a.m., otherwise it’s points deducted! I shower and get dressed in the least amount of clothing possible and pack my professional teaching attire in my back pack. I grab my bike and head out. Entering the school is the best, ahhhhh AC again. Everyone is sitting where they always do, in heaps of sweat, and I head to my spot near the window and say hi to everyone. My classmates are in good humor, although some have a nervous look on their face that says «I may not be prepared to teach my class tonight» and I nod at them in solidarity.

I think about the day ahead of me, because it’s going to be a long one! 10:00-13:30, we have two input sessions with a break in between them, then I’ll need to eat again; luckily, we have a couple of hours to work on my plan after lunch from 2:30-4:30, when I can sit down with an instructor who will be available to give me feedback on my plan.

The first session of the morning, A trainer is teaching us how to work with young learners. She already has on the board a big outline of a bag and what looks like a Mary Poppins bag on the floor next to her. I’m looking forward to this. She has a fun mischievous look on her face and asks us what we think is in the bag. I hope it’s candy (it’s not.) The lesson proceeds and I am enthralled like a little kid. Kerry and Stephen always have great hooks.

After that session and our thirty minute coffee break, we have a fun-packed grammar lesson, and great teacher takeaways which may even help me with my teaching practice later.

Lunch!

At 1:30, we finally break for lunch – I can work on my lesson plan! I go over it with my partner who agrees I don’t have a clear main aim for my students. I have three hours before my class starts. I can do this. But first, I get delicious Indian food in the neighborhood with my classmates, and wolf it down in 45 minutes so that I can get back for 2:30 to get some much-needed lesson planning advice from an ITA instructor.

Back at school, stuffed but reenergized, I grab the nearest instructor who luckily for us is always on hand to give advice. I speak to whoever that might be, and for the next two hours, I work relentlessly on my lesson plan to tweak, add, and basically rehearse it. I have until 4:30 to get my plan and materials in order, printed out, and be ready and waiting in class for the guinea pig students. These are the students who volunteer to be our students so that we can practice our newly-acquired teaching skills. They are a great bunch, always willing to put up with our lessons which do not always go according to plan.

Anyway, I get to the point I think the lesson plan is clear and has a good flow. Not much I can do now, class is about to start and I’m going on first. Confidence and big smiles, these advanced students will be a challenge if they get bored (advice from my classmates who already taught them).

Teaching my lesson!

So at 4:30, the students walk in and sit down eager to speak. I give my lesson as one of my classmates and the trainer looks on, both of whom are making copious notes on my performance. After 50 minutes, I finish and it’s my classmate’s turn to teach (and mine to take notes on his lesson).

Phewf! Not too bad. They were intrigued and stayed focus, and seemed like they had fun. At 6 p.m. after my classmate’s lesson, the guinea pigs go home, happy by the look of things. Now we have the post-lesson feedback session in which the trainer tells us what we did well, and what we need to work on for our next lesson. This lasts until about 7pm. My notes are what I expected, which was I needed a stronger grammar take away. But overall, feedback was good on the lesson. Hurray! Now for wine!

Home at last!

And quizzes…that are due in two days, but I know the next two days I won’t have time to complete them. Wine and quizzes? Yes. Three of my classmates and I go to one of their apartments that has an amazing terrace with a view to tackle the quizzes that cover the chapters in our course book, drink wine, eat cheese and bread, and make silly English-teacher jokes.

Ok it’s now 1am. I need to sleep. I hop back on my bike and head home. The streets are wet from the street cleaning and it’s quiet, which is rare to see in the old city. It preps me for sleep. Got another 10 o’clock start tomorrow and the rest of the week, and need to finish that assignment for my one-on-one project. As I am not teaching tomorrow, I have all afternoon to start getting that in shape.  Reminding myself as well on the bike home that I need to schedule another meeting with my student for the project, as well as think about another lesson plan for my next lesson, which luckily for me is in two day’s time. My classmate has his next lesson observed tomorrow. More long days ahead!

Up the stairs with the bike, maybe I shower? Nah. I set my alarm for 9am and pass out. Dammit. I forgot to get groceries again.

Categorías
Teach English Online in Barcelona

Teaching English Online While Based in Barcelona

You finish your TEFL course at International TEFL Academy  Barcelona TEFL, receive your official certificate, and then you’re faced with the difficult task of deciding where to teach. Should I go to Europe, Asia, Latin America? I decided to stay and teach English in Barcelona, Spain?

It’s exciting, yet nerve-wracking, to dive right into a full schedule of teaching after your TEFL class. It’s not hard to find private clients to teach in Barcelona. There are many tools to help you find students & tutor groups (websites/Facebook groups, primarily), and ITA will help you here.

As a new teacher, I really wanted to put together a teaching schedule that was realistic and manageable to avoid burn-out or stress. I had heard about teaching English online and I was very intrigued about the possibility of having more control over my schedule and not having to commute. A guest speaker came in to talk about her experience teaching online being based in Barcelona. Who doesn’t want to work from home? I talked to friends who had experience teaching English online, and from there I was sold, and started the process of interviewing and vetting out online teaching companies.

I was surprised by how official the interview process was for these online teaching jobs. It wasn’t easy by any means and the entire process was very professional from start to finish. It took me about one and a half weeks from when I first applied online to being offered a job.

Fast-forward six months later and I’m still living in Barcelona, teaching English online to Chinese students, and loving every second of it! Sometimes I still can’t believe that I’m living in Barcelona – the longer I’m here, the more I love this city. I truly think Barcelona is one of the best cities for teaching English abroad, especially if you’re teaching English online.

Schedule & Travel Time

I’m teaching in the Chinese time-zone, so my main working hours are from 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. I can wake up even earlier and work, which means I’m done working every day by 3:30 p.m.! So I have a lot of time for exploring, traveling, and experiencing everything Barcelona has to offer. Barcelona has plenty of activities to keep you busy- beaches, parks, restaurants/bars, shopping, and more.

Another great thing about teaching English online is the flexibility to travel while still working. I can hop over to other European cities in a matter of hours for the weekend and be back on Monday for work. In fact, I even left Barcelona for three months, went to SE Asia, and travelled while continuing to teach online. I chose SE Asia because I would be almost in the same time zone as my students so I could teach from 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. As Asia was still on my «countries to visit» list, it was a great way to make money while traveling, and I worked every two weeks for one week, while still having a flexible schedule to explore. Best of all, I was able to pay for most of my trip while continuing to keep my regular students and teach.

When I returned to Barcelona, I started working a more regular schedule and picked up right where I left off! I definitely knew I wanted to return to Barcelona after traveling; the city is magical and with summer just around the corner, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be!

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