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Etiqueta: work in Spain

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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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get a student visa spain stay in spain legally student visa spain Visa information

How To Obtain A Long-term Student Visa To Study In Spain

About two years ago, my partner and I decided we wanted to live in Spain for one year.  We both love Spain and have always wanted to spend at least a year here to learn the language and be immersed in the culture.  The trick was finding out how to do it legally, and thankfully we managed to figure it out.

My partner was able to apply for a non-lucrative visa because she has income from the United States.  I, on the other hand, do not have income from the United States, so I decided to apply for a long term student visa. I knew I wanted to do a TEFL program so that I could teach English while living in Spain.  After doing some research and reading lots of reviews, I decided ITA was where I wanted to do my TEFL course.

I spoke with Stephen Halden who informed me that I could enroll in Spanish courses at BCN Lip after I completed my TEFL course.  I opted to study for 9 months after the TEFL program which allowed me to apply for a 10-month student visa.

What are the steps?

The first step was applying to the TEFL program, and then to the Spanish language program. Once I was accepted into both, I asked them to send my acceptance letter via snail mail because you need the original stamped letter when applying for the visa (they sent it by DHS and it arrived within a week).  Fortunately BCN Lip sent all of my enrollment paperwork (including the TEFL course start date) in Spanish so I didn’t need to have it translated. Next, I went online to make an appointment with the Spanish consulate in San Francisco. I made the appointment in mid July, and the first available appointment was October 16th. This is something to keep in mind when planning your trip as it usually takes about 3 months to get an appointment with the consulate (depending on where you live).  Below is a list of the steps I had to take and the documents needed to obtain my student visa:

  1. Get a live scan to get fingerprinted and photos for the visa (same as U.S. Passport photos)  
  2. Fill out the National student visa application form (on the consulate website)
  3. Original up to date passport
  4. Two copies of your passport
  5. Two U.S. passport size photos
  6. Two copies of the acceptance letter from ITA and BCN Lip
  7. A copy of an intended flight itinerary (they suggest you don’t book your flight until your visa is approved, but they need to know when you intend to leave for Spain).  
  8. An official bank statement (you need to go into your bank and ask for this, you cannot print an online statement).  The statement must show that you have at least $750 for each month you will be studying in Spain, or you can get a notarized and translated letter from your parents or someone who intends to provide for you financially while you are in Spain.  
  9. Criminal records clearance verified by fingerprints and the Apostille of the Hague (both need to be officially translated).  In the United States, the Secretary of State of each state and his or her deputies are authorized to affix an Apostille (an International certification comparable to a notarization in domestic law) to documents issued or certified by an officer recognized by the state.  You must contact the Apostille of the Hague in your state to complete this process.
  10. Medical certificate from your doctor (you must print the one on the consulate’s website, go to your doctor for a physical exam and have them sign and stamp it with their official stamp).  My doctor signed both the English and Spanish portions because she speaks Spanish, but if your doctor won’t sign the Spanish portion of the certificate, you may have to have it officially translated.  You should check with your consulate about this.
  11. Proof of health and repatriation insurance.  I used DKV Seguros for my insurance, but there are others out there that may be less expensive.  You must purchase insurance and have proof of it before going to your visa appointment. I would recommend beginning this process right away as it took a while to actually get in touch with an insurance agent.  One of the catch 22’s with the insurance is that you have to have an address in Spain in order to purchase the insurance. We had the help of a friend in Spain who we were staying with upon arrival, but I believe you may be able to use the address of the school you enroll in.  You can check with them before you apply to the program.
  12. At the time of writing this, $161 cash or money order for the visa application fee (I would suggest bringing cash).
  13. Driver’s license and photocopy of it.

The Spanish Government has a Sworn Translators-Interpreters web page where you can find a link to a Spanish language list of approved translators and interpreters.  You must use a translator who is officially recognized and certified by the Spanish government. We had a few people tell us they were certified by the Spanish government, but luckily we found out they were not before using them.  If you check the “Lista actualizadade traductores/as-interpretes” document on the consulate’s website, you will find the approved Spanish/English translators located in the United States.

All the documents that you present at the consulate must be dated within three months of your appointment date.  That means you have to procure things like background checks and financial documentation, and then get them notarized and translated and Apostilled and returned to you within that three-month window.

After your appointment date, if you submit all the correct documents and paperwork and are approved, you should receive your visa in about one month.  You must physically go to the consulate to pick up your visa, you cannot have someone else pick it up on your behalf (at least this was the case in San Francisco, but it might be different in other consulates).  If you don’t live in a city that has a consulate, you will have to travel to the closest city that does have one. Each region’s consulate has slightly different requirements so be sure to check the requirements for your specific region.  

The process sounds a bit daunting, but if give you give yourself enough time to gather all of your documents and you go to your visa appointment well prepared, it is not that bad.  Also, the whole process is well worth it once you arrive in Spain and get to experience all the beauty and wonders of this country!

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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

5 Things You Need To Successfully Teach English Online in Barcelona

English teacher standing at whiteboard, posing at camera
English teacher standing at whiteboard, posing at camera

The technical requirements:

1. A Laptop/Computer (or iPad) with a camera: You will need a computer with a camera in order to teach online. Be sure you have a camera, as you’ll need it to videoconference with your students.

2. Strong Internet Connection: Be sure you have a solid Internet connection, wherever you are. When I travel and teach online I often book Airbnb’s so I can teach from home, and I ask my hosts to check the Internet speed for me beforehand so I know its strong. You can check your speed for free at SpeedTest.net. The company you apply for will tell you what the minimum speed requirement is.

3. Headphones: You will be required to use headphones or a headset to teach.

To think about:

4. Props: Online teaching requires A LOT of TPR (Total Physical Response). With that being said, I like to have a lot of props to help me in case I have a shy student. I made my own alphabet flashcards, reward system, and purchased animal puppets. Flying Tiger is a great and cheap store for props in Barcelona.

5. Quiet Location: I recommend having a quiet room to teach from. The less distractions/noise, the better for your student and your class.

Lastly, be sure to take it seriously. Teaching online may be fun, but it’s a job. The students and families take it very seriously and have high expectations and you should too. This means, never miss a class if you are booked (However, emergencies happen, each company has their own cancelation policy), and don’t show up late. Since I live in Barcelona, I sometimes stay out late, and will make sure I don’t give myself an early schedule the next day.

Now, be sure you do your research on companies; they all have different requirements/obligations for teachers, contracts for hours, Internet speed requirements, etc. But, once you get started, you won’t regret it!

A few companies to check out:
–https://t.vipkid.com.cn/?_version=2
–https://www.dadaabc.com/teacher/job/
–http://51talk.ph/
–https://www.cambly.com/english?lang=en
–https://www.abc360.com/Teacher/Teacher/index
–https://teacher.landi.com/

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Visa information

What type of visa do I need to study and/or work in Spain?

EU Citizens – Citizens from the European Union nations are able to work legally in Spain without getting a visa. However you will need to register for a Residence Permit at the local Foreigners’ Office and apply for a tax number, known as an “NIE,” which you will need for official paperwork, taxes, etc. Typically, your employer will assist you with these matters, including your application for social security.

Student Visa – Those who plan to study in Spain at a recognized language school, university, etc. may be eligible to legally work in Spain while studying.  Typically, a student visa must be processed before departing for Spain.  Contact a Spanish Consulate for more information on recognized “study abroad” programs and what is required to obtain a student visa. We can help you find a suitable program that meets the necessary requirements which allows you to apply for a student visa.

There are basically three options for student visas, which start from when you first enter the EU:

a) A tourist visa which expires after 90 days (this is the stamp in your passport on entry)

b) Short-term student visa (4 to 6 months)

c) Long-term student visa (minimum 7 months). For our Student Visa Programs, click here.

With the short-term visa (b), you are not eligible to work legally, but can stay in Spain legally. With the long-term student visa, however, you are eligible to legally work for up to 20 hours per week, which is more or less full time teaching. This means you would need to be enrolled on an official course, recognized as such by the Spanish Ministry of Education, and studying for minimum of 20 hours per week.

Tourist Visa – Tourist visas are the most common for English teachers who are not citizens of European Union (EU) nations, including Americans, to work on in Spain as the majority of schools and employers in Spain will not sponsor a work visa for their teachers.  A 90 day tourist visa will be stamped in your passport upon entry into Spain and to teach English you will overstay it and work on an expired tourist visa. The vast majority of Americans & non-EU citizens who work in Barcelona do so as independent contractors & private tutors on a tourist visa.

Citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand years can apply for a one-year Spanish working holiday visa. Working holiday visas typically have restrictions and requirements, such as age limits (typically between 18 and 30 or 35), the need to prove one has sufficient funds, and more.

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