Note: We were previously known as INTESOL Spain. 

“I attended the Barcelona January 2014 course and had a great experience. Kerry and Stephen’s excellent instruction combined with the course materials prepared me to be ready to teach. With no prior teaching experience, I left the course with confidence and was able to get full-time work right away. I have been able to apply what I learned about lesson planning, teaching grammar, motivating students and more. I have loved living in Barcelona and getting to know this vibrant city. There is history, the beach, delicious food, great weather and so much to see!”
– Jennifer Howland, from Arizona; January 2014; currently teaches in Barcelona.

“I loved my 4 weeks at *INTESOL, it was a great challenge and a lot of fun. Steve and Kerry’s knowledge and teaching experience is boundless as is their friendly and helpful approach not only during the course but afterwards too. This course has taken me to Vietnam for the summer where I had an amazing experience teaching English to children, and who knows where to next. With a TEFL qualification the world is most certainly your oyster! The opportunities that doing a TEFL course offer you are endless, and I personally am so grateful for all the help from the Intesol team in realising my dream of becoming a teacher. It is everything I always hoped it would be and much much more!”
– Sally Cartwright, from London; previously worked in Marketing and Branding; March 2013; currently teaching Business and General English classes in Barcelona.

“What I liked most about the *INTESOL course was not only the high quality content but also the assistance with all matters relating to getting situated as a teacher, including hands-on teaching experience and job placement. Stephen and Kerry are both highly qualified teachers with years of experience but also add the human touch with their fun and down to earth personalities. They are both not only passionate about the methods of TEFL, but also in assisting their students in any way possible to understand the lessons, find housing, and most importantly finding work. They go above and beyond for their students and this is what makes all the difference in any educational experience, but most especially in being a foreign student abroad. Also- the classes were just plain fun! Expect to laugh and enjoy a lot while learning in their classes!”
– Graciela Dyangko, from California; previously worked as a Social Worker; September 2012; currently teaches all levels, and ages in Barcelona.

“I strongly recommend *INTESOL Spain for TEFL training. I had an amazing experience – the course is demanding and challenging which ensures that you are well prepared to begin teaching as soon as you complete the program.

The trainers, Stephen and Kerry, are absolute experts in their delivery of the material, but more importantly, in the way that in just 4 weeks they are able to give you the tools to go out and teach on your own. The class sizes are small in order to provide a more personalized and hands on approach to learning and teaching.

I had taught in the U.S. for more than 10 years and definitely came into the experience thinking that I could just breeze through it – that wasn’t the case. I say that so that potential students are aware that you have to work hard, but if you’re willing to do so and want to learn from the best, then *INTESOL Spain is definitely the place for you! It really pays off in the end!

And as an added bonus, you have the awesome location of being two blocks from Sagrada Familia.”
– Rachel Sair, from Chicago; previously worked as a Spanish teacher; October 2010; currently teaches and organizes classes at all levels, and ages in Barcelona.

“Over three years ago, I decided to change my life and the direction it was going by seeing the world and gaining a different life experience. That’s when I chose (INTESOL Spain) to get my TESOL certification. I didn’t know anyone or anything there. The school was extremely helpful in getting me an accommodation and also telling me some of the things to see and do in the area. I’ve been around professors and teachers my whole life and I’ve seen many different techniques and strategies, but the teachers there are some of the best I’ve been around. They make learning fun and interactive. It’s not some boring lecture. Stephen and Kerry made me look forward to class every day. The skills I learned there helped me a lot and I still use them today. I am currently an ESL professor at the community college of Philadelphia. My teaching strategy is in a large part due to the techniques I learned while at *INTESOL Spain. There are few people and places I am as fond of as I am my teachers Stephen and Kerry in Barcelona.

I stayed in Barcelona almost 3 years after completion of my TESOL course. I kept in contact with my teachers and visited the school many times after.

I didn’t teach right away after I received my certificate because I wanted to enjoy my time in different ways in Barcelona. I certainly did that. I worked as a club promoter, I played semi-professional football, and I worked as a personal trainer. Also, I had a business organizing student housing. I had too many good experiences to count. But, it all started at Bess Barcelona (*INTESOL Spain). Going to Barcelona and attending this school was the best decision I ever made and it may be the best choice you make as well.”
– Norman Raison, Philadelphia; Barcelona November 2010; ESL Teacher in Philadelphia

“I am forever grateful to Kerry and Stephen for everything they taught me. Before doing the course I had NO experience with grammar. Their education was priceless. I learned grammar, how to effectively teach, and most importantly, I learned that being an English teacher is TOTALLY different than being a regular teacher….the students do most of the talking! Also, in addition to daily classes with Stephen and Kerry, you learnt to create lesson plans that you can use with your students when you’re done with the course, AND you’re teaching ACTUAL students.

Schools are getting stricter with regulations on teachers, so it’s more difficult to get a good paying job for a solidly reputable school without your certification, but with my (Level-5) certification from *INTESOL Spain, I can teach anywhere I choose!

I came to Madrid after the course because they are BEGGING for teachers, and I IMMEDIATELY found so much work, that I’m turning down schools and students on a regular basis, really. It’s super easy to find work, especially with the education you receive from INTESOL Spain”.
– Dana Soza, California; Previously worked in Business and Sales; January 2013; currently teaches all levels, and ages in Madrid.

“I am now into my ninth month living in Spain. When asked what my favorite part of it all has been so far, my answer is always “my first month with TEFL.” I came here with basic Spanish knowledge and I knew nobody. My initial feelings were those of worry and concern- Will I make friends? How will I fare, being nowhere near fluent in the spoken language? My worry subsided when I came into contact with the students and instructors at INTESOL, with whom I would surround myself for the next thirty days.

It is hard to explain, through written-word, the close connection our group, previous groups and subsequent groups formed, and so quickly. I am a credible source for speaking to other groups because we all bonded and came together eventually. You spend a lot of time with one another and that brings you together, sure, but what I believe it has to do with comes more from how like-minded everyone is. Traveling to another country in which you know nobody sets you aside from the majority. Further, you share the same passion for teaching. Perhaps not immediately. Maybe you are brought here because it’s a “good next move after college,” as was the case for me, but trust me, you develop passion early on in the TEFL course.

The lessons learned are pertinent to life. EFL had never been something I thought about, let alone considered studying. After TEFL, I am thinking seriously about continuing my graduate studies in this area; if not EFL specifically, then certainly teaching.

The students I met in my TEFL course became my best friends, so much so that I moved to Madrid with one of them. The move was easy because of the company I had and the information we were provided by our instructors. We never once felt alone or incapable, always having a well-established safety net in Barcelona. I never imagined I would receive such help from my instructors, especially after the course had finished. They provided me with connections for potential job opportunities, and that is how I found business here in Madrid. Since moving to Madrid, I have travelled back to Barcelona twice to reconnect with my old peers and instructors, truly feeling as though I have friends all over the world now.

I will always think of both Barcelona and Madrid as a home away from home. In all honesty, I did not think I would make it three months in Spain. Now, being in my ninth month, I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave in just another three”.
– Shaina Levin, from Philadelphia, previously studied Communications at BU, August 2013, currently teaching in Madrid.