WELCOME!
Welcome to TEFL Barcelona’s redesigned website. we have migrated to a more responsive platform, for a better browsing experience from mobile devices, we also took the opportunity to join our blog and the site under the same roof, we hope you will enjoy this mine of information about teaching English in Barcelona, Spain and all over the world!
A brief history of TEFL Barcelona
TEFL Barcelona was set up in December 2005 by Spanish born, EFL teacher and teacher trainer Erwin Ebens.
Erwin had been teaching a very popular TEFL course in Paris and decided that the characteristics of that course – a very personal approach and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere – could function equally well in his home city, Barcelona.
Our approach
True to our principles, we aim to offer a refreshing alternative to the “industrial” feel of larger TEFL operators. We make every effort to ensure our students get quality, personalised training, restricting our groups’ size. We encourage trainees to develop their own natural teaching style, and we provide them with an ongoing, international job guidance service. (See what past students have said about us: testimonials)
Our Teaching Philosophy
The importance of experiential learning
We may give you information, guidance, and support, but we believe that you learn most by doing the thing yourself.
That at the core of a learning process, there is an experiential cycle of trying things out, reflecting on the results, using feedback and information to prepare for the next time and then trying it out again.
This is applied both in our approach to teaching English to students and our approach to training in general. This is why we have scheduled daily teaching practice sessions, where you can immediately put the theory into practice.
Support and Guidance
This also implies that input sessions are structured less like lectures but more like interactive workshops where you are encouraged to actively participate and, where possible, to discover language and methodology for yourself, and through interacting with your fellow trainees and the trainer, who will be at hand as a resource and mentor, to support and guide you.
Find out more
For a detailed breakdown of the course’s components, visit the intensive TEFL courses page.
Or visit our course information overview for a more general overview.
A reflective approach
We also encourage you to develop analytical skills toward your teaching and reflect on the outcome of your lessons as the results of your lesson planning, teaching techniques, people skills and class management.
Humanist
Moreover, we believe in a humanistic approach to learning and teaching, (teaching the whole person as opposed to solely their mental processes). This implies that not only knowledge of subject matter and methodology are important, but also learning to listen to your students, empathizing with them, building rapport and in general finding ways of enabling learning are equally important.
Course and work testimonials
Siobhan Hayes (USA/ Ireland)
“I have now been living in Barcelona for over six months. My original plan was to stay for six months and then go back home. I was able to find so much work that now I’m staying.
I took the course in January so thought I might have difficulty finding work as the Spring semester had already begun. I was wrong. There is such a high demand for English teachers here.
I work for five different academies around the city. I mostly teach adults in businesses. I also have a couple private lessons with young children too. I teach classes of all levels from elementary to proficiency.
I really enjoy teaching in businesses because they have a strong desire to learn as they need English for work. The pay is more than enough to live comfortably and travel.
I’ve already visited many places around Europe and I even went to Africa! I have weekends off so I have plenty of time to travel around Europe or take weekend trips around Spain. This experience has been life changing. I know when I return to the United States the experience I have gained here will be immensely helpful in my future”.
Fernando Galvao, (Brazil)
“It has been five months since I graduated from my TEFL course at TEFL International Barcelona. I have to say that it was the best investment of my career. The support staff and my exposure to language teaching skills along with real students were amazingly done. We were taught to put ourselves out there, build our names and I sure did.
My very first month of teaching was impressive. I had sent out about 40 CVs and, in no later than a week, 5 days precisely, I was hired. I was doing the thing I love the most: teaching!
Being able to work as an English teacher in Barcelona, not only has it been a fulfilling pleasure, but also a way of making money to live my life its fullest in Europe. I’ve been going to extraordinary places, meeting all sorts of people everywhere. A check on the bucket list proudly done!”.
Lisandra Bayliss, (USA/ Spain)
“I am now working for STP Training, in Viladecans, I work 22hrs a week, pay is 15hr and 18hr for business classes. I have 2 groups of children 4, 2 groups of upper intermediate, 1 FCE student, 3 speaking one on one and 2 business speaking classes.
This company offers yearly contracts and I do have benefits- like paid holiday if you have your paperwork. It is a wonderful company and they have great clients, my business classes are with employees from Pepsico and I have worked with Undesa and Bacardi. I work Monday-Thursday in the afternoons, I have classes in the academy as well as inside the business.
The people I work with are great and they have every resource available for us teachers. Also my students are amazing from the little ones to the business ones, they are all dedicated enthusiastic and eager to learn.
I am incredibly thankful for the lessons learned during my course at TEFL and would – and often do- recommend the course to friends and family. Warm Regards”.
Get in touch
Thank you for getting in touch with TEFL Barcelona. Our TEFL adviser will get back to you within 1-2 working days