FAQS
TEFL BARCELONA, TEFL SPAIN
It is important to choose a TEFL course that is fully-accredited by an external institution. For example, by a university or awarding organisation recognised by the British Government. This is what sets our TEFL courses apart from all others and makes our TEFL Certificates internationally recognised.
The globally recognised TEFL courses we offer are internationally recognised and accredited by external institutions, including the Fort Hays State University and TQUK (Training Qualifications UK).
There are a number of internationally-validated courses available including those accredited by IATQuO, The College of Teachers, SIT, Cambridge (CELTA), or Trinity. All of these TEFL courses run over four weeks and are very similar in terms of content.
The most important factors for teacher trainees are that the teacher trainers are dedicated, qualified (Diploma in TESOL or equivalent) and have substantial experience in teaching and teacher training.
It’s also extremely important to choose an accredited TEFL course that offers you, as a trainee teacher, plenty of teaching practice (a minimum of 6 observed lessons and two one-to-one lessons).
Otherwise, the difference is mainly in price, corresponding to how expensive the accreditation is.
Cambridge (CELTA) and Trinity are the most expensive, TQUK and Fort Hays State University, IATQuO and other similar validating bodies, slightly less so. In terms of getting a job after the course, employers usually require teachers to have an internationally recognised certificate.
Confusingly, the English language teaching world has a wide array of abbreviations and acronyms, many of which mean the same thing, and most of which have no official significance.
EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language and involves the acquisition of English by non-native speakers.
ESL stands for English as a Second Language and also involves the acquisition of English by non-native speakers.
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and involves teaching English to non-native speakers.
TESL stands for Teaching English as a Second Language and involves teaching English to non-native speakers. This acronym is often used when referring to teaching English within an English-speaking country, such as Great Britain or the US.
TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and involves teaching English to non-native speakers.
As all these different TEFL terms are used to describe teaching English to non-native English speakers, usually little distinction is made between the terms.
Unfortunately, not all TEFL courses advertised are of the same quality. For example, correspondence TEFL courses without teaching practicum do not properly prepare you for teaching abroad. Many TEFL courses without in-class practice time fail to meet the standards for international recognition.
One of the most important factors when choosing a TEFL course is that the course is accredited and offers an internationally recognised certificate. Aside from that, many of our TEFL graduates chose our courses for the following reasons:
- Our teacher trainers are all qualified professional TEFL instructors with a minimum of 15 years of teaching and teacher training experience.
- We focus on a more friendly and personalised approach and keep our class sizes small to ensure that each trainee receives as much one-on-one time with trainers as possible and that everyone receives a quality learning experience.
The chances of finding a teaching job in Barcelona, or anywhere else in the world, after completing one of our TEFL courses are excellent.
During peak hiring times, our teacher trainees often receive teaching job offers in Barcelona before they even graduate!
For many decades, Spain has had a large TEFL teaching job market. Recently there has been a new boom in the demand for English tuition in Barcelona, with an ever-growing number of language schools opening in the city and in satellite towns. We have many contacts that notify us periodically with teaching job vacancies in Barcelona and beyond.
What’s more, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, qualified English teachers can teach students all over the world, opening up a truly global marketplace for our TEFL graduates.
At TEFL Barcelona we offer a full career support service and will assist you at all stages of your job search – from putting your CV/resume together to interview applications and techniques.
See our job guidance page for more information on our extensive service.
For more information on the life of a TEFL teacher, see our guide to living and teaching TEFL in Spain.
You can travel, study, and work wherever you want in the EU countries if you are an EU citizen. If you are an American or other non-EU citizen, obtaining a residence/work permit is simply a mere formality. We offer free and professional guidance on applying for your Spanish Student Visa work permit. Find out more about this here.
Non-EU citizens can stay up to 3 months as tourists. In order to apply for a work permit you must be sponsored by your employer, so you can apply for a working visa once a job is secured with a school.
Alternatively, a popular option is to enrol in one of our Spanish Student Visa Programmes by doing a Spanish language course or a teacher development course.
Generally, in Europe, the academic year runs from mid-September to the end of June, which means English teaching positions in Western Europe are most plentiful from September to October, when the academic year begins.
There is also often a further recruitment drive from January to March, as teachers fail to return from their Christmas holidays or as schools open up new classes.
These are the times of year when school hiring is at its peak in Spain. However it is easy to find teaching positions any time of the year.
Our TELF courses are open to adults, typically 18 years of age or above, who have a university degree or its equivalent, or who have university entrance qualifications plus work experience.
However, at the discretion of the Course Director, we also welcome high school graduates, 18 years of age or above wishing to do a TEFL course as part of a gap year in their studies.
We have a lot of teacher trainees in their early twenties who are recent graduates and looking to work while travelling overseas, as well as people in their thirties and forties who either want a career change or who simply want to live and work overseas.
In addition, we have teacher trainees either approaching or in retirement and looking for something rewarding to do with their free time.
As far as the requirements for becoming a TEFL teacher are concerned, a high standard of both spoken and written English is necessary. This refers to your use of English, not necessarily your knowledge of grammatical terminology, as you will cover language awareness on the course itself.
As the four-week course is fairly intensive, you should be prepared to work to the best of your abilities and make as much of your time available for the course as possible.
While there is no upper age limit, you must be at least 18 years of age for your application to be considered onto one of our TEFL courses.
The majority of our teacher trainees are in their twenties and thirties, but we have successfully trained and found employment for TEFL graduates in their forties, fifties and even sixties, and therefore welcome applications from all who are interested in the course, regardless of age.
Our communicative approach to teaching English requires that the teacher speaks only in English. The ability, therefore, to speak a foreign language is not a requirement for teaching English.
However, some experience of learning and speaking a foreign language will help you understand language in general and give you an insight as to how it is learned.
If you are teaching English in a foreign country, some knowledge of that country’s language and culture can also make your life easier and enrich your experience.
Yes, applications are welcomed regardless of your first language.
The only requirements are a proficient level of English, that is, a level near that of a native speaker and evidence of study at a higher education level or work experience.
TEFL Barcelona has trained English teachers from a number of different nationalities and backgrounds with great success.
Yes. If you are a current university student, we would be happy provide whatever information about our TEFL courses, so that your university can determine if it meets credit requirements.
From an accredited and internationally recognised TEFL course like ours, you will gain a TEFL certificate sought-after by language schools worldwide.
Lesson planning is an important component of TEFL training. A good TEFL course will have at least 8 hours of English teaching practice (6 observed lessons and 2 one-to-one lessons). By the end of your TEFL course you will feel confident to plan an effective lesson and be able to deliver it confidently to either a group of students or an individual student (one-to-one class).
From any TEFL course, you will gain an entry-level teaching qualification and qualify to teach English as a Second Language (TESL).
From the TEFL Barcelona and Madrid Courses You Will Also Gain:
- Experience of teaching in a variety of situations and for a variety of students at different levels, including Young Learners and Business English students.
- An increased confidence in front of the class and in teaching one-to-one.
- Experience in planning your lessons.
- Knowledge of the wealth of materials and methods you could use while teaching.
- Knowledge of the local and international English teaching job market.
- CV writing, interview-training, networking and job-seeking skills.
- Support from experienced tutors, even after you graduate and for as long you need it.
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