Working

1. Get qualified

We hate to break this to you native English speakers, but here in Barcelona you’re just not that special. There are thousands of you resident in the city, meaning that language academies (also known as language schools) are free to pick and choose when they take on new teachers. Most academies only take on teachers with a recognised CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL qualification. The CELTA 'Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults' is an intensive month-long course that prepares you for life in the classroom. Courses cost around €1,500 and most will throw you in at the deep end and have you teaching real live students from the off. In Barcelona, International House and OxfordTEFL are the main schools providing the course. Online CELTA courses are also available but unless they offer actual in classroom experience, they’re not likely to be taken seriously by potential employers. Smaller, less picky schools might take you on if you have plenty of experience and some minimal TEFL training.

Neighbourhood language academies find it far easier to sell courses when they have qualified, native staff. Most offer on-site after-school classes for children and a few adult classes. Many also offer business English (for which the teachers travel out to the companies’ premises) and some academies specialise in nothing else.

State secondary schools are far more difficult to get into as you need to pass the feared ‘civil service’ entry exams (oposiciones) and have a very high level of Catalan.

Most private international junior and secondary schools in Catalunya will ask for a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) qualification and a good level of Castilian and/or Catalan. However, if you’re lucky, you might be able to get your foot in the door without a PGCE by working as a classroom assistant.

2. Get some experience

As many TEFL teachers go home after a year or so, experienced, qualified teachers are highly sought after. If you’ve got two or more years experience, you should have no trouble finding work with a reputable language school. If you’re a newbie, highlight on your CV any experience you have of voluntary work, giving presentations, acting or working with children.

3. Get your timing right

May, September, October and December are the best times to look for work. May is the month when teachers are most likely to hand in their notices and also when schools look for staff to work on summer camps for kids. In September, new students start enrolling and schools frantically try to fill teaching vacancies. In-company classes tend to start a bit later, so you might be able to pick up a few business English classes as late as mid-October.