Looking for a reputable temporary Spanish local government school job that provides a legal work visa for Spain? Auxiliaries de Conversación and Bilingual English Development and Assessment program (BEDA) language and cultural assistant programs in Spain could be an option for you.
As a native English speaker with a basic understanding of Spanish you can apply for language assistant jobs in Spain where you’ll be placed to work in a Spanish Ministry of Education state public school.
Cultural assistant programs Spain for United States citizens, Canadians, UK citizens and Filipina & Filipino people of Philippines and other countries.
Yes, there are different language assistant programs depending on you’re nationality and different program providers.
Language & cultural assistant in Spain
Cultural assistant programs in Spain for native English speakers from western countries offer you the opportunity to be directly employed by the Spanish government and placed in a government state school in cities and towns from Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Valencia and other major population areas.
Open to graduates with a degree or final year university students on a bachelor’s degree program who would like to spend 8-11 months English teaching & exchange culture in Spain schools.
You maybe asking; can I teach in Spain without teaching experience or qualification?
Language cultural assistants are not teacher jobs, so no teaching qualification needed, although a program provider may require a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA.
Below are the top two programs where you are sponsored by the Spanish government for a student visa in Spain.
There are 4 main cultural assistant programs (3 Listed)
Auxiliaries de Conversación
An option is to sign up with one of the origination’s that help with placing non qualified English language cultural assistants in state schools.
The Spanish government has a well-known program called auxiliaries de conversación organised through the Spanish Ministry of Education. Two thousand cultural assistants are employed each year from the USA and Canada alone.
As a foreign conversations assistant in Spain on a one-year program as a native English assistant in a state school, your aim is to help Spanish teachers raise the standard of English for state school children.
This program is open to a good number of nationalities from native English speakers to teach English (Well converse in English) including Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Philippines.
Up to around 250 cultural assistants from each foreign country at least.
No cost to submit an online application. January to March or April each year for applications for Auxiliaries de Conversación program.
Open to Filipina & Filipino people from the Philippines also (It’s always more fun). See Spanish Education Office in The Philippines .
See information Department of Foreign Affairs Philippines.
Philippines people brochure with official email contact and persons name: https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/filipinas.
North American Language and Culture Assistants Program NALCAP
North American program is aimed at USA Canadians citizens See the program promotional brochure.
Basics of the Auxiliaries de Conversación program
- Position as an English and cultural assistant placed in a state school.
- 15-18 hours a week in class contact time.
- Wage around 875 to1000 Euros per month for 2021.
- You apply and are given a one-year student visa as a cultural assistant.
- Pay any local taxes due.
- Medical cover.
- No TEFL certificate required as you are not a teacher.
- Aimed at graduates from native English speaking countries for the English program.
- Commit to a 6 months or 8-9 months contract.
- Have enough funds to finance your visa application, flight, and accommodation and living costs until your first paycheck.
- No criminal record.
- Age between 18 -60 years old.
- No Spanish language skills needed.
- Find and pay your own accommodation.
- Choice of 2 options between a city and town.
There are other requirements as part of the course to interact with children effectively.
Basically, the Auxiliaries de Conversación programs places you in a primary/elementary or secondary/high school. The aim is to help with children learning English from a native speaker and learn about a different culture.
Depending on the program provider you sign up with you may require a basic level of Spanish, would be useful for you. As a part of the orientation program, you will be taught how to plan lessons and interact with children.
You will be planning your own lessons, guidance is given before you are placed with a school.
Other times you will find yourself supporting a lesson contributing and extending learning in a classroom with a qualified teacher. Team teaching, putting it that way.
One thought: Auxiliares de conversacion regions total 17 in Spain, although you can not pick and choose where you are placed.
English teaching assistant jobs in Spain further information for the above program:
See the program promotional brochure. Visa application guidance USA, and Spain consulate in the USA and visa application guidance for Canada also Spain consulate in Canada, General.
UK citizens apply here https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/outside-uk/english-language-assistants.
Australia applications and information https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/australia/en_AU/convocatorias/auxiliares-en-espana/auxiliares-de-conversacion-australianos.html.
Other countries you can search by Auxiliaries de Conversación + country.
Bilingual English Development and Assessment Program (BEDA)
Another option as a language & culture assistant, and the opportunity to live for a year legally in Spain and gain valuable work experience while living and teaching English in Spain.
Similar to the Auxiliaries de Conversación government program teachers are placed in a school as cultural assistants delivering lessons in English about you’re culture.
The difference with the BEDA program is that you are placed in a catholic school that is privately funded by the Spanish government.
School placements are mainly in the capital of Spain Madrid, also Andalusia, Murcia and Canary Islands.
See here for the program details ecmadrid
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/181107-spain-fere-ceca-madrid-schools-bilingual-programme. Schools outside Madrid with Cambridge English.
Help and orientation are a bit different on this program as you attend Comillas University in Spain to be shown how to give and plan lessons, and about bilingual education.
You also must learn enough Spanish language which is also taught on the program.
Don’t worry each class is 3 hour and once a month attendance.
School placement and lessons BEDA
Classes you take are by yourself mostly delivering cultural lessons to children in English. You must come up with different activates to simulate children that can range from 5 to 18 years old.
Lessons you should have planned for the teaching hours expected each week of around 15-24 hours.
Application process and interview
An online process mainly in the USA or Canada where you apply for the program and provide all information asked. A Skype interview is conducted and the program coordinator will ask about why you applied, Spanish language ability, age and of children teaching preference and other similar questions.
BEDA program basics
Commit to a one-year contract as a language and cultural assistant in a Spanish school.
Provide all your own initial expenses for a flight visa application and accommodation in Spain.
Pay is based on the number of hour in the classroom: 24 hours 1200, 22 hours 1100, 20 hours 1000, 1800 for 900 all in Euros (Actually, payment is a bot more now).
Medical insurance cover (Essential before any travel).
- Expect to be placed in a school in Madrid.
- 20 years old at least.
- Bachelor degree holder.
- Apply to renew your contract for further years if you wish.
- No need to be catholic.
- Native English speaker..
- Find and pay for your own accommodation.
- Work a 5 day week.
- Pay any local taxes.
- Application fee payment around 175 Euros at least.
- Help with residency is given including applying for a Spanish NIE number.
There are a number of other language and cultural assistant programs. Search Google for the programs.
Of course you require starting finance to actually get to Spain in the first place.
Account for spending money, food, accommodation, clothing and other all before the first wage.
Good idea to research each program and ask questions to make sure this is the right choice for you and the school.
Meddeas programs teach English in Spain
Open to “native-level English, German or French speakers” that could be placed in one of 200 schools in Spain working alongside a teacher and on your own.