Culture and Language Assistants in Spain

The Ministry of Education of Spain announces over 2,000 openings every year for U.S. and Canadian Language & Culture Assistants (“CULTURAL AMBASSADORS”) in Spain. The positions are offered in the K-12 public school system.

Most participants are recent college graduates or have completed two college academic years. The Teaching Assistant will spend the  school year in Spain and will receive a minimum 700 Euros monthly stipend together with health insurance and teacher training.

CIEE Teach Abroad in Spain

If you are interested in working in a very culturally stimulating southern part of Spain, Andalucía, CIEE might be the program for you. The program offers the opportunity to work with a Language and Culture Assistant program in public, bilingual schools. Under the guidance and supervision of classroom teachers, participants would work 12 hours a week and have the opportunity to teach students English, while absorbing the rich Spanish culture. There are different levels at which to teach, varying from children to adults, and the participant´s main job would be to stimulate an interest in the English language. Also, a compensation of 700 euros monthly would be given to participants.

Canterbury-TEFL Teaching Program (Madrid)

If you wish to teach English in Madrid, the Canterbury-TEFL Program might be right for you. Upon completion of the Course, participants are guaranteed a teaching job for the academic year, with 40 paid practice teaching hours, 20 practice hours teaching English business, and 20 practice hours of teaching children. Participants will also receive an internationally recognized certificate.

“My decision to study Spanish has led me to be able to spend this year living and working as a private English teacher in Madrid. Though I spend the majority of my day communicating in English with my students, I am otherwise immersed in Spanish among my roommates, my rugby teammates, and other Spanish folks that I meet. In the past nine months, I have learned so many new things about myself as a person. I have gained insight into my interests, my goals, my hopes for my future professional life, and what it means to be a young person navigating a new environment independently.” (Jordyn Adeboye ’15)

Fullbright (The Foreign Language Teaching Assistant)

The Fulbright FLTA Program is designed to develop Americans’ knowledge of foreign languages by supporting teaching assistantships in over 30 languages at hundreds of U.S. institutions of higher education. 

To learn more or to apply, visit the Student Fellowships website.

“I received an English Teaching Fulbright in Mexico, which has been an exciting opportunity to unite my strong interests in Spanish and education. I currently live in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, and work supporting and teaching public university students who are studying to become English teachers.” (Sonja Dangler ’15)

“Since I left Carleton, I have moved to Madrid, Spain on a Fulbright Grant to teach English, Social Studies, and Debate in a public high school. I applied for Fulbright because of my study abroad program in Madrid in 2013. On that trip, I learned about Spanish politics and history while being fully immersed in the culture, which ultimately led to me writing my Comps on a topic I had first been exposed to on the program. After leaving the program, I knew that I wanted to return to work more directly in education and further understand the differences between the Spanish and American systems. The Fulbright Grant has allowed me to do that, which is why I will be renewing as a second year Fulbright Grantee. After next year, I plan to move back to the USA to begin working towards a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics, another interest I was exposed to at Carleton.” (Anthony Harb ’15)

Teach for America

TFA is a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach and to effect change in under-resourced urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.

World Teach

  1. Chile Pat Sur Year: WorldTeach volunteers in the Chile Patagonia Sur program teach English and lead environmental education programs in two small communities. In partnership with the Patagonia Sur Foundation, WorldTeach recruits two volunteers with a background in environmental and conservation education each year for these positions.
  2. Chile Ministry Year: WorldTeach volunteers in the Chile Ministry Year program teach English through the English Opens Doors program run by the Ministry of Education.
  3. Colombia Year: WorldTeach volunteers in the Colombia program teach English in public schools, charter schools, and universities throughout the country. In partnership with Volunteers Colombia, a Colombian NGO, WorldTeach supports the Ministry of Education’s goal of improving bilingualism throughout the country.
  4. Costa Rica Year: WorldTeach Costa Rica is the oldest running WorldTeach program, with 2011 marking its 22nd year of service with our new team of volunteers. WorldTeach volunteers in Costa Rica teach English at public primary schools under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. All teaching placements are in small towns in rural areas throughout the country.
  5. Ecuador Year: WorldTeach volunteers in the Ecuador program teach English in university or community classes with adult students. Teaching placements are in urban areas and larger towns.  WorldTeach Ecuador is also excited to announce two volunteer placements in the Galapagos Islands…

“After graduating from Carleton I began working in Ecuador for the non-profit organization WorldTeach. WorldTeach is a Harvard affiliated organization that sends English speakers to countries around the globe to teach for a year. There are many programs in Spanish-speaking countries and all are very similar. As a WorldTeach volunteer I live with a host family, teach for 20 hours a week, and design my own lesson plans. The host family provides both room and board and WorldTeach pays every volunteer a living stipend that is more than sufficient for random expenses. WorldTeach is an organization with infrastructure. They spend much time training their volunteers and ensuring that they are safe and happy once the academic year begins. In order to apply to WorldTeach only a bachelor’s degree is necessary.” (Ethan Bernstein ’11)

MATCH Teacher Residency (Boston)

It is one of the most selective teacher prep program in the nation. The program gives recent college graduates one year of incredibly intense training designed to make them unusually effective rookie teachers. After a year of training, the program helps find positions in high-need schools, and continue to support them as they begin their careers in the classroom.

If you are a senior Spanish major who might want to teach in the inner-city, and who have demonstrated unusual grit and determination, this is the right opportunity for you.