RVF International

Utilize Facebook groups to find other English teachers around you. I am in a small town and the only English teacher in my town. Thankfully I was able to find another English teacher in the town right next to mine via a Facebook group and we now hang out every weekend!

Don't be shy to reach out to people. Be prepared for the culture shock. If the going gets tough, just keep reminding yourself why you wanted to come to Spain in the first place and stay focused on that. Take advantage of all of the 3-day weekends!

Also, be prepared for the cold winters. Many rooms/apartments don't have central heating and it does get really cold at night!

For each participant, it will vary. For me though, I work 16 hours Monday-Thursday. Monday I go from 9-2. Tuesdays and Thursdays I go from 9-12:30. And Wednesdays I go from 9-1.

Each day after work, I either take a walk along the beach or lie down for a little siesta (I don't know when I'll ever have this much free time again, so fully taking advantage of it). During the evenings, I keep busy with my side online job. I then prepare dinner and watch Netflix to end the night. (I'm trying to incorporate practicing Spanish more!) Then I have my 3 day weekends to relax some more and take either some fun day trips or quick weekend get-a-ways!

My biggest fear was the language barrier. And to be honest, it still scares me a little.

I came to Spain not knowing any Spanish, and it has been hard at times, but I have been able to work my way through every struggle and obstacle. Like I said earlier, Google Translator has become my best friend while I've been out here.

I now know that I shouldn't be afraid of trying to speak Spanish. It won't be the prettiest, I can guarantee that, but there is no better way to learn and overcome these fears than by practicing and gaining confidence that I can do it.

One of my favorite things to do in my town is to explore the castle. It has so much history, and Game of Thrones filmed some of their episodes there!

There are so many castles throughout Spain, it's amazing. So much history and so much beauty.

I also love how there are palm trees everywhere. It makes life so much more beautiful!

The best story I’ve heard from a returning student is one that I think is emblematic of all our program participants and the sorts of stories they bring with them back home after returning.

This particular program participant wanted to be in a small, rural area in Spain where they could walk through the Spanish countryside, meet locals, and see what Spain in the pueblo was really like. We helped them get a teaching position in a small town in Extremadura, Spain where the rhythm and pace of life were just that: stone roads, ancient buildings, and lots of life amongst the locals.

After finishing a year in the small town, our return participant told us stories about dinners with the other teachers at their school, the tranquility that came from the peaceful flow of life there, and the kind people they interacted with on a daily basis. Not a bad year at all!

I would choose our Teach English in Spain Program because it's the perfect blend between work and travel.

The teaching job itself does not only look great on a resume and pay well: it also allows for a unique window into the Spanish way of life that most travelers wouldn't ever get a chance to see. I would choose this program to interact with the students, have a coffee with my fellow teachers, and brainstorm together how we can impact the lives of the students at our school for the better.

I would also choose this program for the flexibility and time that it opens up to travel to other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe. I'd spend my weekdays enriching my students' lives, and my three-day weekends (yes, three-day weekends!) visiting cities like Berlin and Rome, as well as soaking up the sun in the south of Spain.

I think our company is unique because we focus on the person and not the numbers.

We are always telling our program participants that they are not a number to us, which sounds obvious, but it's so easy for companies in this industry to forget that those participating in our programs are making incredible sacrifices to move from one country to another and that so much courage is involved on their part because, let's face it, international is fun but can be very scary! Because we understand that, we focus on serving those in our program.

Many a time we've been on the phone with a program participant to just listen to what they needed to share with someone, not because we could necessary fix their problem or better their situation, but because we understand that they are a person with fears, hopes, desires, and wants, and that we can play a role in making that person's life better by being there for them. I think this is what makes what we do and who we are unique.

I think the biggest factor that has helped our program to be successful is, just what I’ve been saying, that it's all about the human element.

I see our job as designing a program that adds value to people’s lives. We fully understand that most people who come to Spain via our program aren't going to spend the rest of their lives in Spain but rather are wanting to live abroad for a year or two, and then return to their home countries to start a career, have a family, etc.

Because we understand that, we see our job as making those one or two years so incredibly awesome that anytime they look back on this time in their life they just smile.