Get Paid to Teach English in Spain with a TEFL Certification

I just graduated college in May of this year and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for the short term. I noticed a lot of my friends had applied to fellowships to either do research or teach abroad, so I figured "well, why don't I look into teaching abroad"? Ultimately, I stumbled upon ITA through a simple, but fateful google search. Next thing I know, I'm wrapping up my course and organizing plans to move to move to Spain! Although fed up with taking classes ITA's course was different in that it allowed me to put to practice what I learned by giving me assignments that I'd actually do as a teacher. I was actually able to step into the role of a teacher through them, and now I feel prepared to go make a life for myself as a budding professional. T'was a smart move indeed, one I have no absolutely no regrets in making.

I chose ITA for my TEFL certification because they have a better reputation than other TEFL programs. They require a little more work of their students (thus students are better prepared), but the course as a whole was very well structured and made me think like a teacher! Highly recommend this course as you'll leave it with a certificate that has a top reputation, you get personalized guidance through the job finding and visa process, and the instructors are super accessible! The nice thing about this course is that they provide you a full textbook if you take the course online, and you can use it for future reference. The textbook provides you a strong baseline/guidelines and examples, and then peer interaction in the class message board is great to bounce ideas off each other and get useful links from your classmates. The task assignments are great to push you out of your thinking box and help you find outside resources, and the instructor gives you personal feedback as well. It's great!

I'm always happy when I find those rare instructors and programs that actually know their subject well enough and care enough about it to teach it well---with strategically placed content and relevant student tasks. ITA is a great example of such a program and such instructors. The homework took just the right amount of time each week and I truly found myself learning things that felt useful. I often felt inspired to apply what I learned, as I could easily see its application and importance. I usually don't write reviews of products and services, but because ITA did such a good job of meeting a need that I rarely see met, I wanted to write this review. I really want ITA to become an example to the world of good teaching and good student programs.

I took International TEFL Academy's online course starting in June 2019. I can't emphasize how helpful it was for someone who had absolutely no teaching background, minus a few workshops or facilitation sessions I've conducted at work. It was really helpful to understand and actually craft lesson plans, review lexis and grammar, and gain tips & tricks for classroom management. Overall, I highly recommend this course for anyone who is ready to travel and earn an income while doing so. Additionally, the online course was great for me, as I work full time Monday-Friday from about 8-5 (which helps me save money to go abroad!). For those waffling about taking an in-person or online TEFL certification, I would say both have their pros and cons. But for an online course, I found this really interactive and organized.

In terms of job search guidance - I haven't really gotten to this portion yet because I just wrapped up the main course and I am not planning on leaving the US to teach abroad for some time. However, ITA's job manual, informational videos about particular countries, links to Facebook groups, Instagram stories for those who are teaching abroad, and the Q&As that they post on social media are already extremely helpful. I've been narrowing down my choices based on a lot those resources, and I look forward to speaking with a job search advisor soon. Overall, if you're thinking about a TEFL certification, I'd highly recommend ITA.

My experience with ITA was wonderful and the course was intensive and informative. Doing the online course was helpful especially with working and being with the family.

The online course with deadlines helped keep me on track and the assignments were really what teachers need to do and that is planning good lessons and giving awesome lessons. All in all, the course was practical and what we as teachers do on a daily basis.

Future participants should know that the course is tough but useful and it really does open many doors and with the ITA support there are so many countries to be explored and cultures to experience.

I was already working at a high school in Spain and wanted to have a title behind me, so I did the course and continue working even getting a slight raise for the certificate.

Useful tips are stay focused, stay on course, learn and most importantly enjoy, because this is what you have chosen to do and when you get into a classroom, you need to be enthusiastic, approachable and knowledgeable.

ITA's TEFL program was critical in helping me move abroad and secure a job teaching English in Spain. Overall it was a smooth process and they provided me with all the necessary tools to get set up and still continue to play a critical role with the large network of alumni. They helped me with getting my student visa from the beginning of the process until the end. They provided an excellent onsite 4 week training course in Madrid to learn "how" to actually teach English and they are still available in case I need anything. Plus I love the idea that I can now teach English practically anywhere in the world!

I have always loved traveling, learning about other cultures, meeting new people, and just immersing myself in completely different worlds. After graduating, I knew I wanted to spend some time traveling and living abroad, so I knew that I would have to find a way to support myself while doing that. After graduating with a degree in education, I thought teaching abroad would be the best option for me. When I began my research on how to do that, one word (acronym, at that) kept coming up: TEFL. I enrolled for the online course right to begin right after graduation and I really have no complaints about the entire process. The advisors that I spoke to were extremely knowledgeable and willing to help with whatever questions I have. The course instructor created assignments that took the course readings to the next level and really maximized our learning. Finally, the content taught was valuable and covered a wide range of experiences while teaching and living abroad. While it was a little pricey, I truly believe that the growth I will experience as a human being while living in a foreign country will make it all worth it.

I had a great experience with obtaining my TEFL certification. Student affairs was always available to answer my numerous questions about obtaining a visa and a job once abroad. The practicum by far was the most helpful portion of the course for me! Course work and in class experience are very different and it really helped to observe some classes before working online or abroad! Students in the classes I observed eventually relied on me to answer their questions with class work and homework which really helped my confidence in the classroom and is something I will always remember!

My overall experience with International TEFL Academy was fantastic. The teachers and advisors were, and still are, very helpful and are quick to respond to any questions or issues that may arise. The course itself was vastly informative, and really covered everything one would need to know to confidently teach a class of ESL learners. I would greatly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in teaching abroad!

ITA is so worth it because they offer assistance that other companies do not. Yes, you can get certified elsewhere but the advice, information and assistance they offer is invaluable. Additionally, the course is very comprehensive and helps a lot if you’re a first-time teacher. I could not imagine going to teach abroad without having taking the course by ITA. I would recommend ITA to everyone that wants to teach abroad - they really make it easy.

I'm so grateful I decided to get TEFL certified and here's why. Basically, like many, I was looking to change my career, move to a foreign country, travel and learn Spanish. Let's face it, deciding to quit your comfortable job and sell your things to "take a leap of faith" to live and work in a new country in a new career is scary. I knew that if I wasn't going to do this I wanted to be as prepared as possible and to make the transition as seamless as possible. I wanted to really enjoy this experience and limit any amount of difficulties at the get go. So I chose to get TEFL certified onsite in the 4 week TEFL program in Madrid which included a 1 year student visa. While it's a bit pricey, in my experience, it's totally worth it. Immediately when you sign up you are added to the ITA database and are connected internationally to teachers all over the world including those here in Spain. The alumni network alone has proven to be very useful in the transition period and overall support. The TEFL program itself is intensive and can be a bit overwhelming at times but it really gives you a full submersion on the "how" to teach English. They also assisted with helping me create a new resume and put me in contact with several language academies to interview with. I was hired immediately after the program. This was great because I didn't have to stress about looking for a job. I'm also grateful I chose the student visa option. Not only does it include a year of Spanish classes (which I was very interested in) but it also allows you to live, work and even travel here in Spain comfortably. Again, I was looking to make the process as smooth as possible. Thankfully with my ITA TEFL certification I was able to do that. I'm still here today living and working Madrid 2 years later and have no plans to return as of yet. Thank you ITA for changing my life and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime!

This TEFL course was one of the most interesting experiences I had, and I'm very glad I decided to take it. My favorite memory was the class we took in Russian, to demonstrate to us what it would be like for our students who did not yet speak any English at all.

I would want to let future participants know that while taking this course gave me a great foundation as a new teacher with no previous experience, I would have liked more assistance with how to apply for work or student visas once you want to actually start teaching. You should also know that as the course is only four weeks long, it has a very intense schedule. If you want to take advantage of being in a foreign city while taking the course, you need to plan to either arrive early or stay later, as you won't have time during the four weeks to do so.

My instructors were very knowledgable, helpful, and gave feedback to each student. They also wrote me a letter of recommendation for a job I applied to.

My husband and I had been talking about moving overseas for a long time, so when we finally settled on Madrid, the student visa/TEFL program through ITA made a lot of sense for us. It certainly isn't cheap, but they made the process super easy and answered any and all questions along the way. Just keep in mind that the people who you speak with in the states are not the people who you will be talking to here. This confused me at first, but everyone was awesome so it really didn't matter. If I could give three pieces of advice, they would be:

1. Do the one-month certification course in Madrid. You make friends, get to know your instructors, and have time to settle into your life.
2. Save more money than you think you'll need and count on making less than you're told. In Spain, there are a lot of holidays. It's nice because you get days off, but as hourly jobs often go, you don't get paid for the days you don't work. Combine this with the general flakiness of students/academies/etc... means you often don't work your full hours each month.
3. Be flexible with your living situation. Landlords here don't love renting to ex-pat teachers, so it wasn't easy for us to find a place here. A lot of people wanted us to put down a ridiculous amount (8 months in one place) because of our student visa/part-time work status. If you're coming here on your own, it can also be difficult because there are so many people looking for rooms and places.

All in all, I'd highly recommend that anyone thinking about moving to Madrid should do it. We've traveled all around Europe, made amazing friends, and had a wonderful year getting to know this amazing city.

I took my TEFL course at ITA Barcelona, and wouldn't have changed a thing! The experience was incredibly personalized, and the instructors were not only amazingly knowledgable, but also became friends throughout the course. They pushed us to work our hardest and get the most out of the month, and I left feeling over-prepared for the job I ended up getting. Kerry and Stephen have been working as English teachers in Barcelona for years, so they were also able to help navigate job searching at the end of the course, and have remained available for advice or questions. I couldn't recommend ITA Barcelona more!!

I chose to teach in Barcelona, Spain because I knew the job outlook was pretty high. I was very nervous coming here without a job, but finding a job was not difficult at all. In fact, the very day of my flight to Barcelona, I was invited to two interviews once I landed. Prior to flying to Barcelona, I utilized the Barcelona TEFL Teachers Association Facebook page to network with people. I found many other people doing the same thing, and networked with a few to meet up. I also networked with future employers and contacted them with my CV. Turns out this is a great resource and landed me various teaching jobs. Though I originally wanted to teach in a school, I ended up teaching many private lessons. I actually loved teaching private lessons because I got to know my students on a more personal level and I was able to cater each lesson to them individually.