Location
  • Spain
    • Seville
    • Madrid
    • Granada
    • Cadiz
    • Barcelona
Length
52+ weeks
Classroom Audience
Early Childhood High School Middle School

Program Details

Job Type
Government
Classroom Audience
Early Childhood High School Middle School
Housing
Apartment

Pricing

Salary / Benefits
Minimum 700 Euros
What's Not Included
Accommodation Airfare Meals Transportation Travel Insurance
May 03, 2019
Feb 26, 2023
78 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The program is an academic “continuing education” grant provided by the Ministry of Education of Spain. The program sends over 2000 American and Canadian participants to Spain each year to serve as teaching assistants, sharing their native knowledge of the English or French language and North American culture in Spanish public K-12 schools. The program, though fairly young, has been gaining popularity quickly with more and more demand each year for such a unique experience!

The grants will be given on a first-come, first-served basis so we recommend everyone interested to apply early.

Program Reviews

4.21 Rating
based on 14 reviews
  • 5 rating 57.14%
  • 4 rating 28.57%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 7.14%
  • 1 rating 7.14%
  • Benefits 4.25
  • Support 3.45
  • Fun 4.35
  • Facilities 4.35
  • Safety 4.75
Showing 1 - 8 of 14 reviews
Default avatar
Geneva
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Horrible program!

This program is horrible and Madrid is even worse! Madrid is racist AF and this program is not supportive at all! In fact when I reached out to complain about harassment from a local teacher they did nothing!!!!!!!!! This program is trash and I would LOVE to tell it to the people who run it. The ones in charge don’t care about the teachers especially the black ones and they only look out for their own. Madrid sucks. Tres cantos (Antonio osuna “bilingual” school suck and so does this program. Yuck.

Cons
  • Program not supportive
  • Program will not address concerns
  • Program does not take accountability
173 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Zach
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great for a gap year (or, if you're me, semester)!

Read More
What would you improve about this program?
I would have benefited from more resources on finding housing and getting around in the beginning. At schools, make sure that if a teacher goes on maternity/paternity leave, that the classes are adequately covered. Because our job titles are "assistants," we are in no way qualified by the program to conduct entire class sessions by ourselves.
222 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kelsey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Opportunity

Read More
What would you improve about this program?
-More pre-departure guidelines and training
-Maybe a website with resources
212 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Pablo
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Highly Recommend

I was an auxiliary in Spain for 2 years. Not only do you only work 12 hours a week, but you have plenty of time to travel and see Europe because of the work schedule. I was also able to find additional work in English academies private tutoring students. The pay isn't great but there's always money to be made elsewhere. I definitely made lifelong friends while there. Three other of my roommates we're from Ireland and England and until this day I still communicate with them, they were also there teaching English like I was.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have to say it could improve by having people I hope you get settled in, for example, housing, getting all of the legal paperwork completed.
220 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Not
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience for the open-minded

I was an auxiliar de conversacion for 2 years in Extremadura. I absolutely loved the experience but it had very little to do with the work I was doing. The "English" teachers were terrible and completely unmotivated. Students passed because teachers didn't want to deal with the trouble of failing them. There was of course some very bright students that even asked for extra work. However, if you want to be a teacher then this program probably isn't for you. This program is for somebody who is looking for an easygoing job that will allow them to live in Spain and experience the culture. You usually only work from 12-16 hours per week so you have plenty of time for hobbies and travel. Your experience depends a bit on luck. I got placed at a great school with great people that were easygoing and happy with me aslong as I did my job. I know other people that had terrible teachers that made them do work that was out of their scope. All in all, I strongly recommend this program as a gap year between graduating college and getting a real adult job. I traveled all over Europe and met some amazing people!

What would you improve about this program?
More guidance and guidelines. There should be a standard for both the school and auxiliares. We were never given any instruction on how to teach. It was very much a figure it out on your own method. Their are really no guidelines so a lot of the times assistants are taken advantage of. I was required to teach art classes by myself when I'm terrible at art. I ended up teaching advertising and photography because it's the best I could do. I even had to give an exam where all the students cheated and there was nothing I could do because I technically wasn't a real teacher.
221 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Nora
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Year of Your Life!

The program allows Americans and other native English speakers to gain teaching experience, while also giving them the means to see Europe. Because the contract consists of only 12 hours of teaching of week, teachers have plenty of time to prepare lessons and travel through Europe.

What would you improve about this program?
Teachers need more support from the program.
220 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Formerly
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Unsupportive, Backstabbing Environment

Read More
218 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
joellange
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Advice from an expert

Read More
215 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

The age limit is 62. The program brings you to Spain on a student visa, and once you are over age 62 I understand you are eligible for retirement, which they will not provide you. You can do the program for multiple years until age 62.

The application period closes mid-April. They go in order of application submission, I found out my placements each June.