The Barcelona TEFL Experience

Traveling to a new country I've never been to before was a bit scary. I didn't know what to expect or what type of people I would meet. However, the TEFL program and the people I met because of it was the best thing that could have happened. From day 1 the instructors in Barcelona were welcoming and supportive. They made me feel more relaxed and confident in my decision to enroll in the program. I was excited to start learning a new skill and making friends. Through out the course the instructors gave me the tools and knowledge that helped me to become a good English teacher. They provided great feedback from the observed practice classes that I taught. At times the class did feel a bit overwhelming like having to prepare for the final test but overall it helped me become more prepared in my future teaching job. Our class was a bit big, more than 30 students, so we were separated into two groups. However, this did not stop us from all hanging out together and becoming friends. The instructors have years of experience and know the city of Barcelona very well so we all felt very confident to ask them about anything. Some of my favorite memories are the laughs we shared in the classroom and our first night out together at the end of our first week. Barcelona has a great and vibrant night life so it makes it a great choice to do the TEFL program in and to live in if you decide to stay. I got to meet so many different people, as I am sure everyone does, with so many different backgrounds and stories. Some of us even became life long friends. The course material is not hard, but you have to be willing to commit and put in the effort. Some useful tips I would give to future students would be: if you decide to teach in Barcelona than don't wait until the end of the course to start looking for an apartment/room, perhaps start looking for a job before you graduate the class, put in the effort to prepare for the live practice classes you will be teaching, and make sure to have some money saved up before coming to Barcelona. Once you have the TEFL certificate you will be able to go almost anywhere in the world you can dream of to work and live.