Question about qualifications and employment

[Mikemarcus]

Hello. This has probably been asked a lot here. I did browse through the first page of posts and didn’t really find the info I’m looking for.

I’m a business owner with a CV full of professional roles. I’m thinking of going part time and looking for a second string to my bow, so I’ve spent all morning trying to research whether it’s a viable direction to teach English in Madrid or Northern Spain. I don’t yet know how possible this is or what qualifications I might need and I’m trying to find out.

The problem is, as I’m sure you all know, sorting the wheat from the chaff. All the websites I’ve found seem scammy or fake to one extent or another and if I’ve hit on something genuine it’s been lost in the noise.

The two questions I have are as follows:

1) is there a qualification issued by an official, centralised entity that would be recognised by a Spanish language school? If so how do I access a course?

2) how do I find a legit Spanish language school that is in the business of paying teachers rather than trying to separate hopefuls from their money?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Please don’t tell me to use Google though. Google is how I eventually ended up here.

[odyssey]

1) is there a qualification issued by an official, centralised entity that would be recognised by a Spanish language school? If so how do I access a course?

Basically, nothing in TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) is official. There is no single, "centralised entity" that has any authority (although some outfits do try to pass themselves off as such).

This and more is explained at:
https://www.tefl.net/tefl-guide/
https://www.tefl.net/tefl-courses/guide.php
https://www.tefl.net/jobs/guide.php

Having said that, many TEFL qualifications have "reputation", with the gold standard regarded by many as the Cambridge Celta:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teachi ... ons/celta/

While I cannot speak specifically of Spain, most schools in the world are aware of and accept Celta (though some other courses are equally recognised).

Perhaps other forum members can speak more about Spain and suggest other respectable qualifications/courses.

[Josef Essberger]

Note that governments don't usually insist on this or that English-teaching qualification. What they often do, however, is to demand that candidates have a university degree (in any subject). This is usually related to work visa requirements - nothing to do with academic requirements.

[Mikemarcus]

Thanks for the replies. So TEFL courses are completely unregulated? Are they even required then? I have an MA in a non-teaching subject.

[Josef Essberger]

Gone are the days when teaching qualifications were not generally required though such posts may occasionally be found in certain countries mainly in Asia and Latin America

Yes, TEFL courses are officially unregulated but most decent schools that aren’t looking to separate you from your money require one, especially in Spain

You would need a TEFL certificate which is often just a one month intensive course

Jobs may ask for “TEFL certificate” or “Celta”. Don’t be confused. Celta IS a TEFL certificate, one of many, and as stated the gold standard

[Mikemarcus]

And TSOL?

[Josef Essberger]

TESOL (not TSOL) is equivalent to TEFL (as laid out in the links above).

It stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Three of the most recognised certs are:

Cambridge Celta (which is a TEFL certificate)
CertTESOL (by Trinity)
SIT TESOL