If you’re looking to teach English in Europe, Spain’s North American language assistant program (NALAP), also known as the Auxiliares de Conversación program, is a fantastic way for recent college graduates to fuck around for a year (or three) before getting a real job. I participated in the program for three years and still recommend it to anyone who is eligible to experience living the expat life in Spain! For those getting ready to teach English in Spain, here is the real tea. ☕👀

Language Assistant in Spain: Tips and Advice

You’ve got your placement, your Spanish student visa is secured, and you’re brushing up on your Spanish from freshman year. Here are the top ten things I wish I had known before becoming an auxiliar in Spain.

1.) Finding an apartment in Spain: Arrive in Late August

I can’t stress this enough. The rental market in every major Spanish city is flooded with new language assistants and Erasmus students looking for rooms to rent, and it’s absolute chaos. If your visa allows it, I would try to arrive in August, but chances are you’ll arrive in September, so try to arrive earlier in the month so you won’t have to continue looking when the school year begins. There are some student apartment agencies that will rent you a room quickly, but I would avoid them unless you are absolutely desperate because they are expensive and you have no control over your roommates. Finding a piso in Spain isn’t as intimidating as it might seem, but don’t expect much, most apartments in Spain are outdated, moldy, and without air conditioning.

2. Packing for Spain

Less is more when deciding what to bring to Spain as an English teacher. Bring nothing that you would wear in the summer. Even in super hot and dry Madrid, Spain isn’t as warm as you may think after September. The nights are already very cold by mid-October, so bring your favorite fall boots and winter coats. Purchase your favorite seasonings. Lawry’s does not exist in Spain, and many ethnic seasonings are only available in major cities. For WOC in Spain, bring your favorite makeup and hair products if heading to a rural town. I’d also wait until moving to Spain to buy flat irons and other beauty appliances. Bring only one large 40-60 lb trekking backpack (not a suitcase–the cobblestones will destroy the wheels) and a carry-on… you will thank me when you inevitably decide to backpack Europe at some point during your stay.

3) Expect a chaotic classroom

Spain has the worst students of any nationality I’ve taught English to, and teaching in Spain is a nightmare. Many of the classes are completely unstructured, and the students all talk over the teacher, cheat on exams, and will ignore both you and the teacher. One of my past students once locked the teacher out with a chair while everyone else called her a bitch. As a student, I’ve been in my fair share of bad classrooms in the United States, but it’s ridiculous how Spanish schools let kids get away with everything. But, if you ever au pair or babysit Spanish children, you will quickly notice that Spanish parents spoil their children and blame everyone else for their problems. As an assistant, know that it is not your problem and that while the students may ignore your Halloween presentation, they’re actually really cool to talk to and will be curious about your life. The students were my favorite part of the program. As an assistant, understand that it is not your problem and that while the students may ignore your Halloween presentation, they are actually very fun to talk to and will be interested in your life. Avoid going above and beyond in your lesson plans; if you allow it, Spanish teachers will try to milk extra hours of work out of you so they can leave the classroom and gossip with the other teachers, leaving you to fend for yourself.

4.) Supplement your income by working after-school

The teacher salary in Spain is decent, however, as an aux, 700 euros a month is not enough to comfortably live in Spain, especially in Andalusia and Basque Country. I was struggling in my second year in Seville because I like to travel and go out on the weekends and I couldn’t because the pay was low and LATE. Private lessons and English academy jobs in Spain are readily available year-round, so I’d secure a gig upon arrival.  I had the most money in my first year as a language assistant in Madrid, where they paid 1000 a month and I was taking home an additional 200 for only three hours of private lessons a week. Also, don’t let anyone guilt trip you into charging less than 15 euros an hour, language lessons are a privilege and it’s not your fault some families can’t afford them. By lowering your prices, you’re screwing it up for the other English teachers.

5.) Take advantage of all of your free-time

Working as a language assistant in Spain will be one of the only times in your life where you’re able to work three hours a week with 3-day weekends. While I don’t regret partying my weekends away in new cities each week, I wish I would have focused more on my creative endeavors during the week. If your school has a long commute, it’s understandable to not want to do anything the minute you get home, but force yourself to learn the language, join the gym, or take up a new hobby. After a year, you’ll be surprised by what you accomplished!

6.) Getting your TIE in Spain: Don’t procrastinate, but don’t stress

Learning how to get your TIE in Spain is a process that you’ll quickly realize is unnecessarily complicated for no reason. The bureaucracy in Spain is as chaotic as the classrooms, so don’t stress if you find yourself running back and forth between offices to submit your paperwork. As long as you have a regresso by winter break so you’re able to leave the country without getting deported, you’re good, so book your TIE appointments as soon as you arrive. And to be honest, Spain is super lax with immigration and there’s only a tiny possibility border control will actually check your visa status (just stay away from Germany).

7.) Learn to deal with Spanish passive aggressiveness

Spanish people are sooooo fake nice, it amazes me how they try to hype themselves up as being a warm country. They’re super open, will give you directions if you ask them, and ask you about your weekend, but it’s not because they care or want to be your friend (they don’t), they’ll use it to gossip about you. I once asked a teacher for ibuprofen for my tooth and the next day every single one of them came up to me and assumed I wouldn’t be at school. Don’t tell them your birthday in case you want to conveniently call in sick. You’ll meet really cool teachers that will tell you if the English coordinators are talking shit about you behind your back, and some Spanish girls will probably give you dirty looks in the club for being a foreigner, but no pasa nada. Lots of language assistants try their hardest to make Spanish friends, but honestly they don’t really fuck with people they haven’t known since they were two years old, which is why you only see them traveling in large groups outside of Spain. Silence, individuality, and critical thinking are very difficult concepts for them. 🙁

8.)  Do not pay last month’s rent to your landlord

This sounds unethical, but if you check out the aux groups around May, you’ll see several people flooding the group with posts about how their landlord is accusing them of false damages or ghosting them to avoid giving you back your deposit. I’m not suggesting everyone do this, but if your landlord been playing games with you all year…  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  You’re not gonna get in legal trouble for dipping because it’s too much hassle for them to file legal paperwork for something you didn’t even do– the city council has more important things to do than dispute a claim against a 23-year-old American over 400 euros. Take photos of your apartment before and after leaving so they don’t go making shit up.

9.) Realize that this job does not matter

Some schools are super abusive and have no business even hosting auxes, like my school IES Ribeira do Louro in Porrino 🤮. Honestly the program is a mess, and if you complain to someone the Ministry isn’t going to do anything to fix the situation. Do not go above and beyond as an aux. Do not let them force you into doing extra hours of work because they will try it. Go with the flow, but realize when you’re being taken advantage of. Unless you plan to become a career English teacher, chances are the jobs you want that you went to school for will not care about your abusive head of the English department. This job doesn’t even exist. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

10.) Apply for summer jobs

I thought I’d end up auxing for only a year and instead I stayed three without returning to the United States. During my summer, I worked at English summer camps in Spain to sustain me for that long, five-month summer between school years. Camps and language academies inside and outside of Spain are long, but decently paid jobs that will give you that extra cash needed to travel during the summer. You can also consider au pairing (but I wouldn’t if you’re over the age of 19). Even if you’re on the fence about staying or leaving, securing a summer job is a great backup plan. These jobs pay you under the table, so you can work on a student visa for most places.

Enjoy Spain girlies