Looking to teach English in Barcelona?! Here are some of the best ways to secure a job in what is surely one of the most incredible cities in the world.
One of the most outstanding options for getting paid to immerse yourself into the Spanish way of life is by Teaching English in Barcelona. There are quite a few ways that you can make this happen and different certifications you can get that can lead to a paid job in Spain.
What Does Teaching English in Barcelona look like?
Teaching English in Barcelona is a whole different story. This is your chance to step out on your own, to make a home for yourself in Spain with a regular teaching job, meet locals, make contacts, and eventually choose where you want to live, which district, and allow the joys of Spanish life to merge completely with your own.
Barcelona has captured the hearts of many for a good reason. It’s a city rich in culture and history that also borders some beautiful mountains and the sparkling sea. The food is to-die-for, and wine is cheap and delicious, and there’s always SO much to do. Learn some facts about Barcelona before you go and don’t forget to brush up on some travel tips for Spain.
From checking out the best Barcelona viewpoints over the city or stopping for a vermut at a rooftop bar, to trying the best Barcelona tapas to staying at a unique and historic Barcelona hotel, the options here are truly limitless and there’s something for everyone. I lived here for a summer and dream of the day I’ll return.
Requirements for Teaching English in Barcelona
For most teaching roles, the requirements are:
- A high school certificate or diploma
- Meet Spanish visa requirements
- A laptop to take to the classes and plan your lessons
If these apply to you, then get ready for a new life in Spain! Some courses require different things but these are the basic requirements for teaching English in Barcelona and nope, they aren’t too hard to meet.
If you are a little unsure, then the guys at my recommended agency, Global Work & Travel, are to the rescue. The best way to get instant assurance about your working holiday is to jump on the live chat from the bottom right of any page on their site and pass your query on to one of the dedicated team. If in doubt, ask the experts!
Don’t forget – there’s also an option to be an au pair in Spain if you may prefer childcare for a family to teaching or tutoring.
How to Become an English Teacher in Barcelona
Before getting English teaching jobs in Barcelona you have to become certified as an English teacher. There are a few different ESL and TEFL courses that can certify you as a teacher and also a lot of programs that will help you.
Most of these courses to certify you as an English teacher require an investment of time and money, so you should first be sure that this is what you want. You will spend 4-6 weeks learning how to be a teacher and then you’ll be ready to interview for jobs.
I recommend using Global Work and Travel as the most foolproof way to ENSURE you get a job after getting your certification. With them you aren’t on your own – they hold your hand every step of the way and do everything to make sure that you succeed
For many teachers, the experience can also become part of a bigger professional plan. Living and working abroad strengthens your résumé, gives you stories to tell in future applications, and may even inspire you to pursue graduate study. If that happens, resources such as a graduate school essay writing service can help you organize your experiences into a focused, compelling application essay.
CertTESOL Course
For one of the simplest ways to start on the journey to getting a job teaching English in Barcelona, you can complete the 160 Hour Trinity College CertTESOL course. This is one of the BEST courses that is accepted and respected nearly everywhere.
This TEFL-certified course gives you the fundamental platform to be able to teach English in any Spanish-speaking country around the world. That means you can teach English in Barcelona and then move around teaching other places too.
By far the best way to do this is to head to Spain and take the course in-country. This way, you are not only getting a great grounding on what living and working in Spain is like, but as part of this course, you will actually get to teach classrooms of Spanish speakers and get practical, applicable experience.
The course provided by Global Work and Travel also means that as soon as you are qualified, your dedicated team of specialists will set up interviews for you to ensure that you have as many chances as possible to score a teaching job in Spain.
Completing the Course + Getting English Teaching Jobs in Barcelona
When you complete your course – congratulations! You are now ready to interview for English teaching jobs across Barcelona. You can find tons of English teaching jobs online if you want, and you can send your CV with your shiny new certification on it to both school and private jobs.
But if you sign up with Global Work + Travel, they will make sure you have plenty of interviews set up for you upon completion of your course or even a paid job waiting for you. They make sure you’re always a few steps ahead of any other travelers and are always planning your next step for you!
Teaching English in Barcelona Salary
The rates for school teaching jobs usually pay around €10-€20 per hour, and private lessons can make you a little bit more – generally around €15-€20 per hour.
You may start off with only 10 hours a week, but a full teaching schedule will include up to about 30 hours a week. This will be plenty to enjoy life in Barcelona!
The demand for English tutors in Spain is incredibly high even despite the high number of Enlish teachers in the country. You can expect to complete your course and find yourself teaching for a private language institute in Barcelona or even your choice of another Spanish city.
Why Global Work + Travel is the Best Way to Teach English in Barcelona
There are a wealth of agencies based in many countries around the world that will help you get set up a language course in Barcelona. Each will have its own peculiarities, some specialising in different cities, some just arranging your course, and leaving flights and accommodation up to you. It can be a bit of a minefield to negotiate.
Global Work & Travel have put together the most comprehensive packages I have seen for a hassle-free placement in a teaching role. As a company, they seem to understand the trepidation that many people feel about starting a new chapter of their life in a country that is completely foreign to them.
Not only do they provide a dedicated trip coordinator and travel concierge, but they also include pre-departure online courses, airport transfers, accommodation and cultural welcomes, allowing you to participate in activities with other like-minded people and settle into Barcelona a lot easier.
You will be a part of a bigger group who is all doing the same thing as you, and therefor have built-in friends. You will be able to attend events and even do weekend trips around Europe with these friends. You’ll have a trip coordinator on speed dial at all times, who are literally there to HELP you with anything you need.
They help with visas (which can be a HUGE drag), accommodation (which can be really difficult), interview skills (to get those jobs), and so much more.
How to Travel around when Teaching English in Barcelona
Working in Spain is a fantastic experience, but as with everything, work is not the best bit, living is! Spain is a country that is ripe for exploring. Working in another country is all about experience – it is great for the CV and great for your confidence – but traveling around does exactly the same thing.
Spain is composed of lots of very different regions, each with their own dialect, or even language, their own customs, food styles and landscapes and there is not a bad place to pick from all of them. Barcelona is amazingly well-connected to all other parts of Spain and even France, Andorra, and Portugal.
Catalonia, with its vibrant capital Barcelona, is packed with tapas bars, cheap cava, and a fiercely proud population. In the southwest, there is stunning Andalucia, where the heat and Moorish influences have created incredible, high-walled cities filled with grand, palatial buildings.
If food and sheer beauty are at the top of your list, then the authentic regions on the north coast might be your cup of tea. San Sebastian is the greatest food city in the world and gives way to chilled beaches and hidden surf paradises.
And Spain is not the only country to discover. While you are here you can pop over to France or Portugal for dinner and the rest of Europe is just a short flight away. Taking a train from Spain, up around the south coast of France and down into Italy is a truly magical experience, and while teaching English in Barcelona, your options are wide open.
Investment and Benefits of Teaching English in Barcelona
Teaching English in Barcelona will be a winner for your CV. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and spending time living and working in another country is highly valued by potential employers. It shows your flexibility, diversity and your ability to plan and manage very effectively.
It also massively broadens your horizons and could give you that vital spark to decide what you do in your future or to do something different with your life NOW. Not only the obvious choices of becoming a teacher or work as an au pair in Spain but simply living in another country, seeing how it works, brings forth a wealth of ideas. The explosion of coffee roasters in the UK is completely down to people who worked and travelled in Australia at the turn of the millennium. It is these seeds that can grow to become beautiful things.
Living and Working in a foreign country also boosts your self-confidence immeasurably. You will return with the knowledge that people all around the world are the same, that you can talk to anyone from a pauper to a prince and how easy it is to connect no matter how intimidating someone may seem. Here are more incredible lessons you can learn by moving abroad alone.
What to Know Before Traveling to Spain
While it is a joy to discover as you go while traveling, it is also worth knowing a few key things about Spain before you head there. There are a few obvious things to learn about, the key one obviously being the language.
With Global Work and Travel, the Barelona English Teaching Package includes a comprehensive block of Spanish language classes, so that you can learn as you work. However, knowing the pleasantries (please, thank you, goodbye) is always a great call, and to get a little grounding in the basics, you can always turn to free apps like Duolingo or Busuu.
Spanish Culture + Food
Spain is generally a welcoming and friendly country. People encourage you to speak Spanish and help you along the way and if you are going to Galicia, Catalonia or particularly Basque Country, it helps to learn a couple of words in the local dialect or language.
It is also really handy to know about going out. Food is everything in Spain. It is a cause for celebration on a daily basis and forms the nucleus of many great nights out. The Barcelona tapas culture and particularly the pintxo (one bite tapas) culture in the north, means that many people will bar hop, having a snack and a drink in each bar. However, dinner usually doesn’t start until around eight o’clock, so keep those crisps handy!
Spanish Nightlife
If your night out extends to going to a club, beware! Not because of dangers (though you should be as careful as any other country at night) but because you might find that you are not actually in the club at 2 am like you think you are.
Clubs don’t generally get started in Spain until about 3 or 4, the 2 am bar part is just a warm-up. Starting late and ending early (in the morning) is the Spanish way, so just beware if you are working at the weekend, you might not get away with just popping out for a few in Spain.
Global Work & Travel have been arranging successful working trips worldwide since 2008. In that short time, they have become one of the world’s leading work & travel brands assisting over 58,000 travelers to turn travel dreams into reality. Their relationship with language schools is unparalleled, meaning that when you come to book your cultural immersion in Spain, everything is taken care of.
And if you want to investigate countries other than Spain, there are plenty of other European opportunities. Work in Italy and filling your world with pizza, pasta and parties. Head to the UK, taking time to explore its incredible cities and wild, untouched spaces. Or head to France and spend your time between mindblowing cities and the glory of its alpine wonders.
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.