Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

CIEE was very helpful and responsive during the past year as my husband and I applied for the program, obtained Visas, and made the transition to Spain. I would highly recommend going with this program because of their help with all of the documentation to go abroad. I don’t think I could have done this without them. They made the process seamless and I was always able to talk to someone in the US for help. The orientation in Madrid was good, but I would have really appreciated more direction with housing. It was a very big task that was challenging and expensive for people who had to stay in an Airbnb/hotel between orientation and moving into an apartment. I know that they can’t help that much with this, but just having more housing workshops would have been helpful! Overall, this is a great program and I would choose it again.

Teaching in Spain comes with it's difficulties. It is worth the peace of mind that is brought by using this resource. You have a staff that is accommodating to any and all questions, concerns, or doubts you may have before or during your time in Spain. They provide step-by-step guides for basically any important meeting with in terms of residency, documentation, anything, in order to make sure you can fly through the process. The on-site group is an amazing group of individuals who are more than just a helping hand. Finding a job can be difficult but CIEE guarantees you a position at a school within your preferred city. There are usually many people who do this program, so you get the chance to meet the other auxiliaries at an orientation which is a great chance to meet people.

Many pros and cons to teaching in Spain, but Ciee did make some things easier. They set up visa appointments, helped set up bank appointments, provided travel insurance and the have hotlines. The orientation allowed me to meet many other teaching assistants and did provide some useful information. I do wish they cut some of it down though. There was little to no help with housing. It is important to keep in mind that ciee is not in control of everything, so they cannot ensure that everything goes smoothly. I do feel pretty on my own sometimes. Yet they did secure me a job, which was harder to do on my own. Most people are up in the air of where they will be placed. As for living in Madrid, it is s great city with lots to do. Ciee also provides a social network which is a comfort.

I have loved my time teaching abroad in Madrid. The school is so great and all my fellow teachers are so supportive and genuinely thrilled to have auxiliares helping with the English portion of the studies. I have felt so welcomed and accepted at work, and the city is incredible as well. If you want to have a year (or more!) of adventure abroad while also making *some* money (but it will most likely be spent on travel and tapas—you won’t complain though) then I’d definitely consider a year abroad with CIEE. They help with all the planning and logistics, which made moving across the world much easier than I could have imagined. Also if you feel you need a bit of a confidence boost when it comes to teaching qualifications, they offer a great TEFL program that prepares you for working abroad and teaching English.

Working with CIEE in Madrid gave me opportunities I could have never imagined! The program you receive all training you need to complete the work and feel confident doing it. When working you never exceed 18 ish hours per week and are able to meet people from all different sectors. Most students are excited and interested to learn. You are given the month of August off for vacation which allows for travel all around Europe! Salary for this position is very competitive in regards to what is needed for living costs. When you arrive in madrid you are giving housing which helps your transition into the city. Hours of classes generally fall between 8-6 but some are slightly outside but are increased in pay. One thing I wish that was included in the fee would be more spanish classes!

If you want to teach abroad and don't want to teach children, this is the program for you. You are sent to companies to teach their employees either in one-to-one classes or in small groups. Not only have I been teaching English to my students, but I have learned so much from them as well about the professional world and various companies in Spain. I have taught students with backgrounds in insurance, gas and electric, airport management, pharmaceuticals, and more. You don't work alongside another teacher like in many other programs, so you are trained over a two week period before going off to your own to teach at the companies. Working on your own is great, but you have much more responsibility with lesson planning. Furthermore, since you are traveling to these companies, commute time is anywhere from a 15 minute walk to over an hour on the metro or other means of transportation. I would say my average commute is 40 minutes, which I really don't mind too much at all. This program group is very small (8 in my group) which makes it easy to socialize and the coordinators are very helpful. However, the low pay and having to find housing in such a short period of time is a big negative, since you really only have about two weeks to apartment hunt and your rent is at least half of your monthly salary for a bedroom in a shared apartment.

I was very happy that I chose to do this program. I absolutely loved my school and loved my bilingual coordinator. I wouldn’t trade my time in Priego for anything. At times it was definitely very difficult and lonely, but getting into a routine and learning the language more and more made it much easier. Also, it was super important to branch out and make new friends (local and american). I do think that CIEE should do a better job with language assistance as the cost of the program is quite large and there is an option to do the same program through the government for free. I’m not sure which program I would do if I were to do it again because the other Americans did have such a positive experience doing their program through the government.

Are you ADVENTUROUS—-AND PATIENT
Those will be tested in your classrooms. Are you able to read cues from students—so you can pivot from
materials/methods that are foundering? If you’re also HUMBLE—you’ll debrief with the Prof and separate ‘wheat from chaff’ for the next session.
The students will challenge you.
They will madden, yet embrace you for honest effort. Beware, however, of older students who will seek your favor—this is just another test you must overcome.
Madrid has a dizzying social scene—for all tastes. Unlike the US, public transport works well—reliable and generally punctual. Get a Bono card—you’ll save enough to surpass the hassle.
CIEE preps you to succeed. Those who are truly serious about the teaching profession will grow the most—and perhaps renew or repeat elsewhere.