Forum Poll - do you want to live in Spain?

[Ben]

Just out of curiosity, how may of you think you would actually like to end up living here one day?

[Edith]

Just out of curiosity, how may of you think you would actually like to end up living here one day?

I would love to after my retirement, but I'm afraid I haven't got the money.

[neskadebilbao]

My dream is to move to Spain and work in a university coordinating study abroad programs. Meaning that I would be part of the administrative side and teach a class or two. My study abroad experiences have definitely given me a drive to help foreigners "find their place" in Spain.

However, I think that I would be happy teaching English or in a position where I would use both languages. The only thing with teaching English is that I am not sure how effective I would be as a professor since the last grammar class I had was in 7th grade.

Ben, this leads me to ask how it was for you when you began teaching English. Did you have any teacher training? Did you teach out of a textbook with lesson plans?

[osvaldo]

My partner and I are planning on buying property in Madrid in the future. We're waiting until the $ gets a bit stronger. Our plan is to be living year round in Spain by the year 2008.

[Brian]

We've gotten through the basic paperwork of passports and the like to make the move, just need to find a job first!

[Ben]

Ben, this leads me to ask how it was for you when you began teaching English. Did you have any teacher training? Did you teach out of a textbook with lesson plans?

It was hard work - I did the CELTA (previously TEFL) course at International House in Madrid. One month of hell but really worth it, especially as I did quite well and they offered me a job there at the end of the month! They provided lots of back up materials but basically we followed set text books and planned around those. Believe me, anyone (within reason!) can teach English no matter how daunting it seems at the outset, and there is loads of work around, so if you are interested, just go for it :)

[ValenciaSon]

I would love to spend half the year in Spain and the other half in the US. We wouldn't do something like that now because we feel it would be too disruptive for our kids. One is school-aged and the other almost is.

My wife and I are about to work for companies that have several offices in Spain so we have certainly played with the idea of moving to Spain. We've also considering moving in our retirement to Spain.

Of course all this changes if we win the lottery:rolleyes:

[gary]

I would love to spend half the year in Spain and the other half in the US. We wouldn't do something like that now because we feel it would be too disruptive for our kids. One is school-aged and the other almost is.

My wife and I are about to work for companies that have several offices in Spain so we have certainly played with the idea of moving to Spain. We've also considering moving in our retirement to Spain.

Of course all this changes if we win the lottery:rolleyes:


Im with you on this one - I would l like a residence in Spain and the UK and just be in one or the other when I wanted - grandchildren, elderly parents etc make the break difficult. I almost did it when I finished college but in the end was offered a teaching post so out of respect for my parents investment in me I took it - and sort of regretted it in the back of my mind ever since (Alan take note!) but life turned out well anyway and I get there may be 5 - 6 weeks a year.

I think the plan will be to do regular long term rentals in retirement - good value if you avoid where the brits are in their gated urbanizations - I would like to get to know one area really well - possibly in and around Barcelona which I know quite well already.

I am planning a dry run next July/aug when I'll stay for 5 - weeks or until the budget is blown....

[Netsirksmada]

Just out of curiosity, how may of you think you would actually like to end up living here one day?

It's actually my main goal right now...Go to school in Spain, then a year after I graduate become a citizen...Haha I need some sort of motivation! Oh and by the way, there is a very good chance I will be returning to Spain next summer with one of my friends.

[greytop]

Slightly cautionary note, especially for older migrants from

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story/0,,1826670,00.html

[Ben]

Good article Greytop, I think I'll blog it later!

[snowleopard]

It was hard work - I did the CELTA (previously TEFL) course at International House in Madrid. One month of hell but really worth it, especially as I did quite well and they offered me a job there at the end of the month! They provided lots of back up materials but basically we followed set text books and planned around those. Believe me, anyone (within reason!) can teach English no matter how daunting it seems at the outset, and there is loads of work around, so if you are interested, just go for it :)
I'm wondering if it would be possible to teach English in Spain for someone who is not a native speaker. I'm originally from Russia, came to the US when I was 23 and have been living there for 14 years. I'm completely bilingual, my English is just as good as native in all aspects, but I have an accent... Not a heavy accent, but anyone who knows English well enough would immediately realize that I'm not a native speaker (although when I lived in Malta most Maltese thought I was American! Ha-ha, just because I didn't have a British accent! They don't get to see many Americans there, I guess). I've heard that it wouldn't be a problem in Asia and Latin America, but Europe is more picky.
So, having said all that, do you think it could be a problem for me to find English teaching opportunities in Spain?

[Nic]

I would love to move to Spain... its my dream and is what I plan to do either after I finish college or after I've got my degree.. I'm not sure which one to do.. to either start working straight after I finish college to earn some money and then move to Spain after a year or so.. or go to university and get my degree in Spanish and then move... what do you guys think???

[Ben]

The sooner you get here, the happier you will be that you got here sooner, if that makes sense! And welcome to the forum!

[que]

I would like to move to spain for a bit some day. sooner rather than later. Maybe not permanently, but long enough to speak good spanish and enjoy myself! But who knows what would happen, right Ben?

I have a great job at the moment, and want to stick it out for a bit. The ideal situation would be to have enough money to take a year out, spend a bit of time at a language school, get a casual job, just enjoy myself.

Or, better still, find a job in my secotor. As i work in multimedia, its moves very rapidly, so i wouldnt want to spend too long out of it, otherwise you become less employable (quite quickly) the longer you leave it. So would be nice to go straight in to a job.

But im young, single, and mortgage free!!! ;D So if someone offerd me that job tomorrow?! who knows.

[Nic]

The sooner you get here, the happier you will be that you got here sooner, if that makes sense! And welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the welcome ;D Yeah that makes perfect sense. I think in my heart thats what I want to do but at the minute I've got lots of different people telling me to do lots of different things and I'm a bit like well what about what I want!

I don't have anyone really where I live (or that i know) that is interested in Spanish or anything like I am so I feel a bit alone... they don't understand why I want to move. They're like aren't you scared of packing everything in and leaving and I'm like no! lol!

What's it really like when you first get there? Is it scary and daunting? How easy is it to get a job over there for someone who in English but speaks fairly good spanish?

[Ben]

What's it really like when you first get there? Is it scary and daunting? How easy is it to get a job over there for someone who in English but speaks fairly good spanish?

Hi, and welcome from me too! It is scary and daunting at first, of course, but I think that is true of all majorly exciting things in life - if it wasn't scary it wouldn't be such a big thing, and the pay offs wouldn't be so wonderful afterwards. The good news is that Spain must be one of the easiest countries in the world to adapt to and to feel at ease in (compared, I imagine, to moving somewhere like South East Asia, where the culture shock would be much bigger).

You could get a job very easily teaching English, or in a bar when you first arrive, but just about any job will be open to you if you really put your mind to it. Speaking fairly good Spanish will be a huge advantage to start with. If you think you have to make the move, then my advice is just to go for it, you won't regret it :)

[Nic]

You could get a job very easily teaching English, or in a bar when you first arrive, but just about any job will be open to you if you really put your mind to it. Speaking fairly good Spanish will be a huge advantage to start with. If you think you have to make the move, then my advice is just to go for it, you won't regret it

Thanks for the advice.. I really appreciate it!
To get a job teaching english do the schools over there require any qualifications, like degrees or A-levels etc?

[Ben]

The only really important qualification is an English teaching qualification like the CELTA (used to be called TEFL) certificate, but some people find work here without it - in some cased just being able to speak English is enough. If you have a teaching qualification (which can be picked up in a month), you will find better quality work though.

[Nic]

The only really important qualification is an English teaching qualification like the CELTA (used to be called TEFL) certificate, but some people find work here without it - in some cased just being able to speak English is enough. If you have a teaching qualification (which can be picked up in a month), you will find better quality work though.

Is the CELTA course available in Spain or just in England? Would it be possible to move to Spain, get a job and then do the course over there?

[Ben]

I did the Celta course in Madrid at International House, there are lots of courses in Spain, googling should turn up some more. Most likely sequence would be to move to Spain, do the course, and then find the job. It worked for me!!

[Nic]

I did the Celta course in Madrid at International House, there are lots of courses in Spain, googling should turn up some more. Most likely sequence would be to move to Spain, do the course, and then find the job. It worked for me!!

Thank you for the advice I really appreciate it!

I know that I will be moving to Spain but I've just got to decide when and with what qualifications I want to go over there with!

[Cynthia]

It's so nice to see so many people that love Spain so much that they want to move there--I'm not the only one!! ;D