Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

Name: Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid
Brand: CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL
SKU: 29255
Rating: 4.61 (131 reviews)

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4.61 Rating

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Location

Spain
- Madrid

Length

52+ weeks

Classroom Audience

Early Childhood Elementary Middle School High School

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Program Details

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree (in any field), native English speaker, citizenship in the U.S., Canada, or Ireland

Job Type

Government

Classroom Audience

Early Childhood Elementary Middle School High School

Weekly Classroom Hours

Pricing

Salary / Benefits

Monthly Stipend: 1000 Euros; temporary accommodations during arrival and orientation
Placement as a Language and Culture Assistant in the region of Madrid
Pre-departure assistance – including visa guidance
Insurance with 24-hour emergency assistance
Ongoing support from CIEE staff in Madrid
Airport pickup and transportation to your orientation hotel on arrival day
Orientation in Madrid with topics including housing, banking, residency, health & safety, and more
Cultural activities during orientation, such as a flamenco show and sampling cuisine from different regions of Spain

Starting Price

2350

Price Details

Guaranteed placement as a Language and Culture Assistant in the region of Madrid
Pre-departure assistance – including visa guidance
Insurance with 24-hour emergency assistance
24/7 support from CIEE staff in Madrid
Airport pickup and transportation to your orientation hotel on arrival day
Orientation in Madrid with topics including housing, banking, residency, health & safety, and more
Cultural activities during orientation, such as a flamenco show and sampling cuisine from different regions of Spain

What's Included

Some Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals Travel Insurance Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023

Last Reviewed: Jun 30, 2023

Wish List

147 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

CIEE's Teach in Spain program offers guaranteed placement as a Language and Culture Assistant in the region of Madrid, and support through every step of your journey.

Before departure, CIEE will provide you with expert visa guidance, and an online pre-departure course. After arrival, CIEE provides airport pick-up, a comprehensive orientation, 4 nights of accommodation at orientation hotel, cultural activities, and 24/7 support from CIEE staff in Madrid so you'll be set up for success!

As a language assistant in Madrid, you'll spend 16 hours each week supporting local teachers and helping students practice conversational English. With three-day weekends you'll have plenty of free time to travel or study Spanish.

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Video and Photos

CIEE Teach in Spain teachers at metro station in Madrid

CIEE Teach in Spain teachers at cafe in Madrid

CIEE Teach in Spain teachers at plaza in Madrid

CIEE Teach in Spain teacher a Retiro park in Madrid

CIEE Teacher in Spain teachers exploring Madrid

CIEE Teach in Spain teachers and friends on outing together

Bring joy and learning to classrooms of children in Madrid

CIEE Teach in Spain teachers at historical site in Madrid

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Program Highlights

Guaranteed placement as a Language and Culture Assistant in the region of Madrid
Airport pickup and 4 nights at orientation hotel in Madrid upon arrival
Network with other CIEE teachers before departure and at CIEE orientation in Madrid
Orientation in Madrid with cultural activities and workshops on housing, transportation, residency, and more
Optional: 2-4 weeks of Spanish language immersion course and homestay before starting teaching position

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Program Reviews

4.61 Rating

based on 131 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Teach Gap Year TEFL

5 rating 72.52%
4 rating 20.61%
3 rating 4.58%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 2.29%

Benefits 4.25
Support 4.5
Fun 4.65
Facilities 4.3
Safety 4.7

Housing 5
Support 4
Fun 5
Value 5
Safety 5

Instruction 4.35
Support 5
Value 4
Academic Rigor 3
Job Assistance 3

Good for Solo Travelers, Adventure travelers, Building your resume

Showing 1 - 8 of 131 reviews

CIEE Teach Abroad was a great opportunity to see a new part of the world. It’s a nice break between graduating and finding a career. I enjoyed living in Madrid, Spain for the culture, the people, the food and seeing a bunch of brand new things. My job placement (secundaria) was an easy commute from where I lived and in a nice enough neighborhood (San Blas). I loved working with the students at my school but the faculty that I also worked with kinda sucked and made my time at the school a bit hard.

Pros

New country to live in
Easy access to other countries
Learned a new language

Cons

Pay
CIEE doesn’t prepare ppl full enough for what they will be experiencing in the schools
Only a year long

The overall experience was what I had anticipated. Definitely coming in with an open mind is important. The only thing that I would say is that if you go through any racist experiences or microaggressions (esp. if you're a POC coming into this program), you're school may not take it too seriously. The language immersion program was especially great because I was able to advance my Spanish skills a lot.

Long story short: do your research before you come to Spain. Be aware of any cultural differences and be mentally prepared to handle any situation (whether it is good or bad) that may arise. Also, save money before you come because you'll definitely need the extra funds, especially if you plan on traveling to other countries.

Pros

Cultural immersion/new experiences/resume building
Language learning (especially if you do the language immersion program)
Meeting new and really great people who will really impact your life and enhance it

Cons

Microaggressions/racism isn't taken too seriously
Pay
Communication may not be clear at your job (this is dependent on the school, though)

I was an English Language Assistant (aka Auxiliar de Conversación) through CIEE for the 22/23 school year in Madrid. Although CIEE was more expensive than other options, their support was definitely worth the price. They gave us real time updates on visa requirements for each consulate before leaving for Spain, and really helped us get our paperwork settled on arrival. Also, the CIEE orientation introduced me to many friends who I got to spend the whole year traveling with. I expect many of them will be my friends for life :)

The help with the tie process was great and the school environment as well. You are only working 4 days a week with very little stress and i was able to travel as much as i wanted. The housing situation was very stressful, it would have been helpful to have more support for the program. Schools are very grateful to have your help and the kids were amazing. The income is manageable if you find a cheap place and manage your money well. Traveling has gotten more expensive so I could have visited more places but it was just not in my budget.

Pros

Independence
Traveling
Community

Cons

Many Responsibilities

Incredible experience. Absolutely recommend if you want to have an abroad experience while making a positive impact AND getting paid. Would recommend especially to ages 22-26. I did the 6th month program which is great if you need a break between jobs. I definitely could have stayed longer. Madrid is a great city to be in socially and you can learn a lot of Spanish. The orientation week was helpful for making friends, but there are other ways in the city to meet people (language classes or exchanges).

Pros

Easy to apply
Gives you lots of information

Cons

Don’t do Sabedell bank, Santander or N24 is better
The CIEE is a outrageously expensive

CIEE was an amazing experience, I would recommend to anyone! I had a great time, and was able to grow both personally and professionally. I was able to travel during the weekends, especially since I had fridays off. The school environment was amazing and made my stay here even more enjoyable. Everyone in CIEE is extremely welcoming and made the whole process amazing. I would do it again if I could! It is a great way to learn about a different country and embrace a new culture. Spain has become my favorite city.

Pros

Travel
Make friends

Cons

Not high pay salary
Away from home

I spent this past year teaching English in Thailand through CIEE and had such a great experience that I decided I wanted to do Spain next! CIEE walked me through the whole visa process step by step and were available to answer any questions by email. Besides visa support, one of my favorite things about teaching abroad through CIEE is the community it helps you build. I’ve met so many amazing people through this program and nothing beats traveling the world with some of your best friends! If you’re looking for an opportunity to travel abroad, CIEE has so many options that allow you to get out there and see the world while making a difference:)

Pros

Getting out of your comfort zone
Meeting new people
Lots of traveling opportunities!

Cons

There’s a fee

Teaching abroad in Spain was an incredible experience. I learned so much from living in another culture. I was challenged in learning a new language and seeing the world from a different perspective. I also gained some helpful teaching experince. By doing the program through CIEE I made friends and had assistance with the visa process and finding housing. There was someone there to support every step of the way. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to step outside of their comfort zone.

Pros

Learning a new language
Gained teaching experience
Gain soft skills

Cons

Language barriers

Questions & Answers

Is it for native speakers only?

This program requires fluent English proficiency and citizenship from the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, or New Zealand.

By CIEE Teach Abroad and CIEE TEFL on January 6, 2022

Is it possible to live off 1000 euros a month? How much is average rent?

It’s definitely possible to live off 1000€/month! It’s actually way easier than I thought it would be. I live outside the city center and only pay 360€ a month including utilities and WiFi, but even if you’re in the city center, I think you can find a place for a reasonable price. Groceries and restaurants are way cheaper here than in the states, so cost of living in general is lower, I’d say...

By Derinn Wallace on March 24, 2020

See all 2 answers

What are the differences between TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA?

CELTA—administered by Cambridge Univ and respected worldwide. Must face students in classrooms and be evaluated by peers. The others? Can obtain online without ever meeting a student. Who would you hire?

By Brian Morris on March 18, 2020

See all 2 answers

Where are most opportunities available?

Hi, Clark! We have programs in many countries, take a look at our website to compare programs: https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/pr…. You can reach out to our country coordinators using the 'contact us' tab at the top. Please feel free to reach out to us at teach@ciee.org. Looking forward to working with you! Teach Team

By CIEE Teach Abroad and CIEE TEFL on February 5, 2020

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Rachel Dietz

Program

Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

Rachel is a Minnesota native who is passionate about multiculturalism and international education. As a CIEE Teach Abroad participant, Rachel was able to live in Madrid, Spain and loved teaching English to students of all kinds. During her time abroad she really enjoyed things like trying all different types of Spanish cuisine, traveling to various cities within Spain and all over Europe, and increasing her vocabulary in Spanish.

Interview

Why did you choose this program?

I chose the CIEE Teach Abroad program in Madrid because I really wanted guaranteed placement in that region of Spain as well as support with the moving process (like the visa assistance). Additionally, I was traveling alone so I wanted to be connected with other people who were going to teach abroad making the in-country orientation another important factor so I could meet new people right away.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

CIEE assisted me with the visa application process and helped guide me to get all my paperwork in order before leaving the US. After arrival in Spain, I attended orientation with CIEE Staff where they covered information like what to expect for the teaching position, how to get your residency and metro cards, insurance and safety information, as well as planned cultural activities. Throughout my 2 years teaching in Madrid I was also invited to various events with CIEE staff. I didn't have to organize much on my own- CIEE was great about keeping me informed each step of the way on the tasks I needed to complete to successfully teach abroad in Spain. The most work I did was to find housing once I arrived in Madrid, but CIEE did offer advice to help me navigate that process as well.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One thing I would tell people that are going to teach abroad in Madrid with CIEE is to do your research and plan your trip with adequate time. The earlier you apply to the CIEE program the better, as it allows for more time to save money, apply for your visa without stress, and to be able to source information about Madrid that will make your time in Spain easier. The research process should be thorough- what are the different neighborhoods and what do they offer? Where is your school placement and how would you get there on public transportation? What are the biggest national holidays and what are the local customs? What are cultural differences between US and Spanish schools? These are just some examples, but they are things that are important to know beforehand so that you can show up to your first day at work cool, calm, and collected.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

When I was teaching in Madrid I worked Monday-Thursday and I had 16 classes (all 1 hour each). I was usually at school from 9am-3pm and when I wasn't in class I was either prepping class materials in the staff lounge or in the cafeteria having a coffee and tostada with the other language assistants and the teachers that I had befriended at the school. After school I usually gave private tutoring lessons to make some extra cash and then weekends were for going out with friends, traveling throughout Spain and Europe, and time to relax.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear when going abroad was about being able to make friends. Having been abroad before, I knew that having a good support system of friends is important to avoid being homesick and to really make the most of your time living overseas. To overcome this fear, I decided to go through a program like CIEE because I knew that they would connect me with others who were going to teach in Spain. And from there I tried to take advantage of every opportunity I had to meet new people: I went to a meet-up in my hometown in the US with people from CIEE who I met on the CIEE Facebook group, I made plans to go out for drinks with people at orientation in Madrid, made sure to friend/follow people on social media to stay up to date, made an effort to get to know the other language assistants and teachers at my school placement, and attended all the events that I was invited to throughout the year by CIEE and other organizations.

What is the most important skill to work on if you want to be successful when teaching English abroad?

The most important skill is to be proactive. The process of moving abroad requires you to pay very close attention to various tasks and not doing so can delay or even terminate your plans to move abroad to teach English. Once you arrive, it's really important to be proactive about integrating into the culture and into your job, because you are a visitor, not the protagonist. This means you need to be the one to initiate learning the language, the cultural norms, the social interactions to help build trust, etc.- all of these things can help you to give a good first impressions and set the tone for a positive experience.

Jay Tipton

2019 Alum

Tracy Kuhle

2019 Alum

Valerie Sokolova

2018 Alum

Sebastian Wood

2018 Alum

David Mack

2016 Alum

Sarah Anderegg

2016 Alum

Mark Reese

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Lauren Massey

Program

Teach English in Spain with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement in Madrid

Job Title

Senior Coordinator, Teach Abroad in Spain

Lauren grew up in the Pacific Northwest and became interested in travelling while studying abroad in college. She taught English in South Korea for two years and later spent a year and a half in Thailand and Nepal during a career break. While not hiking, skiing, or camping near her home base now in Maine, she loves helping others navigate the process of moving abroad.

Interview

What is your favorite travel memory?

One of my favorite travel memories was heading to Japan for a long weekend when I was teaching in South Korea. We flew to Tokyo and spent the weekend planning our sunrise summit of Mt. Fuji at sunrise. It took multiple trains, buses, and taxis to get there, but it was a really unique experience to be able to summit this mountain in Japan with friends who were from Canada, Italy, and South Africa.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I think I've learned a lot about the process of moving abroad. Although I've done it twice since college, everyone has their own individual experience. Some people go right after college while others go during a career break. Some people have traveled extensively beforehand while others have just gotten their first passport. Everyone is from a different area of the world with different experiences leading up to this moment. No one has the exact same route or plan even if they're all going to teach in Spain. It's really fun to hear about everyone's individual passions and reason about why they want to go on this adventure and I've been learning so many unique stories along the way.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

That they're going to continue on and go to another CIEE Teach program in another country. Teaching abroad is addicting, so this actually happens quite often! I also know of a lot of stories and people who have met their partner abroad and are getting married. You never know what life will bring if you move across the world. It opens up endless possibilities.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would want to teach in China. I never had the chance to go there while living in Asia and think it would be fascinating to live there for a year or two. I really want to eat all the food, be there during Chinese New Year, hike parts of the Great Wall, learn a bit of the language, and see what it's like to really live there.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I love the support that CIEE offers to those looking to teach abroad. We connect with our teachers up to a year or even more before they depart. This gives us the ability to connect with people and offer individual guidance. Our team is really passionate about making this process smooth and we've all been through it, so we know what it's like. I'm always proud of my team! We get along and work well together while helping each other when needed.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

We all communicate really well and are all able to adapt and be flexible when things get busy. We don't only communicate well internally, but do our best to reach out to all our teachers very regularly and track down that they are going to successfully get abroad on time with the correct documents and preparation beforehand. We don't passively wait for challenges to come to us, but we anticipate new changes and plan out how to resolve them early on.

Miranda Rodway

Senior Coordinator, Teach in Spain Programs

Laura Canadillas

Teach in Spain Senior Program Coordinator

Location

Location:

Madrid

Currency:

Euro

Weather:

Jan-Mar

61 F / 34 F

Apr-Jun

82 F / 43 F

Jul-Sep

90 F / 57 F

Oct-Dec

68 F / 37 F

Airports:

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas

( MAD )

A world-class European capital city steeped in art, architecture, and history, Madrid is an affordable destination for students and tourists alike. Enjoy parks, museums, and bustling nightlife in this iconic Spanish city.

About CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL

CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL will support you through every step of your English teaching adventure, empowering you to explore new cultures, meet amazing people, and make a lasting impact on the lives of your students! CIEE TEFL's online courses will teach you everything you need to know to be a successful English teacher, from how to plan and deliver...

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