26 December 2014 / by Elena Riches

Hola Barcelona!

Having lived in Cyprus for 16 years and getting fed up with it (particularly since the launch of the euro!) I started toying with the idea of moving and began thinking long and hard about where I would move to. After much deliberation (and encouragement from people who have been there) I decided on Barcelona. So, I sold my car, rented my flat out, packed my bags and here I am.

Now, you may think that was a brave (or stupid!) thing for me to do but, I didn't just up and leave, I did do my research and part of that research was looking for a job and being a non-Spanish speaker I came across obstacles. However, that didn't deter me. So, I hit the internet and discovered that if I took a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and gained the relevant certificate, I could teach English.

The next step on my quest was to find a TEFL course that wasn't too expensive, as my funds were limited and one where the company could possibly help me to get a job should I complete the course successfully and decide that teaching is what I wanted to do. My research took me to the OxbridgeTEFL site so, I clicked the link and arranged a Skype interview.

The day of the interview arrived and being slightly nervous (having had no teaching experience whatsoever and a slight fear of being rejected) I was soon put at ease by the young lady who interviewed me since she told me that no experience was necessary - yippee - and that I wasn't obliged to take it further. Once my interview was over I was advised that the company would be in touch within a couple of days to advise of my acceptance. Sure enough, an email arrived with the details of the course and when I could start.

The first week of the course (for me) was the hardest as it involved how you would teach phonology, morphology and syntax which, while my grammar is impeccable, having to relay this to a third party non-English speaker means you have to know what you're talking about. The subsequent weeks were easier.

While taking the course I was living with a few other teachers who had taken a TEFL course with other organizations in Spain and upon viewing my course work claimed that it was one of the best courses they'd seen. Not only does it enable you to teach real classes but, if you happen to fail any of the exams, you can re-sit them at no extra cost. This was very encouraging.

Anyway, the bottom line is, I am now teaching English in Barcelona and I absolutely love it!

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July 2015

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26 December 2014 / by Elena Riches

Hola Barcelona!

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