Classroom and Camino!
The blog title was inspired by the fact I’ll spend half of my time in a classroom and the other half on an exciting path exploring the world.
In this post I’ll explain more about the classroom part. In general there are a TON of opportunities to teach English in different countries. Spain in particular has worked hard in recent years to recruit recent college graduates to work in schools. There are numerous programs across Spain each with different requirements, locations, stipends, and responsibilities. The program we have selected is NALCAP. So what is it?
NALCAP is a program created by the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Education.
“NALCAP falls under the category of public diplomacy programs. As a language assistant, you will be fulfilling the role of a cultural ambassador as you advance English language learning and mutual understanding through cultural exchange. As such, your role is to encourage students of all ages in Spain to broaden their knowledge of your language and culture.”
Why NALCAP?
NALCAP is run by the Spanish goverment. It is a publicly known and recognizable with a large existing infrastructure. Thousands of new college graduates join the program every year. NALCAP operates in all regions and parts of Spain. (There are 17 different regions!) Additionally there is a large emphasis on placements in rural schools since those areas have a harder time finding native English speakers.
The program runs from October 1 - June 1. The initial contract we sign is for those months, but the position can be renewed for up to 5 years. Many auxes (language assistants) choose to move to different regions every year. The vast network of alumni also means there are plenty of forums and chats to meet other people and ask for advice.
NALCAP provides a monthly stipend of 800€-1,000€ for between 12-16 hours of work a week depending on the region and school. Participants also receive healthcare coverage and acceptance in the program can help expedite the visa process since there is a specific visa for NALCAP.
Ultimately, the requirements, opportunities, and recommendations from other people made NALCAP a great choice.
The job
My official role will be as a teaching assistant. I will not be fully in charge of a class or grading, but instead will be assisting the teacher and being a language model. The exact responsibilities will become more clear after we start the positions. Our schedule will be 14 hours a week in the classroom working in a high school. (With our visas, we can also pick up additional jobs such as tutoring).
Interested in applying?
These are the general requirements:
Be a US Citizen with a valid passport
Have a BA, BS, AA, AS degree or enrolled in a program
Native like speaker of English
Good physical and mental health
Clean background check
Aged 18-60
There is an initial application process which requires letters of recommendation, transcripts, and written components proving language proficiency. This application also requires you to rank the regions in Spain, giving your top three for placements. The application cycle is usually opens sometime in February and closes early April. After it closes, the applications are selected on a first come first serve basis. Finally, the acceptance letters with the placed region are sent out. The final school placement arrives after that. After accepting a spot in the program, you begin the visa process. In my case this required a trip to the LA consulate and several procedural forms (background check, medical report, apostille).
Once the visa is approved, you plan your move to Spain! There are still more logistics that must be taken care of upon arrival (housing, bank account, residency permit, etc.) I'll explain that more later.
Now, let the adventure begin!