TEFL Certification Course
Length of training: 4 weeks
Tuition: $2,095
Madrid can be summed up in one word. 'Cosmopolitan'. The industry is mainly kept to the Southern Fringe, and the city is renowned for its lively nightlife, making this the ideal weekend break, whether you are traveling for business or for pleasure.
Striking statues, buildings, and monuments litter this diverse and captivating city, and it has a whole host of sights for people to see. Tourists will find this an accommodating and Friendly City which is easy to get around, and has plenty for visitors to do.
The TEFL program in Madrid is an extensive 4-week/120-hour program - including 100 hours of course materials and in-class work with an instructor and an additional 20 hours of volunteer English-teaching. Both extensive and fun, the TEFL program provides participants with comprehensive training in a professional and supportive environment.
The School
The TEFL Institute in Madrid is located in a busy location, providing participants with easy access to banks, shops, supermarkets and public transportation. Our school is spacious and modern and is fully equipped including kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities. As well as a fully stocked library, we also have a range of materials, books, CDs and DVDs so that the lessons are always diverse and interesting. We have dedicated classrooms for TEFL courses, ensuring that all the items you need are readily available. All our computers are connected to the internet (WiFi and fixed) and have all the forms you need during the course.
Program fee does cover:
- TEFL course fee
- Course Book
- Job placement assistance in Madrid
- Job placement in summer camps in Spain
- Free internet and photocopy services
- DVD copy of the final oral teaching presentation exam to give graduates a competitive edge in the ESL job market.
Program fee does not cover:
- Personal Expenses
- International Flights
- Visa, Immunization
- Insurance
- Airport Pick up
- Housing is paid direct to hostel in Madrid
Housing
Once you have signed up for the course and indicated that you would like us to arrange your accommodation, you will be contacted by our accommodation officer.
Students typically stay in a local hostel nearby with a kitchenette.
1 month in a hostel typically start at 500 Euros
Housing will be paid directly to the hostel upon arrival.
Orientation provided when you arrive in Madrid
Every new month's class is welcome to join us for an orientation session at TEFL Institute Madrid. Orientation is always on the Friday of the week prior to your first TEFL class at 9:30 in the morning. All the students meet with the Directors of the TEFL Institute English Language Academy and various staff members. Each student is given a welcome pack from the City Hall of Madrid that has city and subway maps, and all kinds of interesting information about Madrid and Spain ranging from restaurants and tabernas to museums and cultural events.
After the orientation, the directors then take everyone out for an informal "English " breakfast where everybody gets a chance to relax and converse more informally. The whole orientation covers about three hours and finishes sometime around 12:00 noon. There is also a "Kick-off Cocktail" event of some kind scheduled on the same Friday in the evening where new TEFL students can meet and network with other teachers/friends of TEFL Institute.
Topics and information to be covered include:
- Introduction to TEFL Institute English and the TEFL Program.
- Introduction into the TEFL Institute Club.
- The Garcia Lorca Spanish School.
- English Class Administration and Classroom Guidelines.
- TEFL Institute General Rules for your English students.
- Wage Scale/Pay Sheets and length of stay in Madrid.
- Advice on Accommodation & Housing Information.
- Purchasing Medical Insurance.
- Safety in Madrid.
- Purchasing Cell phones.
- Opening up a bank account in Madrid.
- Advice on Subway & Bus pass information.
TEFL training:
Unlike other TEFL programs, TEFL Institute devotes a significant amount of time concentrating on the techniques of teaching children. Every trainee participates in eight separate sessions of 2.5 hours each, or 20 TEFL Institute Madrid Spainhours total of children practice teaching. Considering that 50 % of the job offers around the world involve teaching children, this is another important point to consider when shopping for a TEFL program.
Moreover, TEFL Institute also dedicates a substantial amount of time directed toward the techniques of teaching business English to professionals. Again, all trainees participate in eight separate sessions of 2.5 hours each, or 20 hours total of business English practice teaching.
A further distinction of the TEFL Institute program is a DVD copy of your final oral teaching presentation exam. This is a powerful tool to use with future employers. In addition to your certificate, work experience and recommendations from TEFL Institute, you have the ability to show yourself teaching an actual thirty minute class to any prospective employer. This gives you a sizable competitive edge in the ESL job market.
Live classroom teaching:
Another important difference at TEFL Institute teaching classes that begins during beginning of the course. Theoretical training is important, but there is no substitute for experience. Standing in front of a group of non native English speakers and teaching an English class in a foreign country is not easy. For those with little or no teaching experience, it can be a daunting experience. TEFL Institute realizes this. Our program is specifically designed to guide you, to help you and walk you through this process so that you attain the confidence necessary to do this by the end of the course.
Our philosophy includes both a "LEARN BY DOING" approach. Thus, each TEFL trainee must teach a total of 40 hours of classes with non-native speaking students to fulfill the 120 hour course requirements and obtain their TEFL certificate. This is by far the highest number of real teaching hours offered by any TEFL program.
Books and materials included:
All of the materials for the course, including the textbook, are checked out to each student through the TEFL Institute English library. Every month the TEFL Institute English teachers (usually the first week of the month when they are being paid) check in old materials and check out new materials through the TEFL Institute English library. Typical materials include magazines, books, photocopies, cassette tapes, movie videos, games, etc.
Extra services at TEFL Institute Madrid:
Job references and interview assistance in Madrid. Job assistance including classes on resume building & marketing oneself to other academies throughout Spain and around the world, as well as providing valuable contacts and prestigious references for future employment including:
- Teaching hours available in Madrid during the school year with our English language school.
- Summer English camps opportunities throughout Spain.
- 40 hours of practice teaching , which is the highest number of practice teaching hours offered in any TEFL program.
- 20 hours of Children Practice Teaching and 20 hours of Business Practice Teaching.
- DVD copy of the final oral teaching presentation exam to give graduates a competitive edge in the ESL job market.
- Comfortable family atmosphere for working and living abroad, including membership into the TEFL Social Club, which provides two monthly events, such as Terraza Night and The Annual Picnic and Football match.
- TEFL students can take a one month intensive Spanish course at a 30% discount.
- TEFL Institute provides free internet and photocopy services.
- The TEFL Institute TEFL Program has small, intimate, enjoyable classes taught by a caring and well-rounded team of trainers.
Teaching in Spain
The full market pay rates at academies in Madrid range from 11 to 18 euros per hour. This is based on many factors including the experience of the teacher, the difficulty of the class, whether the class is a one to one class or a group class, whether the class is a general English class or a business English class, and the number of hours that you are contracted to work. The average pay for group classes in companies and businesses is 15 euros per hour. In addition, private classes usually pay between 10 - 20 euros per hour, but are more unstable as students often stop classes without warning at any time during the year. The average weekly work schedule varies from one teacher to another. We consider a full schedule as twenty five hours of teaching a week, and you need to teach about twenty to twenty five hours a week to pay all of your living expenses.
This will cover all of your basic needs to live such as monthly rent, food, and transportation costs. Of course, TEFL Institute will assist you and advise you in this process. Also, some teachers want to dedicate some of their time to studying Spanish and others do not want classes on Fridays, because they prefer to enjoy a three day weekend. It all depends on you.
Your students will be a mixture of children, teenagers, adults and professionals of all English levels. You will usually teach one to one as well as small groups (2-5), and occasionally big groups (6-20). You will travel to the homes, offices or schools of where your students live or work throughout Madrid to teach these classes.
Cost of living in Madrid and Spain:
Although the cost of living in Madrid has risen dramatically since the advent of the Euro in 2001, it is still a relatively cheap place to live, especially when compared with other capital cities such as New York , London , Paris , etc. For example, the cost of renting a room in Paris or London in 1989 was between 300 - 400 euros, whereas that is the price of renting a room in Madrid now, in 2006! Also, don't forget that Madrid has the most exciting nightlife of any city in Europe and the cost of going out at night for dinner or drinks is less than 50 % compared to the cities mentioned above.
Accommodations during the course and the typical cost of living expenses:
Accommodation is not included in the price of the course. We will give you a list of options.
Hostels range from 550 - 600 Euros per month for shared rooms
Typical cost of living expenses are the following while living long term in Madrid:
Rent: 350 Euros Per Month
Food: 250 Euros Per Month
Transport: 50 Euros Per Month
Going Out at Night: ??? It's up to you!
Typical start up money needed:
- 2 months Rent: 700 €
- Rental Deposit (Fianza): 350 €
- 2 Months Food: 500 €
- 2 Months Transport: 100 €
- Total: 1,650 €
Helpful items to bring to Spain:
We recommend that you pack a nice pair of trousers, a few dress shirts and ties (for the guys) and skirts (for the girls) in your suitcase. Once you begin your professional teaching career in Madrid , it will be important to dress accordingly for your professional teaching assignments. We believe it is easier (and more economical) to pack some dress clothes before you leave than it is to buy them here in Madrid after you arrive.
In addition, it is imperative that you have both an awareness and understanding of English grammar. We advise that you study English grammar before you leave, and that you bring a grammar book(s) with you to Madrid.
Moreover, for those of you who plan to stay for a long period of time in Madrid after the TEFL course is over, we suggest bringing other teaching materials with you as well. Materials such as various publications written in English, (grammar books, business books, literature books, different types of magazines) colored markers, crayons, cut outs, games in English, etc. are well worth their weight in your suitcase. Start thinking about these types of things now, and your experience as an English teacher in Spain will be much more enjoyable later.
Additional optional Spanish classes:
It is not a problem if you do not speak Spanish. Some of our teachers did not speak a word of Spanish before they came to Spain , but they usually take Spanish classes with our sister company, and learn quickly. This also enables them to teach a wider variety of English classes. In fact, there is a special discount of 30% on Spanish classes for all TEFL Institute students.
Extra curricular activities:
The TEFL Madrid Social Club
You are also warmly welcomed into the TEFL social club. With TEFL Institute, you will receive an exciting choice of monthly social activities through our club, which is attended by a large number of our professors and students. With our club, you have an excellent vehicle to make friends and discover Spain. Also, you get a chance to socialize with the TEFL Institute teachers and office staff, instead of just seeing us behind desks. This is the real bona-fide "family vision" that we foster.
Everyone in the TEFL program who wishes to, participates in the social club and the one or two extra-curricular activities a month that TEFL Institute offers to students (pub nights, road trips, excursions, movie nights, dinners, etc.). These events are attended and run by TEFL Institute directors, trainers and staff. This is the key to our friendly, family environment that we take great care to create and encourage. Our club is an enjoyable part of our program that is unique to this school. The Club is supported by a monthly newsletter, with details of the monthly events, a conversation topic, as well as a teacher and student of the month. This greatly helps to integrate everyone into the school and the Spanish culture, where Spanish students of English, TEFL students, friends, family and teachers mix and have a great time together, creating lasting friendships and memorable experiences in Spain that last well beyond the duration of the TEFL course.
The school year kicks off with the traditional Vendimia Grape Harvest Party in October, and culminates with the annual Picnic/European Football Match with all the teachers and students in the Retiro Park in June. One of the highlight events on the calendar is the TEFL Graduation Ceremony , a significant event for the TEFL Institute TEFL students that is held every Spring, usually in April or May. There are guest speakers and awards given out for outstanding merit including trophies for the bronze, silver, and gold TEFL students of the year , on stage at El Leon de Oro (The Golden Lion). Afterwards, of course, there is a TEFL Graduation Party with assorted foods, drinks and live music!
The program also includes Spanish culture classes on history, civilization, art, politics and drama. Our cultural agenda includes guided excursions to attractions such as the Medrano Cave in Argamasilla de Alba , where, according to popular legend, Cervantes was kept prisoner, and where he started writing Don Quijote; the famous Celtic-Iberian city of Numancia , and the Roman Amphitheater and impressive ruins of Segóbriga , a famous Roman city that was discovered about 30 years ago near Madrid. This improves the relationship between teachers and pupils, who become friends and thus create a better atmosphere in the classroom and enable a greater understanding of life in Spain , its residents and culture. The activities facilitate contact with Spaniards and, thus, considerably accelerate the cultural learning process.
Thus, the TEFL institute never forgets to stop and smell the roses with a strong lemon twist of adventure and fun times at the autumn Grape Harvest Party , the winter Flamenco Night , the spring Barbecue & Bullfight and the summer Terraza (outdoor café) Night, as well as the Retiro Park Sangria Picnic & Soccer Day.