WHAT’S THE WORD ABOUT US FROM OUR TEFL STUDENTS. TEACHING JOBS OVERSEAS

We are the answer to the question about a good TEFL Spain and jobs in Madrid.

HERE VARIOUS PAST TEFL GRADUATES SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS

November, 2018

COMING TO MADRID

MY EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN MADRID, A VERY PASSIONATE CITY.

The best thing about Madrid by far is how hospitable the people here are! I visited Madrid for the first time in 2013 with a few classmates and immediately I felt in love with the architecture, culture and gastronomy here, and also very surprised of the high quality nightlife here in Spain.

I immediately made a lot of friends as Spanish people are all so super friendly.

MY EXPERIENCE IN CANTERBURY ENGLISH.

Moving to a complete new country is not a easy task, but I decided to make a big change at that turning point in my life, I decided to come to Madrid, to feel this passionate city, a European country where I can teach English and enjoy myself. I wanted to “live” the life I always wanted to.

I am very honored to say that I made the wisest decision in life by choosing Canterbury English TEFL, they made my transition path much easier. The staff organized a great support system to help me out with the visa process. Once I was in Madrid they walked me through all the initial paperwork and formalities. The TEFL course has been designed by teaching professionals who have taught for many years and have incorporated their experience and techniques into the Canterbury English Premium curriculum. You feel the quality when something is right, the classes was so life changing that when I finished them, I could feel that I was so confident and so ready to teach English . The support will be for a life time , Canterbury English will send out your CV to numerous academies and schools they have contacted and will give you a lot of tips for interview.

Richard, the director of Canterbury English is very approachable and helpful. He has an amazing team of professionals and an equally amazing work culture that gives out a very positive vibe whenever you are at the academy.

Moving to Madrid was a very big decision for me. Coming from one of the most populated city in India I realized that their Spanish people are very social , they love to talk and they are very passionate about the gastronomy and celebrations. If you are thinking of coming to Spain I would highly recommend for Canterbury English to minimize the risk factor and have a smooth transition.

MY EXPERIENCE LEARNING SPANISH IN “GARCIA LORCA SCHOOL”.

Learning Spanish is a pleasant experience when your teacher is so nice.

Mónica, the Spanish teacher, woke up my passion for Spanish.

My Spanish teacher helped me out whenever I needed help especially if I had any doubt during and after the class and to reassure my learning she gave me tips to improve my skills.

Arjun, New Delhi, India

Choose our TEFL Spain.

May, 2018

VIVA ESPAÑA!

In May 2018, when eagerly searching online for a program where I could teach

English abroad for Summer 2018, I came across a listing on the International Job Board of Dave’s ESL Cafe that seemed too good to be true: “Earn your TEFL in June, and be GUARANTEED a summer camp job in July!” I clicked on this link, and this is when I first learned of Canterbury English TEFL in Madrid, Spain. Being that I had never heard of this school, I will admit that I was skeptical at first about the validity of the school’s claims and programs. After doing extensive and careful research online about the school and it’s programs, I wrote to the email address provided on the Canterbury’s homepage.

A day or two later, a man named Sir Richard Clarke responded to my email inquiry about Canterbury English TEFL program. I expressed my interest in the program, and he scheduled a Skype interview with me to see if I would be a strong prospective student for the school. A few days later, Richard and I “met” for the first time via Skype, and we had an informal discussion about Canterbury. I was now even more interested in attending the school, and shortly after my talk with Richard, I submitted my online application to Canterbury for the June 2018 TEFL course.

I was overjoyed when Richard notified me a few days later that I had been accepted to the Canterbury English TEFL progam! It was late May 2018 when I applied, so I literally had less than 10 days from the time I was notified of my acceptance, to the day that I would begin my TEFL course in Spain. What a fast turnaround!

I arrived to Madrid the night before my first day of class at Canterbury English TEFL. The following day, I had the opportunity to visit Canterbury English TEFL for the first time. I was very relieved that there was an elevator that went to the second floor of the building, as it was somewhat difficult for me to climb steps at the time. A week before I moved to Spain for the summer, I ruptured my left Achilles tendon while playing tennis. What horrible timing! Despite my injury, since I didn’t have the best health insurance at the time anyway, I didn’t want to incur a large hospital bill by getting surgery that summer instead of going to Spain. For better or worse, I went to Spain with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Call me crazy, but I knew that the Summer of 2018 would be my first, and maybe only opportunity – to ever live and work abroad, and that tomorrow is not promised. Torn Achilles and all, I spent two months last summer in Spain – one month in Madrid (June 2018) while studying full-time at Canterbury English TEFL, and July 2018 at the Pebetero English Immersion Summer Camp in Bocigas, a small, rural, quiet, village with fewer than 100 residents and located 90 minutes northwest of Madrid. When Richard found out about my injury, he immediately put me in a taxi and sent me directly to his physiotherapist who did wonders for my ankle and this help got me through the summer!

Living in Madrid and earning my TEFL Certificate from Canterbury English is one of the greatest achievements of my life. After regretfully missing opportunities in secondary school and college to live and study abroad, this was finally my chance to fulfill my long-held of living abroad, even if it was only for two months. Now I will focus on my experience as a student at Canterbury English. The professors and Director of the school are phenomenal. They are experts in the field of teaching English as a foreign language, are passionate about helping students become well-equipped TEFL teachers, have a great sense of humor, and are highly competent and confident in their subject matter. The quality of instruction is highly rigorous and challenging, and you will constantly be studying for quizzes, typing papers, and preparing to teach lesson plans if you want to pass the class with a B or better. Luckily some of my learning strengths lie in reading and writing, so no more than one or two writing assignments were difficult for me. In my opinion, the most challenging learning aspects of the TEFL Course were the public speaking presentations related to our research papers, successfully teaching lessons to actual ESL students of Canterbury English , and passing all or most of the English grammar quizes. I share all this information about the course to convey to others the fact that I am highly satisfied with the education and training I learned from Canterbury English.

I had plenty of time outside of class to tend to my academics, as well as have a social life. I became friends with all of my classmates – they were from India, America, and Venezuela. We bonded and laughed together often, and enjoyed working on creative projects and assignments together. We also had an International Food Day for lunch at Canterbury English one day in which we all brought international foods to sample from one another. We would also hang out together outside of class – one of my classmates from India cooked cooked a delicious traditional meal for me from her country when I visited her apartment that summer. She and I still keep in touch, and I will be visiting her soon in India or Canada where she will soon be emigrating to.

While I have visited several nice cities around the world, Madrid is definitely one of the most beautiful cities I have ever lived in and visited. It is also the largest city I have ever lived in. Ironically, the Summer of 2018 was also the one where I lived in the smallest city I have ever experienced living in, which was Bocigas, Spain. In Madrid, I had the opportunity of visiting great museums such as El Prado and El Museo de Romanticismo. I walked around and rowed a canoe with a friend on the man-made lake at the world-famous Retiro Park. I was able to have classic Spanish dishes such as gazpacho, paella, and croquetas, and I saw doctors in Spain who helped treat my Achilles tendon. Miraculously, I didn’t hurt my ankle any further in Spain, what a relief! I eventually got ankle surgery upon returning to America and getting better health insurance.

In addition to my classmates, I also befriended others while living in Madrid – I made new friends from the hostel where I stayed, at the airport, and while walking around beautiful places such as Retiro Park. I also met some wonderful colleagues and supervisors when working at the Pebetero English Immersion Overnight Camp in rural and tiny Bocigas, Spain. To this day I still keep in touch with many of my colleagues from Bocigas Camp. I spent a month living at the camp, and taught English as a Foreign Language to 11-14 year olds. I used games, songs, arts and crafts, and other creative activities to help students acquire English. In addition to teaching English, I monitored students during meals, excursions, while swimming in the camp pool or lake, during fun outdoor games and activities, and during the Closing Program and talent show.

In closing, I had the experience of a lifetime living, studying, and teaching in Spain. I truly regard Spain as my second home outside my native United States, as I feel so welcome there. I love Spanish culture, the Spanish language, and Spanish people. I love the rich history and colorful, majestic architecture of Madrid. What I am also ecstatic about is the fact that I will be returning to Spain this summer to take a one-week Spanish course at Inhispania in Madrid before working for another Pebetero summer camp. Spain, here I come – again!

Victoria Flack, New Jersey, USA

Choose our TEFL Madrid.

JANUARY 9, 2017

To All Potential Candidates of the Canterbury English TEFL Program,

I would like to share with you my experiences in teaching English at Canterbury English in Madrid. I am from the Philippines and have been living in Madrid for 8 years now and I never expected to become an English teacher.

When I started to research the TEFL course offered by Canterbury English, I thought that this might be a great way to experience another kind of job. I ended up deciding to take the course and the good news is that I passed. During the course, I was very happy to meet the very hospitable staff, directors, co-teachers and especially our TEFL director and teacher, Mr. John Bouse. I must say that he trained us exceptionally well on the best ways to teach English. He showed us many different strategies and styles of teaching English as a foreign language. The most important experience I have had was at Canterbury English, because they are very warm and kind. The staff treated all of us as their friends and as a part of the Canterbury English family. No matter which staff member I talked to, they never hesitated to give us a hand regarding any of our problems that came up during or after the course. Whatever our requests, questions and needs are, they were and are ready to help me and my other fellow students out.

The great experience of teaching English to Spanish students in Madrid is very enjoyable. Up to now, I have had friendly, sweet and nice students. If they are children, their parents are polite and respectful to me as the English teacher. This makes the profession of English teaching fun and rewarding.

So if you are thinking of coming to Madrid and do the TEFL program with Canterbury English, I highly recommend that you do so. There are many opportunities here in Madrid, Spain to teach the Spanish people. I really do hope realize what a great opportunity this is to teach English with Canterbury English and I hope, like me you also take the course as your first step. Let Canterbury English prepare you for this wonderful chance of your lifetime! I can really assure you, that you won’t regret it. God bless!

Joy Samson

JANUARY 4, 2017

To all you TEFL Candidates out there:

I am someone who has become a professional English teacher with Canterbury English and I look on this as a full time career. No doubt about it, there are unfortunately other less than reputable schools and TEFL courses out there who are all too happy to take your money, farm you out to fend for yourself, as well as leaving you unprepared for the realities of teaching. This is the reason that I am more than happy to write this letter in order to recommend the Canterbury English TEFL program in Madrid. I have no reservations about vouching for Canterbury English, and I will hopefully provide you with some good information and guidance so that you can navegate through the sometimes chaotic world of TEFL and ESL.

I came to Madrid after I finished my Bachelor’s of Arts in the United States and a Masters in applied linguistics. This gave me a great theoretical foundation as a basis of language teaching pedagogy and also language acquisition theory. However unfortunately it didn’t teach me how to teach. Ooops! A minor detail, right! When I initially found Canterbury English, my first interest was to get a job with them and have them help me to extend my visa. I can definitely say that CE is well worth your time and money. I found the staff at the Academy friendly, personable, professional and, most importantly, helpful. They were able to help me extend my Spanish visa on two separate occasions and this allowed me to remain in Madrid for three years. The TEFL course itself that I took was very thorough and useful. It was the perfect combination with my Master’s coursework. I genuinely believe that the Canterbury English program has made me a far more effective teacher than I ever would have been if I had just jumped into the fray straight from the university halls. It has also made me better equipped to handle teaching English in Spain and in general all over the world. Canterbury English was also able to fully deliver on their work promise throughout my whole time with them. In the beginning I had private classes and later found myself with a full timetable of group and company classes. This provided me with a comfortable living here in Madrid.

In my opinion, Madrid itself is the greatest city in the world, and let me tell you, I’ve seen a fair few of them. There are not many cities in the world that can match Madrid’s beauty, vivacity, liveliness (especially at night) and especially friendliness. There really is something in this city for everyone and I am a firm advocate and a believer in the idea that everyone under the sun should try and experience this amazing city and the quintessential country that Spain is at least once in their lives. I am someone who really intends to settle down in Madrid on a permanent basis, once my days of wandering are over and done. I certainly give to you my strongest possible endorsement. I would certainly never have been able to experience Madrid for as many years as I did without the Canterbury English program. And for that, I will always be grateful. And this is the reason I was more than willing to write all the testimonial letters Canterbury English asks me for, due to the quality of their TEFL program and their lovely staff (who still continue assisting me years after I left the program). So I would just like to say that if you have any doubts at all about Canterbury English, then you can rest easy. They are the best and if you choose them then Madrid will be open to you for as long as you want.

Christopher A. Wilson

JANUARY 10, 2017

Hi there potential TEFL Candidate:

I have graduated with a TEFL certificate from Canterbury English in the month of January, 2010. When I look back at my time with them, I see it as one of the most pivotal points in my whole career and also in my life.

The Canterbury English TEFL program prepared me to teach English as a second language, and also worked closely with me on improving my teaching and the lessons I gave. The teaching requirement that is part of the course also allowed me to further build up my skills in teaching. With this experience there came more and more English classes and this allowed me to begin a stable career in Madrid, a city I loved very much.

The days and weeks I spent in the Canterbury English TEFL program was not only focused on teaching English, but it also helped us new teachers to become familiar and oriented with the capital of Spain. This was great for teachers who, like myself, were very new to Madrid and the Spanish culture. Canterbury English organized lots of social outings for our TEFL course and our fellow Canterbury English teachers, which not only allowed me to discover some of the hidden gems of Spain, but this also provided me with many opportunities to build friendly relationships with my fellow colleagues.

The library also provided me with a very wide array of teaching resources. The staff was always friendly and willing to assist teachers with whatever we needed. In my case with helping me find an apartment as well as developing new methods of teaching in the classroom. My experience with Canterbury English and Spain and Madrid was so wonderful that in the end what was supposed to be a short stay, ended up with me staying and teaching in Madrid for almost four years.

Later, in 2014, I made the hard decision to leave Spain and go back to get my master’s degree. I received a graduate assistantship that helped me pay for my program back home, but as I was also still able to teach English over Skype to my students in Madrid, I was able to earn extra money. This really helped me finance my way through graduate school. In the summer of 2015, I went to Ecuador to complete some of my last coursework. And after my degree ended, I was able to teach English in Quito, many thanks to the Canterbury English International TEFL Certificate that I received. This money helped me travel all over Ecuador and Colombia before I went back to the states to graduate with my master’s degree.

Right now I am working in Atlanta, GA as a health communications specialist at the Centers for Disease Control. I firmly believe that my world experience combined with my ability to speak Spanish, which all started when I enrolled in the Canterbury English TEFL program in Madrid, are to be given credit for the great job that I landed. Having a TEFL Certificate also allowed me to live and travel around South America, which gave me even more international experience. The Canterbury English TEFL program and job is not just beneficial for those who aspire to be teachers, but it is also extremely favorable for those people who want to an gain international resume with work experience. I have to emphasizes that my time with Canterbury English was beyond amazing! I really do recommend this program to anybody who wants to explore English teaching or international work, travel, living overseas, or someone who is just looking to escape their own comfort zone. You certainly won’t be disappointed, and the future will bring many rewards to you if you take this route.

Erin Rock

DECEMBER 17, 2015

Dearest Potential Teachers,

If you think teaching is a mundane 9 -5 job, with all the many opportunities being given to teachers today, I would just like to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. Teaching in another country is really exciting and certainly refreshing. Before I found the Canterbury English program online, teaching was just a fancy or a passing thought. But when I found out that Canterbury English was located in the heart of truly one of the most pretty and eventful cities in the whole wide world, Madrid, I could no longer resist the temptation to take the plunge. Naturally, I`m sure like many of you, I had some doubts and a few fears. I soon found myself drastically researching and intensely reading anything and everything that I could get my hands on about the school. Finally I found the testimonial page and that helped put my fears to rest. Believe me, the testimonials that are posted online are all true! And that is why I also wanted to write one as well. Quite frankly, moving to another country, especially when you do it alone, can be and overwhelming experience. It can sometimes be difficult to tell what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong and what is safe and what isn’t.

It was my first week in Madrid when the Academy offered an orientation in order to get to know staff and the other students in the TEFL course. The city on its own makes you feel at home as soon as you get here and not only that, but in the very first meeting, our Professor John Bouse immediately made me and everyone else feel safe in the city. He gave us a quick rundown of the do’s and don’t’s and he even offered to help in any way he could.

I graduated from Ontario Teachers College, Canada and I am also a Biology undergraduate student. However, I can easily say that this one month course pushed me to my limits more than any of the previous courses did. It pushed me academically and in terms of the adventure in Madrid, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and I am very grateful for it. Teaching English, being my native language, always sounded like a breeze. But from the first day I realized that this TEFL course and the whole experience with Canterbury English was going to make me tap into new and possibly unknown abilities. Ones that I had not brought into play in my life yet, nor was I even aware that I had them.

This TEFL and teaching experience was nothing but rewarding. As a biology professor, teaching English seemed not very interesting for me, but I ended up loving it. It is definitely challenging and the students make it really enjoyable. Once you have finished the course, you are sent out to teach private English lessons. I assigned to four different families. I can tell you that each family contributed to making my experience that much more enjoyable. The people of Spain are so very welcoming and pleasant. They make you feel as one of their own. I was treated with so much love and respect by each family that it broke my heart when I had to leave. Even today I wish that I could still be there to teach the children I used to teach. I certainly am planning on making my way back, because the Academy and the city have certainly made a long-lasting impression on me and I would not trade it for anything in the world. This experience and opportunity has certainly helped me to become closer to realizing who I am as a teacher and even more especially as a person. This will be a multi-dimensional experience for you. I promise!

Vanessa Wiazowski

DECEMBER 15, 2015

Dearest Future TEFL Students and Canterbury English Teachers,

I lived and worked as a secretary here in Madrid for more than 30 years. But the company I worked for relocated to The Netherlands and unfortunately I was made redundant. However, I decided to use this golden opportunity to take the Canterbury English TEFL course with the idea of possibly giving some English classes here and there around the city until I could find another full-time job.

I was quite nervous, because my school studies were many years behind me and the grammar rules were long forgotten. When the course began in January, these feelings soon disappeared. Once we started, the Canterbury English staff make you feel welcome. There is little time for being worried anymore because of the dynamic, participative classes and all the homework. Even so, there was still some time to see this wonderful city, enjoy some sightseeing as well as the Spanish culture and to have a beer!

The four weeks went by so quick and before we knew where we were, we were up and running and confidently giving English classes ourselves. The Canterbury English TEFL course is not only highly informative and well organized, but it is also practical. We also benefit from our knowledgeable teachers with their wide experience in TEFL as well as their ability to make learning fun. They transmitted lots of enthusiasm and we also learned from our own classmates. We soon gained confidence and started to put into practice the aspects of teaching English as a foreign language. In addition to this we concentrated more specifically on Business English and Children’s classes. We first did this amongst ourselves and then the next step was with the Canterbury English clients.

A year has almost gone by and I am so glad to have taken up this new work opportunity. I really love what I am doing at the moment, which is giving evening classes. This suits my present situation perfectly, and I have the option of extending myself and to take on more hours. Canterbury English has an excellent reputation in Madrid and so has an endless supply of clients in many different areas of Madrid. This provides me with a good opportunity to move about the city — I would call this a super way to mix business and pleasure!

Sarah Ballard

DECEMBER 20, 2015

Just want to tell you the following,

To be honest, the way I arrived at the Canterbury English’s TEFL course was not at all orthodox. Because I am Spanish I could work in Madrid in a job related to my profession which is Project Management in Financial Services. But the labor market in Spain is not so flexible and I really did not look forward to working 12 hours a day and being absent from my home. Especially because I had just moved my children from London to Madrid. So when I found out about the Canterbury English TEFL course, I thought, why not? Maybe this could work out for me. Because I was not a linguist and had zero teaching experience, I was a bit unsure. But I can speak English just like a native, so I decided to give it a go.

The Canterbury English TEFL Course with it’s director John Bouse was absolutely amazing and fun. It covers just about all aspects of teaching English as a foreign language in a straight forward hands-on manner. As you learn, you get to practice and I believe this is the best teaching approach. John makes you feel at home and welcome, capable and valuable right out from the start. Like a magician, he illustrates his teaching methods with myriad examples and anecdotes. John also likes to put you on the spot, which gets you out of your comfort zone and this way you experience how it feels to learn and teach a new language. As an example, we had two lessons in a foreign language that none of us spoke. That was certainly an eye-opener!

I knew from the beginning of the course that I wanted to use my professional background to focus on teaching business professionals so that they could improve their ability to speak in meetings, conference calls, whilst travelling, etc., However, I still enjoyed all aspects that the course has to offer. In my classes, I don’t teach grammar but prefer to concentrate on speaking and listening skills. This is really what business professionals want. Most adult Spaniards who speak English have a good command of grammar and a good sized vocabulary, but they often struggle to communicate in English. So I am honored to use the skills I learned with John to be able to help them communicate in a foreign language. This, after all, is what a language is for. Also, best of all, I managed to reinvent myself while at the same time keeping a healthy work-life balance. And, most importantly, I am able to meet the most interesting people and I thoroughly enjoy myself. I truly, truly recommend that you do this as well. Just give it a try like I did!

Maria Luisa Fernandez-Llanio

DECEMBER 4, 2015

A big welcome to you if you are thinking of doing the Canterbury English TEFL program,

Can you think of anything more stressful than moving to a new country and looking for a way to make a living when you get there. Spain was my dream destination and so I had searched for months for work and a legitimate way to live there, but kept running into one dead end after another. Then, finally, I happened upon Canterbury English’s webpage. At first I was a bit sceptical; it really seemed just too good to be true. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Everything they say on their website is true. The directors, the staff, the teachers at Canterbury English made this whole process very easy for me. After having has some not so great experiences, it was really nice to find a group of people that followed through on what they say they are going to do. Canterbury English was quick to respond to my emails. They send me all the information that I needed to finish my student visa process.

The professionalism they showed me did not stop there. On the orientation day, after I arrived in Madrid, they had information I needed on apartments, banks, cell phones, and lots of other things that anyone moving to Madrid would need a hand help with. The Canterbury English TEFL course is well taught. It gives you the exact skills you need to teach English successfully. Because I am not a teacher by profession, I was unsure how all this was going to play out. As good as their word, Canterbury English has followed through on providing the teaching hours, the materials, and a good working environment. At this moment I am making enough money to truly enjoy my time here in Madrid and in Spain. The academy give you the flexibility to decide what classes you want to teach or not teach. This allows you to customize your schedule and also it allows you to spend your time abroad wisely. I highly recommend Canterbury English Spain to you and anyone who is interested in a straightforward way to travel and work abroad. Teaching is something that I really didn’t know if I would enjoy, but thanks to Canterbury English I do, and I am now certified to teach TEFL almost anywhere and anyone I want.

Sincerely yours,

Jason Shelley

OCTOBER, 2014
Dear TEFL Students and Teachers,

I first decided to teach English abroad some time ago and I knew I needed to do as much research as possible on which country and which city I would get my certification. When I heard about Canterbury English, I found out that not only did their TEFL Certificate program meet all the international standards of a recognized certification, they were also highly helpful with assistance and on-going advice. They helped me feel comfortable during and after this huge life transition. When I started the TEFL program, I met a lot of very cool and awesome people who are still my close friends today. The Canterbury English TEFL course was extremely informative and Mr. John Bouse is no doubt about it an outstanding teacher. I am very happy with my good decision to certify through Canterbury English. I also enjoy working for the school and Academy to this very day. I would also be more than happy to let any prospective TEFL students know about my experience and would be happy to speak with them as a former student and teacher of Canterbury English.

Best,

Stephanie Davino

OCTOBER, 2014

Dear TEFL Students and Teachers,

I first decided to teach English abroad some time ago and I knew I needed to do as much research as possible on which country and which city I would get my certification. When I heard about Canterbury English, I found out that not only did their TEFL Certificate program meet all the international standards of a recognized certification, they were also highly helpful with assistance and on-going advice.

They helped me feel comfortable during and after this huge life transition. When I started the TEFL program, I met a lot of very cool and awesome people who are still my close friends today. The Canterbury English TEFL course was extremely informative and Mr. John Bouse is no doubt about it an outstanding teacher. I am very happy with my good decision to certify through Canterbury English. I also enjoy working for the school and Academy to this very day. I would also be more than happy to let any prospective TEFL students know about my experience and would be happy to speak with them as a former student and teacher of Canterbury English.

Best,

Stephanie Davino

Choose our TEFL Madrid.

AUGUST, 2013

To you, future TEFL students:

Let me tell you a little story. I participated in Canterbury English summer TEFL course in 2013. And it was one of the best summers of my life! Unlike the many ordinary TEFL courses, this course provided me and my fellow students with the opportunity to receive real-life experience (which I was paid for!) at a summer camp in Spain. Because of the summer camps, the coursework in Madrid was greatly intensified. The classes lasted eight hours a day and we had homework and projects due every single day. Those two weeks were certainly tough, however, I would not have been able to work effectively at the summer camp without the skills and knowledge that I gained in those courses. Not only that, but the Canterbury English TEFL certificate I earned in those courses and the subsequent internship has given me the opportunity to travel around the world and teach English for the rest of my life.

When we arrived at the camp, I feel like my summer had really began. I was placed at La Granja, near Barcelona, Spain and I quickly fell in love with the summer camp and with the people who worked at the camp. During the first week, the other Americans and I followed the other counselors around like their shadow to get used to the layout and the camp philosophy. La Granja is focused on emotional education, and so we had several quick classes on exactly what emotional education is and how we could incorporate it into the camp activities. During the second week we were concentrating on planning. We were given the names and ages of our children, the themes that would be given each week, as well as the location of our classrooms. That week was mainly dedicated to preparing lesson plans, because we would be teaching English classes for 1.5 hours each day.

Even though we did not know exactly the level of English to prepare for, the planning I made during this week was a lifesaver once camp started and life got super hectic! During the last five weeks of the summer, I was worked as a monitor for the English immersion day camp. I was responsible for fourteen children between the ages of eleven and thirteen. I led the kids through their daily activities and taught an English class each day. This may seem intimidating, because of the language barrier, but we made it fine. Even if you speak some Spanish, the kids speak Catalan and you’re not allowed to speak in any other language than English so as to encourage the kids to speak English. To help us, we had an assistant who spoke English, Spanish and also Catalan. That summer flew by so fast and I still continue to keep in touch with many of the kids in my charge through Twitter and Facebook.

This is more than just the typical summer camp experience. I gained lifelong friendships with many of the other monitors who worked with me in the camp. I also gained a real appreciation for this region of Spain and its culture. I was able to experience a lovely part of the world in a real, non-touristy way. I would definitely recommend the summer camp program to anyone of you who is looking to immerse yourself in a new, interesting culture, as well as gaining TEFL experience working with kids.

Kerrie Holloway

JUNE, 2014
Dear Teachers,

Just to let you know that I took the TEFL course with Canterbury English and now I am a proud certified TEFL teacher. Since then I have been teaching for two great years with Canterbury English and the experience has been amazing. The staff at the office is professional, friendly and they are helpful with anything I need. I just have to ask and they do everything they can to help from the extensive resources they offer at their library, to recommending a restaurant or whatever you need. I have found them always encouraging and they provide an excellent service. I have always felt welcome and appreciated. The Canterbury English Club social events are great and they have helped me to met many teachers from all over the world. My experience with Canterbury English has been highly valuable and it is comforting to know that they are always there for any support that I may need.

Rachel Gonzalez

JUNE, 2013

Dear Potential TEFL Teachers,

“I participated in Canterbury English´s 2013 Summer TEFL course and had an incredible experience. I cannot speak highly enough of the organization and the course. I had some concerns about finding housing for the training portion in Madrid and being in a new city alone, but the team was so helpful giving me suggestions on where to stay, what to bring, and what to expect.

They helped make it a seamless transition so I could focus on the course and be exploring all Madrid has to offer. The course itself was the perfect mix of theory and practical experience. I was nervous about being ready to handle kids at the summer camp after only two weeks of training, but their teachers more than prepared me for the challenge. Not only did they equip us with the tools to plan fun and effective lessons for all age groups, but they also gave us opportunities to practice and refine our new skills before heading off to camp.

The teachers were experienced and genuinely cared about our success in and outside the classroom. For the post-course portion, I was sent to the camp “La Espuela” in Avila where I was able to shadow counsellors and learn about the responsibilities of working in a camp setting. By the end of the week, I was confident enough to lead my own sessions and be an active member of the team. I could not have done it without Canterbury English´s training.

Their classroom to camp model is excellent and the staff is knowledgeable and dedicated to making it a rewarding experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend the summer doing something new and exciting in a foreign city and know it would not have been possible without Canterbury English. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to spend time teaching abroad, whether experienced and well travelled or not at all. You can’t go wrong!”

Best,

Amanda Catalina

With our TEFL Spain. you’ll can to live in Spain.

JUNE, 2013

Dear Teachers,

“I took the TEFL course with Canterbury English and now I am a certified TEFL teacher. I have been teaching for 2 years with Canterbury English and the experience has been amazing. The staff is professional, friendly and helpful with anything I need from asking for help with the extensive resources they offer at their library to a restaurant recommendation. They are always encouraging and provide excellent service. I always feel welcome and appreciated. The social events are great and I have met many teachers from all over the world. My experience with Canterbury English has been very valuable and I know they are always there for support.”

Rupa Reddy

WHAT’S THE WORD ABOUT US FROM OUR TEFL STUDENTS. TEACHING JOBS OVERSEAS

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