Spanish Courses School Blog

The Hemingway Spanish as a Foreign Language teacher training course: an entirely worthwhile effort

A few days ago, I completed the correspondence version of the Spanish as a Foreign Language teacher training course, and I would like to share my experience on this blog. During my time learning English in the UK, I had a great experience with language teaching.
I liked the participatory atmosphere in class, which I never found stressful. The teachers were able to get by without knowing even a word of Spanish, explaining to us the rules of grammar and vocabulary without any problems.

his positive experience was the key factor in my decision to become a Spanish as a Foreign Language teacher.
Another factor which filled me with enthusiasm for the course was the opportunity to work with charities, teaching Spanish to those who most need it. I would be able to do what I most loved, and at the same time teach one of the world’s most widely-spoken languages.

Once I had finished the course, I got a job in IT and thought “Why not teach Spanish in the UK?” That was the moment when I decided to undertake the correspondence course.
There were other options and other schools, but the majority of them took place onsite, which was impossible for me, since I was by then living abroad.

Although the course is very flexible and could easily fit around my lifestyle, I did miss the teaching experiences available to students of the onsite course
The disadvantage of studying at a distance is that you don’t have any direct experience of teaching, of stnading up in front of a class of students, putting on activities and solving problems.

My expectations regarding the course were limited to being able to work for a private academy, or as a volunteer.
Unfortunately, the most available teaching positions are in universities. The minimum requirements for universities as for private academies are practically the same: a degree in philology, or just some kind of higher education.

I don’t think that the simple fact of being a native speaker is sufficient to qualify a candiadate, but there ought to be some other kind of barometer for personnel selection.
A degree in literature could be a good base for teaching language, but it is hard to see how a technical or scientific degree could transfer sufficient linguistical knowledge.

In conclusion, I think that it is well worth dedicating the required time and money to this course. It can fit in perfectly with any lifestyle, and opens doors into teaching. Especially if you are living in another country, it is the best option; you can use your language in the bast possible way, teaching others.

Course for Spanish as a Foreign Language teachers| 0 | Miguel Ángel Dirube Cabanillas

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