Welcome to this post where we are going to talk about How to Become a Spanish Teacher. In the first place, you need to love languages, in general. Having a connection with this area of studies will make you enjoy your work as a teacher. In order to do that, you need to keep your mind open to understand new perspectives. Because, in the end, that’s what languages represent: perspectives of the world. And, of course, you need to be a friend of grammar.
Some people think grammar is the boring part of language learning, but we do not agree. If you build a house, you need a structure, a foundation, and the materials that will shape the house. But you can’t put those materials in any order, you need certain rules, otherwise, the house will fall apart! That is grammar. To teach (and learn) a language, you need to be friends with these rules. They will give you a complete understanding of the language.
Can I teach Spanish without a degree?
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The answer is: yes, you can. But we highly recommend studying anyway, even if is not at the University, to achieve maximum certainty in your knowledge. Depending on if you teach in a school or on your own, the certification could be mandatory or not. The Instituto Cervantes is the official body that regulates the teaching and training of Spanish teachers throughout the world. Its main headquarters are in Spain.
Are Spanish teachers in demand?
Again, yes! Because Spanish is the second language most spoken in the world, the study of this language is increasing globally. And, of course, the demand for new teachers! For example, in the south of the U.S., many people work as Spanish Teachers in Elementary, Middle, and High School. And, in Europe, many Spanish Teachers are required for teaching Spanish to immigrants and refugees. In Latin America, the new trend of Digital Nomads, Spanish Teachers are required for remote workers, who really want to integrate into Latin American society by speaking their language.
Where I can study to become a Spanish Teacher?
As we said, the official body that regulates Spanish Learning and Teaching is Instituto Cervantes. However, there are other places where you can learn how to teach Spanish (they need to be certified by Instituto Cervantes anyway). If you are not a Native Speaker but you studied Spanish as a second language, we recommend you to move into a Spanish Speaking Area or Country. It’s not the same learning Spanish and be able to speak in the class and doing the exercises than actually put that knowledge to work. You will find many situations where you’ll need to take a minute to think about what to say or how to say something. You need to be very sharped in this matter to start teaching.
Okay, once you did this, you can earn a Bachelor’s Degree, if you are in the U.S., and then obtain a Teacher Licensure (this is needed for High School level). In Private Education, this is not always required (and of course, you don’t need it if are going to teach on your own). Once that you’re a teacher, you’ll find many specializations offered (by levels, by country, by areas of study, if you’re more into Literature, if you’re more into Philology, etc.)
Where I can find resources to teach?
The Internet is full of resources for teaching. Really packed. You can browse and you will find hundreds of Spanish teaching portals made by teachers, with proposed activities and even materials ready to print. Some of them require a little collaboration, but most are totally free. In addition, these materials can give you ideas to create your own or adapt them to the variant of Spanish you are teaching.
