I’ve now been in Spain for five months, but I still have people that don’t know exactly what I do. Even some of my students don’t know exactly what I do and I see them every day. Officially, my title is “auxiliar de conversa“, but what does that exactly mean?

I am here in Spain with a program called CAPS (Conversation Assistant Program from Schools) with a company called Home to Home. Home to Home is a company that focuses on teaching English in Catalonia, but they are expanding to other parts of Spain. They have camps, too, so children can learn English in informal settings. Spain has one of the lowest English fluency rates in Europe. To improve this statistic, English and native English speakers are highly sought after right now.

Being an Auxiliar

Every auxiliar de conversa/conversation assistant has a different experience, but I will share my story. In Spain, they start school when they are 3, and they are only mandated to go until they are 16. My school was a small, semi-private school with all the grade levels. They start out in infantil (ages 3-5), then move to primaria (ages 6-11), and then end with ESO (ages 12-15). If they want to go to college, they then go to a baxillerato program, which my school does not offer.

ESO: Ensenyament Secundari Obligatori

I work with every grade level, from infantil to 4th ESO. My favorite group is the ESO kids because they normally have higher levels of English and they aren’t afraid to make mistakes. I usually take out groups of 2-4 and can talk to the students from 10 minutes to an hour. With the 14 and 15 year olds, I start to prepare them for the Cambridge Exams, which certify them in their English levels. This includes comparing and describing pictures and asking questions about themselves. It’s important to focus on the more advance grammar with these students. For the 12-13 year olds, I usually play games and have conversations to improve their grammar and vocabulary. They love to play dictionary and categories!

Primaria

Primary is a whole different ball game. A lot of them are still shy about speaking English, although there are some that just want to talk and talk! With this age group, we really focus on building their vocabulary. They study food, time, hobbies, etc. The older primary students are working on forming coherent sentences and building conversations. With the younger students, it’s more about building the vocabulary. I have a few issues with how they teach English here, but there’s not much I can do about it.

Infantil

Infantil. What a different world. I was shocked when I learned the kids start school at 3. Some start when they are just 2 because they enter school on the calendar year, so students born in December will starts school at 32 months in September. Some of them look like babies still!

With these students, I just want to being to expose them to English. I read them stories, sing songs, or play games. They don’t understand a lot of what I say, but I still think it’s important that they are being exposed to a native speaker. Even though they don’t understand me, they still love me and get so excited when I come by. (¡Es la Erika!) Plus, they tell me I’m beautiful. -hair flick-

Unique Experiences

Everyone has a different experience. Even just within my program, there are people only work with infantil, only work with primary, etc. Some even work with baxillerato. Most people in my program live in Barcelona, but I’m in Tarragona and there are others in Girona, Andorra, and Valencia. Some people were placed in really strict schools. My tutor is really amazing and understanding, so I was definitely lucky.

Each program available is different, too. There is the program through the government, where I have seen many mixed reviews. Some people show up to the school and the school is not expecting them. WHAT. My program works exclusively with semi-private and private schools. Most people in our program also live with host families. It can be a strange but good experience. It’s difficult, but you learn a lot when you live with a family.

Less Money, Mo’ Problems

If you are looking for a big pay day, maybe you should look somewhere else. I’ve heard the Asian programs pay well and pay for your flights. No, I may as well be paid in peanuts. You have to decide if you want to get paid in money or get paid in experiences. Just make sure you have some savings or a Bank of Mom, like me.

Like I said, everyone has a different experience. Some people come and never leave, some people leave after a few weeks. I was like that after the first week, but I stayed and it has been rewarding. Some people only want to come to go out and party and don’t realize what an impact they have on the students. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, for sure, but you have to decide if its something you really want.

2017 Update: So I’ve been going through and editing my past posts. This one has a special place in my heart. I ended up coming back for a second year because I loved it so much. I was going to switch companies and move closer to Barcelona, but there was something I couldn’t get to be able to apply for a student visa. So I came home for a year and worked as a substitute teacher in my school district. I’ll be going back to Spain, but this time to Madrid. I’ll be studying in a university and teaching in a school. It’s amazing how this one decision back in 2014 put me on a career path in bilingual education. Anything is possible!

What has your teaching abroad experience been like? Do you want to teach English abroad?