Teaching English in Northern Spain: Asturias, Castilla y León, Catalonia

Teaching English in Northern Spain is different from teaching in the South. In many countries of the world, things can vary widely from region to region. Each part of Spain has its own special charm and is rich with traditions. In this post, we are going to hear from ladies who have taught in different parts of Northern Spain.

If you’re considering teaching English in Northern Spain, but don’t know where you’d like to teach, I invite you to read these Q&As. Below is a map of all the autonomous regions. This post will cover Asturias, Catalonia and Castilla y León.

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Teaching English in Southern Spain Q&A: Andalucía and Murcia

Teaching English in Southern Spain probably sounds like a dream to many. However every school year, hundreds of native English speakers move to regions like Andalucía and Murcia to work as language assistants. If you’re like most people, reading about the experiences of others can really help you decide if this life is right for you, calm your worries and answer some of your burning questions.

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Four Expat Challenges and How to Overcome Them

expat challenges

Whether you have secured the job of your dreams in a location you have always wanted to live, or are moving abroad for more practical reasons, working as an expat is an exciting prospect. There is so much to do in the run up to the move and when you first arrive, it can be some time before you realize moving to another country can bring its own set of challenges. 

An important thing to remember is you are not alone, many of these challenges are also encountered by the wider expat community. That is why Allianz Care has some actions you can take to help deal with the most common problems of expat life.

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Move to La Rioja, 8 Reasons why you should

move to La Rioja

Several months ago, I made a move to La Rioja. I no longer live in the Granada.

You’re probably saying to yourself “okay where in the heck is La Rioja?” If you know me personally, you’re probably saying “okay I think that’s in Spain because it sounds like Spanish and I know Nina lives in Spain. But beyond that, I have no idea.” And if it just so happens that you’re a wine nerd, then you might have heard the name La Rioja somewhere as you did that swirl and sniff thing. Either way, the majority of you probably have no idea where or what La Rioja is.

First of all, La Rioja is located in Spain. It’s one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities (basically like states in Spain). It is the smallest region and it’s largest city has a population of only about 150,000 people. That city is called Logroño and much like La Rioja, I doubt you’ve ever heard of it either.

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7 Companies With Online Teaching Jobs

online teaching jobs

Online teaching jobs are the wave of the future. One of the ways I earn money each week is by teaching English. However the job doesn’t involve printing anything or going anywhere. Instead I simply log onto a website on my computer and teach classes over video calls. I love that it’s comfortable and that I can do it from anywhere.

I have been teaching English online for about a year and a half. It took me a bit to find the company that was right for me. The truth is, there are lots of companies with online teaching jobs. Each one is a little bit different than the other. I decided that instead of writing this entire post myself, I would interview people who work with different companies that offer online teaching jobs. Best of luck in finding that perfect online teaching job!

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Exploring Nájera, Spain this fall

exploring Nájera

I have spent the past month or so exploring Nájera, Spain. Have you heard of Nájera? If not, I’m not super surprised. Heck most people outside of Spain haven’t even heard of La Rioja, the region it’s located in. I would have never come to this town if it hadn’t been for a recent life change.

Those of you who read the blog regularly or follow me on social media know that I moved to Granada, Spain two years ago. You all probably also know that I love Granada. If you’ve been, you understand why. If not, you can probably tell from pictures why I love that city. However my teaching program only lets us live in the Andalucía region for two years. So I looked at that as an opportunity to move to a different region and see what Spanish life is like somewhere else.

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The Ultimate ESL Teacher Resource Guide

esl teacher resource guide

Welcome to the ultimate ESL teacher resource guide. Just a few years ago, I had just arrived in Granada, Spain. Those of us who work as language assistants often make extra money by teaching private classes in the afternoons (clases particulares). I remember thinking “but how do I teach private classes? Like how do I create lesson plans?”

The other day, I was texting with a friend of mine who is going into her second year in Spain and first in Granada. I gave her some of my old private lessons as I am not in Granada this year. Through our conversation, I was giving her ideas of what to do with the kids. Things like activity ideas, my favorite youtube channels and websites where you can find materials. She joked that I was her auxiliar guru. I responded “hahaha maybe I should make a blog post with all my resources.” “I would bookmark the sh*t out of that!” she responded. So that sparked an idea.

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My book about tips for learning Spanish as an adult

tips for learning Spanish as an adult

I have some very exciting news to share with you all! As many of you know, I’m full of tips for learning Spanish as an adult. I never thought it was possible, but in just a few years I went from nothing to basically fluent. There are days here in Spain where I still shock myself. So I complied all of my tips for learning Spanish as an adult into a book!

So I decided to write down all of my stories and things I’ve found to work for myself and others, and turn it into a book! As both an English teacher and an expat living in Spain, I see so many adults struggle to learn languages as an adult. So I figured perhaps I could help people with tips for learning Spanish as an adult or learning any other language!

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My experience working at an English summer camp in Spain

English summer camp in Spain

I love living in Spain and working as an English assistant. However one tough part of the job is that we don’t get paid for four months in the summer. Our contracts are for eight months out of the year. Those of us who plan to do the program for multiple years need a plan in the summer. One way to earn some extra money is by working at an English summer camp in Spain.

There are many English summer camps throughout Spain and other parts of Europe. Native speakers are gold to them. Parents enroll their kids in camps like these because they obviously want their kids to improve and practice their English. So if these camps can advertise that their teachers are native speakers, they will get more kids to sign up.

I knew I needed to do something to make money this summer. So in March or April, I googled “English summer camps in Spain” and found quite a few. I filled out a few applications and got an interview with one. Perfect, I thought! After the interview, I found out about a week later that the job was mine! I would be working for them the entire month of July.

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12 things I wish I knew before moving to Spain

moving to Spain

I cannot believe it. It seems like yesterday that I was moving to Spain with just a duffel bag, a carry-on and a backpack. Two years have gone by so quickly. All I know is that my adventure of living overseas and traveling are just beginning.

In just a week and a few days, I’ll be packing my bags once again and moving up to the La Rioja region. I’ll still be living in Spain, just eight hours away from my beloved Granada. My teaching program gives us a two-year limit for working in the Andalucia region. So I figured this could be a great opportunity to see a new region. I’m not going to lie … the move was hard to stomach at first. I spent all year talking about how I would find a way to stay in Granada. However when I received my placement in my first choice region (I renewed just in case) of La Rioja, I thought “Nina, you’re a travel blogger. Go! You’ll have so much new material at your fingertips!”

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